Gardener News January 2024

TAKE ONE

Gardener News

Read The Paper Online

Proudly Serving the Agricultural, Gardening, Landscaping & Nursery Communities

January 2024

Re a d th e G ar dener N ew s O nl i ne at G ar dener N ew s . com

No. 249

o n f o s t r h e e P Y 3 e 2 ar 0 2

Jim Vasil Tom Castronovo/Photo

Garden State on his PIX11 News segments.

Every single human being on this planet is dependent on agriculture.

Basically, the above industries touch Gardener News proudly bestows the lives of all Americans – from the our 2023 “Person of the Year” to Jim farm field to the kitchen table, from Vasil, for his gracious dedication to the plants we grow to the clothes we covering the agricultural, farming, wear, and from the air we breathe to gardening, landscaping, nursery, and the energy that powers our country. outdoor living communities in the Agriculture also makes our houses

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor/Publisher Gardener News

and properties a little greener, too.

Vasil is a two-time Emmy Award winner and six-time nominee who joined PIX11 in October 2022 as a reporter/multi-media journalist.

PIX11 provides national and local news, with a focus on New York City, northern New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester County, and northern New York suburbs. Vasil’s news segments can be seen most weekday

afternoons and early evenings.

Vasil comes from a family filled with first responders, veterans, nurses, and educators, and enjoys having the chance to tell the stories of everyday heroes, such as the ones below.

Following are some of the news segments that Vasil has covered in New Jersey during his first year with PIX11. There are also a few accolades from some of the (Cont. on Page 15)

2 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

Making Mighty Houseplants

All Purpose

Houseplant Food

10-10-10 Use to feed all potted plants, indoors and outdoors, including houseplants.

Succulent & Cactus

Orchid

Plant Food

Plant Food

9-7-9 Use to feed all Orchids.

2-7-7 Use to feed Cactus, Jade, Aloe and all Succulents.

African Violet & Blooming Plant Food

8-10-8 Use to feed all African Violets and other flowering plants.

Available Only At Your Local Independent Garden Centers fertilome.com

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 3

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Need a Website? or Graphic Design Work?

An Educational Twist

First and foremost, I wish all of my readers and online viewers a happy, healthy, and safe new year!

This month’s column is all about the great education sessions that are available for you this winter. And we all know it’s all about great education.

First up is a certified gardeners horticultural training program in Camden County, NJ. The program will run from Jan. 23 to April 11 every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the county’s sustainability campus located at 508 Lakeland Road in Blackwood.

The Camden County Certified Gardeners is an award-winning non-profit volunteer organization whose members are trained county residents interested in increasing gardening knowledge and sharing their expertise with their communities through community outreach.

The 24 educational sessions are taught by college professors and horticulture industry experts. Classes cover a wide variety of gardening topics including plant propagation techniques, composting, pruning, weed identification, vegetable, flower, and fruit gardening, lawn care, native plants, pests and diseases, and houseplants.

After completing the course, Certified Gardeners assist residents with gardening needs through the Gardening Helpline and at local farm markets, special events, plant clinics, and sessions in the county’s libraries.

Learn more about this course and register by visiting https://www.camdencounty.com/service/sustainable-cc/ camden-county-certified-gardeners/ Since I am a Land Grant University fan, I’m now going to present you with some great Rutgers University classes.

North Jersey Ornamental Horticulture Symposium For the 63rd year, a team of Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents will be sponsoring the North Jersey Ornamental Horticulture Symposium. They are pleased to be returning to the County College of Morris for day-long in-person sessions for 2024!

These educational programs are aimed at professionals in the green industry, and feature speakers who are leading experts from Cooperative Extension, state government, and private industry.

The Symposium has three sessions: Turf Day is January 9, Tree Day is January 10, and Landscape Day is January 11. As an industry attendee, you can register for each session you would like to attend. NJ Pesticide Applicator recertification credits will be offered for each session of the program.

ISA, NJLTE, and NJUCF credits have been requested for the Tree Day program. Two ProFact Fertilizer Applicator recertification units will be offered for the Turf Day program.

Learn more about this course at https://njaes.rutgers. edu/njohs/ Organic Turfgrass Management Thursday, February 8, 2024 Any successful organic turf management program

must rely on sound, science-based turfgrass management principles and practices. This half-day program, led by Dr. James Murphy, Extension Specialist in Turf Management, and Bradley S. Park, Sports Turf Education and Research Coordinator, will introduce you to the science underlying a proper long-term organic turf program. Topics include soil health management, selecting the proper plant species, pest management strategies without synthetic pesticides, and organic turf care in practice.

Learn more about this course at https://cpe.rutgers. edu/landscape/organic-turfgrass-management Beds and Borders Seminar March 4 & 5, 2024 Discover how to combine herbaceous perennials, bulbs, flowering shrubs, annuals, and small trees in garden beds for maximum visual effect and year-round beauty.

How do you improve a landscape for a client who can’t or won’t spend the money? One way is to improve the “beds and borders,” described by instructor Bruce Neary as, “everything on a property that is not turf.”

Using his energetic style, Bruce will take you through the design, installation, and maintenance process. He’ll teach participants to expertly orchestrate and combine herbaceous perennials, bulbs, flowering shrubs, annuals, and small trees to give the residence year-round beauty – and he’ll demonstrate the effect of artistic plant placement and how to maximize the visual elements of garden bed architecture. You’ll get the feel and impact of a mini design seminar!

Learn more about this course at https://www.cpe. rutgers.edu/landscape/beds-and-borders How would you like to become a Rutgers Master Gardener?

The Union County Board of County Commissioners would like to announce that the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County program is now recruiting for its 35th class. Gardeners of all levels can sharpen and practice their skills while giving back to the community by joining the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County.

The 2024 Master Gardener training program is from January to May, and consists of weekly classes that cover basic botany, entomology and plant pathology, integrated pest management, vegetable gardening, tree fruit, lawn care and flower gardening among other topics.

Participants who complete the coursework and provide 60 hours of pre-approved community service earn the title of Rutgers Certified Master Gardener.

To apply for the 2024 training course, visit the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County registration website at http://bttr.im/fem3x. Once accepted into the program, there is a $200 program registration fee. Applicants must be willing to participate in volunteer activities. The program can accommodate 30 students.

To learn more about the Master Gardeners program, please call Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County 908-654-9854 ext. 2 or email thopkins@ucnj.org.

If you would like to find a Rutgers Master Gardener program in your county, please visit this link: https://njaes. rutgers.edu/county/

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, landscaping and nursery communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FACE OF YOUR BUSINESS Don’t lose customers because your website is out of date...

We Build Mobile Responsive Websites!!

Because in today’s world your website needs to display well on mobile devices

Call or visit our site today for a FREE quote or consultation

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with us! *Award Winning Wine List* Seafood, Steaks, Pasta.

Are Our Specialties Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Family Style Meals To-Go Curbside Pickup, Delivery and Takeout

601 Grand Central Avenue (Rt. 35 North) Lavallette, NJ | 732-793-4447 *Award Winning Wine List* OrderSteaks, OnlinePasta.

Seafood,

Celebrating 41 Years

Are Our Specialties Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Family Style Meals To-Go Curbside Pickup, Delivery and Takeout

4 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

As we enter the New Year, the State Board of Agriculture’s annual New Jersey Agricultural Convention is a few weeks away, the first week of February, at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.

The Convention is mandated in New Jersey law and has happened every year since the Department of Agriculture’s formation in 1916 (including an all-virtual convention on-line in 2021 during the COVID pandemic).

What takes place over the two days of the convention shapes the policy direction of the Department for the coming year. This happens through the discussion of a number of resolutions (usually somewhere around 40 of them).

The State Board serves as the policymaking body of the Department, but the eight Board members have no vote on the resolutions (with the remote exception of the President breaking a tie vote), leaving that to the delegates representing an array of agricultural-advocacy groups and commodity organizations.

The convention allows for a gathering from the many broad facets of agriculture in the Garden State to exchange ideas and learn more about the industry beyond their own operations. There are learning sessions featuring instructors from Rutgers University’s New Jersey

discussing the work of Rutgers NJAES over the past two years to map a path forward toward farm financial success; “Soil Protection,” addressing the emerging rules for ensuring that our state’s highquality soils are not lost on preserved farms; and “Highway Safety and Farm Equipment,” to draw more attention to the dangerous practice of motorists trying to pass large, slow-moving farm vehicles when they cannot see what traffic may be coming the other way.

And the best part is, this is an open public meeting, where you all are invited to come watch and listen to the proceedings. Please feel free to come and observe the convention February 7-8, 2024. I look forward to meeting you.

As we usher in the New Year, it’s a time for fresh beginnings, and in the realm of agriculture, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is poised to be your partner in cultivating success throughout the upcoming year.

Embracing Change in Agriculture The agricultural landscape is everevolving, and FSA is committed to helping farmers navigate these changes with resilience and innovation. As we reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the past year, it’s essential to look forward with optimism and a commitment to growth.

Programs for a Productive Year Ahead FSA’s diverse programs act as seeds of opportunity for farmers looking to enhance their operations.

From commodity programs that manage risk to conservation initiatives promoting sustainable practices, these programs empower farmers on their journey to success.

Key Areas: -Commodity Programs: Stabilizing income and managing risk through programs like Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).

-Livestock Programs: Supporting livestock producers through disaster assistance and indemnity programs.

Loans and Assistance FSA loans play a crucial role in sowing the seeds of prosperity.

Whether it’s operating loans for day-

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Joe Atchison III Assistant Secretary of Agriculture

How the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention Impacts the NJDA

Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES).

Generally, we hear from legislators who come to address the industry delegates. Agricultural Youth Ambassadors from county 4-H and commodity organizations participate in a reception to share information about their organizations prior to a banquet dinner, which features a keynote speaker and awards for industry excellence.

But the primary purpose of the convention is for the delegates representing 80 agricultural organizations to discuss and pass the resolutions that are the basis for NJDA policy for the coming year.

The content of the resolutions is gathered from the organizations prior to the convention and distributed in binders to each delegate weeks prior to the convention. The State

Board every October names about 20 delegates to a “Resolutions Committee,” and they work with NJDA staffers to prepare the resolutions to be discussed.

Once the convention begins, there are discussions and voting sessions on many of the resolutions.

Topics have ranged across the board from animal humane standards to soil protection, and from funding for agriculture organizations to farm viability in an age of almost constant change for the industry.

Some past successes have included: “Rural Broadband,” which has led to agriculture having a pivotal role in the statewide effort to ensure that even our most remote areas have access to reliable broadband to maximize web-based farming practices; “Supporting Jersey Fresh,” leading to efforts for further expanding the markets

into which our farmers can sell their great products; “Wildlife and Agriculture,” which informed legislators and the Governor of the millions of dollars in crop losses each year to animals like deer and bear, resulting in state funding for deer fencing on farms and the reinstitution of a black bear hunt to control that population; “Establishing a Hemp Industry in New Jersey,” which led to more than half a million dollars in state funding toward that end; and “New Jersey’s Livestock Industry,” emphasizing the need for more small, local and regional processing businesses for livestock raised in this state and the creation of the “Jersey Raised” branding program for those products.

Some of the biggest resolutions to be discussed at this coming convention will be: “Farm Viability,”

USDA Farm Service Agency

By Bob Andrzejczak State Executive Director

Cultivating Success in the New Year: A Fresh Start with FSA

to-day expenses, farm ownership loans to realize your agricultural dreams, or emergency assistance loans in times of crisis, FSA stands ready to provide the necessary financial foundation.

Key Areas: -Operating Loans: Enabling farmers to cover daily expenses, purchase equipment, and enhance their operations.

-Farm Ownership Loans: Facilitating farm ownership dreams with loans for expansion and construction.

-Emergency Assistance Loans: Offering financial relief to farmers facing losses due to disasters.

Nurturing Growth Through Conservation The New Year is an opportune time to recommit to sustainable farming practices. FSA’s conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), empower farmers to be stewards of the land,

promoting environmental health and long-term viability.

Inclusivity and Outreach As we embark on this journey into a new year, FSA reaffirms its commitment to supporting all farmers. Whether you’re a seasoned agriculturalist or a newcomer to the field, FSA’s programs and services are tailored to meet your unique needs.

Connect with FSA FSA’s accessibility is bolstered by our extensive network of six county offices throughout the state, each staffed by knowledgeable team members. Many of our team members have roots in farming, bringing firsthand experience and a deep understanding of the industry to their roles. These individuals are not just FSA representatives; they are your fellow farmers, here to offer support and guidance.

County Committees At the heart of our local presence

are the county committees, comprised of dedicated farmers elected annually by their peers. These committee members provide a wealth of knowledge, ensuring that FSA remains closely attuned to the needs and challenges of the agriculture community. Their insights guide our efforts, making certain that our programs and services align with the realities of farming life.

State Committee Beyond the county level is the State Committee. Composed of individuals with decades of experience in the agriculture industry, these members are appointed by the USDA Secretary of Agriculture, with guidance from the State Executive Director. Serving as FSA ambassadors, they contribute to critical decisions, including setting rates and yields.

The State Committee plays a pivotal role in steering FSA’s initiatives and policies at a broader level, ensuring

Editor’s Note: New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison III is directing the Department, assuming the responsibilities of Secretary, until the State Board of Agriculture’s recommendation for the new Secretary of Agriculture is approved by Governor Phil Murphy. Atchison is also the Director of the Division of Marketing and Development for the department. He can be reached at 609-292-3976. that the diverse needs of farmers across the state are represented. Their wealth of experience and deep understanding of the agricultural landscape make them invaluable contributors to the agency’s mission.

Visit Your Local FSA Office Today For assistance, visit one of our six county offices located in Vineland, Woodstown, Columbus, Freehold, Frenchtown, and Hackettstown or reach out to our state office located in Hamilton Township. Our team is ready to assist you on your path to success in the upcoming year.

The New Year brings the promise of a fresh start. FSA is here to cultivate that promise, providing the tools and support needed to foster growth, sustainability, and success throughout the agricultural landscape. As we turn the page to a new chapter, let’s sow the seeds of a bountiful and prosperous year ahead.

Editor’s Note: Bob Andrzejczak is the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New Jersey. He can also be reached at 609587-0104 during regular business hours. For more information, please visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/ state-offices/New-Jersey/ sed-biography/index

GardenerNews.com SupportSupport NJ Agriculture Support NJ Agriculture NJ Agriculture

January 2024 5

JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN

Support NJ Agriculture

Nursery StockNursery StockNursery Stock JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN

Sunflower Birdseed Sunflower Birdseed Sunflower Birdseed JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN

Firewood

Firewood

Firewood

JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN

JERSEY GROWN

Nursery Stock JERSEY GROWN

Sunflower Birdseed

Annuals & Perennials Annuals & Perennials Annuals & Perennials

JERSEY GROWN nor hopping you’re shopping for for Firewood Made With Made With Made With SEY ry WN nursery GROWN nursery JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN JERSEY GROWN k,w s, you the know trees, the trees, Wood Wood Wood Annuals & Perennials Birdhousesfor & Birdhouses & Birdhouses & bs, rs andplants flowers and flowers When you’re shopping Bird Feeders Bird Feeders Bird Feeders Made With ty, for checked quality, for quality, JERSEY GROWN nursery JERSEY GROWN nd est ase,free, are and pest free, you and know the trees, stock, Wood en stomed the Garden to the Garden Birdhouses & shrubs, plants and flowers Bird Feeders e’s eoil and climate soilare andchecked soil for quality, itions. disease, are pest free, and

accustomed to the Garden State’s climate and soil conditions.

Governor Phil Murphy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison III

jerseygrown.nj.gov jerseygrown.nj.gov jerseygrown.nj.gov

jerseygrown.nj.gov

6 January 2024

RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Landscape Plants:

Provided by Brian Schilling Director

Identification, Selection, and Application January 5 - March 15, 2024 | 8:30am – 12:00pm | Fridays Early Bird Fee — $895 | New Brunswick, NJ Join us for 11 Friday morning class sessions and become skilled in identifying plants on your managed properties. Learn how to choose the perfect plant for each site and enjoy hands-on plant ID walks!

Plant Species Covered in this Course Over the 11 sessions of this class, you will become familiar with over 200 plant species including: Shade Trees Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Pine Trees Ornamental Small Trees Lesser Conifers Deciduous Conifers

Broadleaf Evergreens Rhododendron and Their Kin Deciduous Shrubs and Vines Groundcovers Rariflora

*Don't delay; the early bird discount ends December 29, 2023.

Register early to save $55!

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



Learn More and Register Today! go.rutgers.edu/plant

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

Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the 2024 New Jersey Agricultural Convention

Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) plays a leading role each year in developing and hosting the educational programs for the New Jersey Agricultural Convention and Trade Show. The 2024 event will be held from Tuesday to Thursday, February 6 – 8, at Harrah’s Resort and Waterfront Conference Center, 777 Harrah’s Boulevard, Atlantic City, NJ. The convention is a collaborative effort among the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ (VGANJ), the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

The theme for the 2024 program is “Pathways to Grow Farm Viability.”

RCE’s educational programs at the convention are led by co-chairs and RCE agricultural agents, William Bamka (Burlington County) and Michelle InfanteCasella (Gloucester County). In addition to Bamka and InfanteCasella, an outstanding core of personnel, among them several RCE county agents, serve as chairpersons for several convention sessions and workshops. They include, in alphabetical order: A.J. Both (Greenhouse Extension Specialist), Kate Brown (Program Associate, Burlington County), William Errickson (Monmouth County), Hemant Gohil (Gloucester County), Patricia Hastings (Integrated Pest Management Program Associate), Kristian Holmstrom (Integrated Pest Management Program Associate, Vegetable), William Hlubik (Middlesex County), Stephen Komar (Sussex County), Meredith Melendez (Mercer County), Megan Muehlbauer (Hunterdon County), Stephanie Murphy (Director, Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory), Peter Nitzsche (Director, Snyder Farm), Gary Pavlis (Atlantic County), William Sciarappa (Agriculture and Natural Resources agent), David Specca (Assistant Director, Rutgers EcoComplex), Timothy Waller (Cumberland County), and Andrew Wyenandt (Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology).

These Rutgers personnel

are involved in a wide variety of convention topics, including soil health, hemp production, basic wine grape production, tree fruit orchard establishment, vegetable topics, high tunnel production, nursery and ornamentals, strawberry production, transition to organics, blueberry production, food safety, retail marketing, new agricultural technologies, pest problems, among others.

RCE has partnered with VGANJ and other convention organizers to bring new offerings to the 2024 event. New vendors will serve as trade show exhibitors and new activities will include skin cancer screening for pre-registered participants on Wednesday by the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. A full list of the educational programs from Rutgers Cooperative Extension is available at https:// vganj.com/convention.

Tuesday, February 6: During the mid-day break, registered participants at the convention can sign up to participate in a free “Lunch and Learn” program, a new activity in which exhibitors will discuss their products and services.

Sign-up is required as space is limited to 50 attendees. The Tuesday evening social and charity auction to benefit Shriners Hospital is open to all convention attendees, who are encouraged to bid on items from industry supporters.

Wednesday, February 7: A luncheon will be hosted by the NJ Agricultural Society and is open to all convention attendees, with the purchase of a ticket. Also on Wednesday, the annual VGANJ/ NJDA Awards Dinner and Banquet will be held in the evening. VGANJ will be presenting its 2024 Vegetable Growers of the Year award to Angelo and Leonard Grasso Farms of Mullica Hill, NJ, while the NJ Department of Agriculture will be naming its honorees. Tickets for scheduled meals can be purchased through Nancy Wood, NJ Department of Agriculture, by emailing Nancy.Wood@ag.nj.gov or in person at the registration desk on

Tuesday or Wednesday morning of the convention.

Thursday, February 8: A half-day session on “Worker Protection Safety Respiratory Protection Training with Fit Testing for Respirators” will be hosted by NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Licensed pesticide applicators can receive eight (8) core credits for participating. Preregister for this workshop at https:// go.rutgers.edu/pesticideworkshop.

The all-day “Farm Food Safety Workshop” requires pre-registration and payment of a fee. Register for this workshop at https://go.rutgers.edu/ mhqc3m5u.

In addition to the Rutgers educational sessions, the NJ State Board of Agriculture (SBOA) will be hosting its annual delegates convention. The delegates and NJ SBOA meet on Wednesday and Thursday. Learn more at https://www. nj.gov/agriculture/conventions/.

Each county board of agriculture, commodity organizations, and other groups send delegates to this convention to vote on resolutions important to the agricultural industry. This event is hosted and organized by the NJ SBOA and the NJ Department of Agriculture.

All information pertaining to the 2024 New Jersey Agricultural Convention and Trade Show can be found on the VGANJ website at https://vganj.com. To register for the educational sessions and trade show, to make hotel reservations, and view the RCE educational programs, scroll to the bottom of the VGANJ website or click the “convention” tab at the top of the page.

Anyone interested in making hotel reservations may take advantage of the VGANJ room reservation block by visiting the link https://book.passkey.com/go/ SH02VG4 or calling the hotel at 888-516-2215 and use the group code SH02VG4. Attendees can register for all three (3) days by purchasing a VGANJ membership or purchase one-day passes on the VGANJ website or in-person at the convention.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Michelle Infante-Casella, County Extension Department Head, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County, and William Bamka, County Extension Department Head, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County.

GardenerNews.com

RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

January 2024 7

LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY NEWS Researchers Show Promising Results in Effort to Reinvent Herbicides to Combat Invasive Plants Invasive plant species are typically fast growing. Highly competitive with native plants, they are ecosystem disruptors, often displacing native plant as well as animal species.

A research team led by James White, professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University, and Kurt Kowalski, a wetland ecologist and research scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been collaborating for nearly a decade to create new herbicides that are free of toxic components and control invasive plants without causing harm to people or the environment.

Weedy and invasive plants are filled with microbes (bacteria and fungi) through which they acquire their nutrients.

The research teams are using what they’ve learned about the interaction between plants and their symbiotic microbial counterparts to test and refine different formulations of nontoxic components that can change the relationship between plants and microbes from a beneficial to a negative one.

Research at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center has strongly focused on finding new more effective ways to manage invasive species and increase the quality and quantity of desirable habitat for native plants and wildlife.

Rutgers and the U.S. Geological Survey have already developed a couple of patents related to maturing novel herbicide technologies and continue their research, primarily with investments by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a Congressionally-funded multiagency collaboration to target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Rutgers Innovators Named Edison Patent Award Recipients in Agriculture, Forensic Science Categories Basil varieties that are resistant to the deadly downy mildew disease. A computational tool that calculates the probability of the number of contributors in a DNA profile. These two innovations share two things in common: both were developed at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and both received Edison Patent Awards at the Research & Development Council of New Jersey (RDNJ) annual banquet on November 15, 2023.

Distinguished Professor Jim Simon and Extension Specialist Andy Wyenandt used innovative and traditional plant breeding technologies to identify particular genes in basil that they later used to breed disease- and climate-resistant varieties. Certain varieties, including Rutgers Devotion DMR (downy mildew resistant), Rutgers Obsession DMR, and Rutgers Passion DMR, were each bred to withstand the deadly pathogen BDM (basil downy mildew).

Their work is highlighted in the science-in-action film Fields of Devotion, which focuses on the process of identifying the genes for disease resistance in commercial basil and the impact Simon and Wyenandt’s research has had on the New Jersey basil farming industry.

The film is now streaming on Kanopy, which is free for university staff, faculty, and students, or anyone with a public library card.

“Given the prestigious and competitive nature of the Edison Patent Awards, this was a welcome surprise for us,” said Simon and Wyenandt in a joint statement. “We have spent over a decade working with graduate and undergraduate students and the farming community to provide a solution to a very complex global problem. The development and release of novel downy mildew resistant sweet basils has had a positive economic impact for the New Jersey farming community. It’s quite humbling and we are proud and honored to be recipients of this award.”

4-H STEM Ambassadors Participate in Sustainability Summit ‘23 at Rutgers New Jersey 4-H STEM Ambassadors joined faculty at Rutgers University for the 2023 Climate Sustainability Summit on November 10th, a day of learning, discovery, collaboration and action.

The summit, which was attended by 25 youth from New Jersey’s biggest cities, addressed the importance of being sustainable and fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations, while ensuring a balance between economic growth, environmental care and social well-being.

The youth attending the summit were drawn from seven NJ counties, enabling students from cities such as Trenton, Jersey City, Paterson, Newark, Atlantic City and New Brunswick to participate.

The attendees are part of the 4-H STEM Ambassador program, where youth are selected to participate in year-round experiences designed to promote STEM identity and college readiness among those underrepresented in science and engineering. Rutgers 4-H faculty and staff connect limited resource and first-generation students to scientists and engineers across the entire university system as they work together to conduct research and tackle problems in a variety of STEM fields. These STEM Ambassadors also act as role models for younger youth within their communities.

Rutgers faculty provided authentic research opportunities, laboratory experiences, discussions, and mentorship around issues of sustainability and renewable energy. Summit ‘23 was supported by faculty from the following Rutgers units: Department of Materials Science, led, by Dr. Lisa Klein; the Rutgers Center for Mathematics, Science, and Computer Education with Dr. Eddie Cohen; Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences with Dr. Josh Kohut; Michael Kornitas, director of Sustainability and Energy Facilities Maintenance and Operations; Dr. Marjorie Kaplan, Senior Associate Director, Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute; Dr. Sean Duffy, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Rutgers Camden; and Dr. James Shope, environmental scientist in the Department of Environmental Sciences.

During the summit, STEM Ambassadors were informed about different topics concerning building a more sustainable future for New Jersey. They engaged in different hands-on activities to help them understand a diverse array of topics surrounding sustainability. These topics ranged from food systems to renewable energy to environmentally friendly infrastructure. The STEM Ambassadors were then given the challenge to take what they learned and turn it into an actionable plan back in their own communities. Some youth will be presenting what they learned to local Boards of Education or local environmental groups, and some will use what they learned to teach back to younger youth in their communities.

Rutgers 4-H facilitates enriching relationships between the precollege teenagers and faculty, promoting a welcoming, equitable and supportive learning environment.

The summit also involves several undergraduate and graduate students in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the program – providing first-hand experience in community engagement for the Rutgers students. The 2023 Climate Sustainability Summit was funded by Bluepoint Wind.

Read the Gardener News online at GardenerNews.com

8 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

Leadership Somerset Project Provides Garden to Local Veterans Members of the 2023 Leadership Somerset graduating class celebrated Veterans Day with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Veterans Garden Project at the Valley Brook Village Veterans community at the Lyons VA Medical Center.

Resident veterans, partner organizations, donors, Somerset County officials, and the Leadership Somerset team all attended the celebration.

“As a veteran myself, I’m proud of the entire Leadership Somerset 2023 class for supporting the veteran community in Somerset County with this project,” said program graduate Vincent Barragan. “Leadership Somerset is a great program that helps participants build the skills and relationships to serve underserved communities with projects like the Veterans Garden, and to work collaboratively with partners like Northeast Organic Farming Association and Empower Somerset.”

One of the requirements for graduation from Leadership Somerset is to complete a sustainable community service project benefiting an underserved community within Somerset County. The 2023 Leadership Somerset graduates focused their project on building a community garden for the residents of the Valley Brook Village community.

Valley Brook Village is the first of its kind Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) community for homeless veterans, situated on the Lyons VA Medical Center in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The village-style community sits on more than sixteen acres and features sixty-two furnished, one and two-bedroom apartment homes with shared community space, ample program space, landscaped walkways, and shared outdoor spaces. The Veterans Garden will complement these spaces with a location for residents to spend time outdoors in the fresh air gardening, an activity with a proven positive impact on mental and physical health.

“The Leadership Somerset Class of ‘23 project combines all the attributes that this program was designed for- Leadership, Cooperation, Vision, Collaboration, Coordination and most importantly supporting the needs of Somerset County residents,” said Somerset County Commissioner Melonie Marano, herself a Leadership Somerset graduate from 2005.

“On behalf of the entire Board of County Commissioners, we thank the participants who created this valuable recreational, therapeutic and nutritional garden for our honored veterans.”

The Leadership Somerset graduates partnered with Empower Somerset and the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). By the virtue and generosity of fifty sponsors, the team exceeded their financial goal, successfully raising more than ten thousand dollars to cover the cost of building the garden, spring planting, garden tools, various additional supplies, and educational programing to be provided through NOFA, and additional funds to sustain the project going forward.

Leadership Somerset is an annual community leadership program focused on building skills and supporting the development of emerging Somerset County leaders through a series of seminars, workshops, and projects. The program accepts individuals who live or work in Somerset County, NJ, with a desire to improve their community and give voice to traditionally underrepresented community members.

Graduates include elected officials, business leaders, educators, non-profit executives, community volunteers, and more leaders who help make Somerset County a special place to live.

Learn more about Leadership Somerset at https://www. co.somerset.nj.us/residents/community-leadership-programs/ adult-program.

Tree Notes

By Bert Kuhn NJ Licensed Tree Expert (LTE) Licensed Tree Care Operator (LTCO)

ALL ABOARD! THIS TRAIN IS ROLLING! What line? Where are we heading?

The line or mission is “to advance the profession of arboriculture in New Jersey.” NJAISA: New Jersey Arborists International Society of Arboriculture is our chapter name. While recently completing our strategic plan, the vision statement we adhere to is, “We deliver the highest quality arboricultural education and opportunities for mentoring, networking, and advancement. We promote professional arboriculture throughout the state with the wise and ethical use of resources.”

The governing board of the NJAISA, while serving the needs of our members, abides by its core principles of generosity, integrity, professionalism, mentorship, and gratitude. My comrades are an incredibly impressive, experienced, talented group constantly working to achieve our aforementioned mission. I value it as a great honor to lead this remarkable team which continues to work seamlessly together.

We are a very dynamic and active chapter continually driven and striving to impact the tree industry far beyond our borders. The NJAISA is emerging as a leader in the ISA: International Society of Arboriculture. I feel a real turning point in our growth can be attributed to hiring our Executive Director, Joe Greipp.

Joe’s motivation, focus, clarity, and eloquence are impressive, and inspirational. My late great father, Donald Kuhn, who was deeply involved with Morris Habitat for Humanity, told me their organization really grew and flourished after employing an Executive Director. I see the wisdom in his words in true color with Joe. We host and put forth four major events each calendar year.

The Garden State Tree Conference or GSTC in March, the New Jersey Tree Climbing Championship or NJTCC in June, the Duel on the

Delaware (an inter chapter arborists challenge) in October/November, and our annual Workday event in December.

GSTC continues to grow and is shaping up to be the premier tree conference in the nation. NJTCC, led by Scott Tapp of Bartlett Tree Experts, is organized well thoughtout and challenges the climbers.

The winner of this event is crowned our chapter champion and is eligible to compete in the International Tree Climbing Championship, which we sponsor. The Duel on the Delaware is an inter-chapter event, which our chapter initiated and designed, and is comprised of two climbing challenges and a rigging challenge. Fellow board member and good friend, Todd Pearson of Forest Glenn Arborists LLC, Joe Greipp, and myself amongst others, designed and formatted this unique arborist team competition to increase interaction with neighboring chapters. MAC ISA, or the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ISA, attended along with the Penn-Del ISA chapter and the NJAISA by whom it was originally established. The team format, along with unique challenges, makes this a very exciting, challenging, and fun event.

Our final event of the year is our annual volunteer Work Day which typically takes place the first Saturday of December.

Imagine 100 arborists amassing at a park with their equipment (cranes, bucket trucks, track lifts, log loaders, mini skids, stump grinders) to perform a volunteer day of tree work. A conservative estimate of this service provides the entity with an incredible amount of tree work performed at a quarter of the cost. Always striving to enhance our events, we included tree planting here.

More importantly, we recently began using this event as an opportunity for youth mentorship.

Our Education Committee chair, Dr. Neil Hendrickson, retired

from Bartlett Tree Experts, will graciously lead the Rutgers Forestry Club and students in Upward Bound (Mercer County Community College) on an interpretive tour of the work being performed, providing a very tangible experience for these aspiring, budding arborists.

This Work Day never ceases to amaze me as I witness the camaraderie, professionalism, safety, and cooperation employed to ensure its continual success. It took place on Saturday, December 2, at Cadwalader Park in Trenton.

Continually striving to increase our organization’s value to our membership, Joe Greipp and our vibrant executive assistant, Christina Best, are working diligently on our new computer platform to increase our efficiency. Bob Wells, Wells Tree, graciously serves on the board as our Historian preserving our rich heritage. He also leads our TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) program offered annually. Joshua Best, Davey Tree (and Christina’s husband), chairs our Outreach Committee, its goal being to increase our exposure in an effort to draw people into our rewarding profession with Green Industry members as we share in caring for a natural world.

Allow me to confess, I was so imposed upon and apprehensive of assuming this role when my presidency was to start, I got cold feet and backed out. Shifting the load to Dave Wells, Wells Tree, he stepped up and had a very effective presidency. I didn’t quit but moved back through the slate and here I am today. When this occurred, I vowed to my father I would eventually assume this role. I love you Dad and it’s happening!

ALL ABOARD! It continues to be a great ride for me!!! So, HOP ABOARD to be a part of this impactful organization, the NJAISA. It’ll be a great ride guaranteed!

Editor’s Note: Bert Kuhn is President of the New Jersey Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and CO/Owner of Action Tree Service (# NJTC768009), based out of Watchung, NJ. He can be reached at 908-756-4100

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 9

The qualities of what makes a plant garden worthy are always changing and my personal opinions are certainly no different! When I was starting out, I was drawn to the ‘latest and greatest’ and discounted the more ‘seasoned plants’ growing at my grandparent’s home as no longer garden worthy.

As the ‘latest and greatest’ plants succumbed to ever newer and greater selections, several plants from my grandparent’s farm still remained popular, showcasing their garden worthiness. One ‘seasoned plant’ I remember well from my youth is Iberis sempervirens, commonly called Candytuft!

Iberis is a member of the Brassicaceae, also known as the Mustard or Cabage family. The genus contains around 40 species, consisting of annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs.

Subshrubs are defined as low growing woody plants, but are often sold as perennials. Iberis sempervivum is native to a broad area of Southern Europe, Western Asia and even parts of Northern Africa. Both the genus and the species were named and described by Carl Linnaeus (17071778) in 1753. The genus name was inspired by Iberia, an area

mulched with 1-2 inches of fine gravel to aid in drainage. Plants prefer alkaline soils but are pH adaptable and hardy from zones 3-8. Once the flowers have faded, plants can be sheared to remove about 1/3 of the growth to keep the plants more compact.

Grown since colonial times, Iberis sempervirens popularity peaked during the late Victorian Era (1837-1901), although it remained a retail favorite that allowed me to enjoy it at my grandparent’s. With its evergreen foliage providing ample winter interest followed by a shimmering spring floral display, it is rewarding to see Candytuft has dodged the pitfalls common to many of the ‘latest and greatest’ introductions.

Hopefully, Candytuft will be one plant my grandchildren will also remember from their youth!

Morris County Park Commission

By Bruce Crawford Horticultural Manager

Candytuft – An Evergreen for Generations to Come consisting of modern-day Spain, Portugal and Southern Fance and home to numerous species of this genus. The species name comes from the Latin Semper, meaning always and Virens meaning ‘being green’ in reference to the plant’s evergreen foliage.

The common name Candytuft may inspire thoughts of cotton candy, but the name has nothing to do with sugary sweets. Rather, it refers to the Isle of Crete, which was known as Candia from roughly 1210-1670. Lord Edward La Zouche (1556-1625) was a wealthy English Diplomat who had a strong interest in Botany.

From 1583-1587 he traveled abroad and visited Candia where he collected seed of Iberis, which also proved inspirational for the common name. Upon returning to England, he gifted the seed to

the English Herbalist John Gerard (1545-1612) who grew and wrote of the plant’s virtues. Evidently, the seed has a taste similar to sweet broccoli. The ‘tufted’ portion of the name probably refers to the billowy appearance of the plants when left unsheared.

Iberis sempervirens is technically a subshrub, growing to 12” tall by 18-24” in diameter. The oblong evergreen foliage is nearly 2” long by 1/8” wide with a deep green, leathery appearance. It is arranged both alternately along the stems, as well as radially around the stem. The white flowers appear at the tips of the branches and are densely arranged on terminal racemes. A racemose flower consists of a central stem with the flowers arranged radially around that stem. The lowest flowers have longer stems or peduncles, giving

the raceme a cone-like shape. The flowers open sequentially from the base of the raceme to the top over a 4-week period in April and May. Typical to members of the Mustard Family, the flowers display 4 petals, with the 2 outwardly oriented petals roughly 3 times longer than the remaining inward petals. These shorter petals allow for closer proximity to the flower located immediately above, packing more color and seed capacity into a raceme. In addition, flowers near the base of the raceme have longer outwardly oriented petals than flowers near the top, preventing the upper tier of flowers from physically obscuring the lower flowers. A very efficient floral display!

Candytuft is easily grown in full sun and in soils with good drainage. Ideally plants should be

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth, is the Manager of Horticulture for the Morris County Parks Commission, and a Past President of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at BCrawford@ morrisparks.net

Why is it Called Dogwood?

By Hubert Ling One suggestion is that the fruit isn’t fit to be eaten by a dog. Another is that the wood was used for skewers or “dogs.” Regardless of where the name came from, dogwoods such as flowering dogwood, silky, gray, and red twig or red osier dogwood are familiar landscape plants.

These four dogwoods are all native to North America and common in NJ. Here I will concentrate on red osier dogwood Cornus sericea.

Red osier dogwood is native to Alaska, much of Canada and all of the northern and central US, thus it is tolerant of extreme cold. This dogwood is native to almost all of the northern NJ counties.

Cornus means horn in Latin, which may refer to the very hard wood for which dogwoods are famous.

Sericea in Latin means

covered in fine hairs, which occurs on the underside of the leaves and on young branches. The common name osier refers to the straight flexible branches which have been used for basket weaving and wicker furniture and are referred to as osiers.

The leaves of red osier dogwood are simple, oval in shape, and positioned opposite to each other. This is relatively uncommon since most woody plants have only one leaf on one side of a stem instead of having two leaves opposite each other on each section of a stem. All NJ native dogwoods have very small flowers which are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. You may wonder about this statement since the common flowering dogwood (C. florida), appears to have two-inch flowers. However, if you look closely at what appears to be a single flower in this plant, you will see a cluster of small flowers surrounded by four large

leafy white or pink bracts.

Since red osier dogwood lacks these large bracts, the flowers clusters, even though they may be up to 2.5 inches in diameter, are relatively inconspicuous. In fact, the flowers are overshadowed by showy, conspicuous, white fruits which mature in the fall.

Although dogs may not like these fruits, they are eaten by dozens of species of birds and are an important source of food for bears and other mammals. Deer, beaver, elk, moose, wild sheep, and goats munch on young dogwood twigs the year around, and it is sometimes referred to as the ‘ice cream plant’ for wildlife and livestock. In addition, birds and small animals use red osier dogwood for nesting and cover. The plant is a larval host to the spring and summer azure butterflies and the crecopia moth, and the flowers attract bees and butterflies.

Although Native Americans had many medicinal uses for this and other dogwoods I strongly caution against experimentation. The inner bark was used in tanning, as tobacco, and when mixed with other plant materials and minerals, made into a red dye. The crushed berries were used to slow bleeding and to treat colds.

The sap was used to poison arrowheads. The young straight shoots were also used to make arrows, fish traps, bows, stakes, dreamcatchers, and tools. In addition, young branches were also used for toothbrushes and said to whiten the teeth.

A note of warning here is that hardwood toothbrushes may be involved in causing receding gums.

The primary reason to grow red osier dogwood is for its striking bright red young branches which can play a prominent winter role; yellow stemmed

cultivars are also available.

The plant grows naturally along moist stream banks in full or partial sun, but it is adaptable to a variety of soils with moderate sun and moisture. This dogwood is fast growing and readily available in many garden centers. It is a favorite plant to prevent stream bed erosion and it is easy to propagate from cuttings and seed. Plant the seeds before the fruits completely dry or the seeds will go dormant.

Mature red osier dogwoods are 6 – 18 feet high, but cultivars can grow as low as 1.5 feet. If you don’t already have this valuable plant, which exhibits something of interest year-round, consider adding it to your garden.

Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is Horticultural Co-Chair of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. He can be reached at milhubling@ verizon.net.

10 January 2024

USDA Introduces a Multi-Year Plan to Strengthen U.S. Genebank Management of Plant Germplasm The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just released the National Strategic Germplasm and Cultivar Collection Assessment and Utilization Plan in support of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. National Plant Germplasm System’s (NPGS) mission.

The USDA-ARS NPGS is confident that implementing this plan will address current operational and research challenges. The collection is vital for maintaining the nation’s food supply by providing breeders and researchers the germplasm they need to furnish U. S. consumers with abundant, safe and affordable agricultural products.

The NPGS, a network of 22 genebanks primarily operated by USDA-ARS, often in strong partnership with land-grant universities, evaluates, characterizes and preserves unique germplasm collections, including seeds, tissues, tubers and buds. These collections offer researchers and breeders access to genetic diversity, which is crucial to developing pest-resistant and environmentally-resilient crops in response to emerging diseases and pests, fastchanging climates and market demands.

The genebanks currently maintain more than 617,000 unique kinds of plant germplasm from more than 100 different crops and distribute over 200,000 samples of that germplasm yearly for research, education and breeding purposes. In addition, NPGS scientists conduct research to enhance methods for maintaining and improving germplasm while ensuring all information and data associated with these vital materials are accessible through the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)-Global.

As directed by Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill, the plan provides an overview of the current NPGS status, strengths and weaknesses, and operational capacities for managing plant germplasm, which includes acquisition, maintenance, characterization, distribution, evaluation and genetic enhancement. It identifies the operational backlogs, inadequate plant germplasm management capacities and other crucial operational and research needs that threaten the availability of germplasm for crop improvement.

More importantly, this comprehensive 10-year plan includes strategies for meeting the preceding challenges based on data-driven assessments and recommendations from NPGS scientists and leadership, with guidance from the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council. When successfully implemented, these strategies will result in: • Maintenance of more plant germplasm that are disease-free, securely backed up and available for research and breeding.

• Enhancement of knowledge of the intrinsic genetic variation and high-value traits in that germplasm.

• Acquisition, conservation and development of new plant germplasm with valuable traits.

That plan is now publicly accessible at https://www.arsgrin.gov/Collections#plant-germplasm and https://www. ars.usda.gov/crop-production-and-protection/plant-geneticresources-genomics-and-genetic-improvement/docs/npgsplan/ NPGS is primarily funded through appropriations to the USDA-ARS from the U.S. Congress and receives valuable support from state land-grant universities and many agricultural stakeholders.

GardenerNews.com In the Chef’s Corner

By Andy Lagana Chef

Chef Andy’s Braised Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Happy 2024 Gardener News readers. Although the start of a new year brings change and the introduction of fresh trends, one mainstay that will never go out of style is culinary passion.

Most people go about their jobs as a means to an end, but in the case of chefs, we are more enthusiastic about what we do vs. most any other profession! Maybe it is the connection to the art of creation while making food that gives us joy and pleasure while bringing people together.

To that end, this month’s recipe contribution is my version of a simple but tasty dish – Chef Andy’s Braised Lamb Shepherd’s Pie. This staple has been a standard comfort food in Irish pubs and homes and was first documented in Scotland in 1849. Its predecessor, the cottage pie (typically distinguished by using ground beef rather than ground lamb) was first recorded in England in 1791.

Shepherd’s pie was originally made as a means of using leftover roasted meat, particularly lamb or mutton, combined with vegetables and topped with mashed potatoes.

It was a frugal and practical way for shepherds and rural communities to make the most of their available ingredients and avoid wasting any leftover meat.

The mashed potato topping served as a convenient and economical way to stretch the dish and create a hearty and satisfying meal. In modern times, variations of shepherd’s pie can be found

in many different cultures, and the type of meat used can be modified. I recommend you give this great casserole a try - watch everyone flock to the table!

First, gather the following ingredients which include 1 ¼ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes - peeled and cubed, 3 cloves garlic – halved, 1 pound braised lamb shank, 2 tablespoons flour, ¾ cup beef broth, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese – divided, ¾ cup light sour cream and 1 teaspoon salt.

Next, place the cubed potatoes and garlic in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to mediumlow. Cover and simmer until tender, which will be about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pull the shank meat from bone, coarsely chop it and add to skillet. Stir in flour, mixing with some beef stock (or lamb stock if saved when cooked). Add beef broth, ketchup and vegetables. Stir them all to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick.

Transfer the lamb mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish. Drain the potatoes and smash them a little bit before adding 1/4 cup of grated cheese and sour cream. Mash these ingredients together until smooth. Then, spoon the potatoes onto the middle of the meat mixture. With a fork, spread the potatoes from the center to the edges

to form the top layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden. Let the dish cool for 15 minutes before serving.

As a side, I like to prepare a tasty arugula salad. You’ll need 1 shallot – finely minced, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 5 ounces baby arugula, 1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted, for topping) and 1/4 cup shaved parmesan (for topping).

Combine the shallot, oil, vinegar, mustard, honey and salt and pepper in a small mason jar and shake to emulsify. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with enough of the vinaigrette to coat the leaves. Season with the additional salt and pepper, and top with toasted pine nuts and parmesan.

In terms of the ideal drink pairing, it is a toss-up between beer and a dry mediumbodied red wine. A classic English ale is a good pick, but stout or porter also works well. For wines, a red rioja is always good with lamb. I would go for a reserve with this kind of dish rather than a younger, more vivid crianza.

Another wine option is an inexpensive red Bordeaux. In this case, I would opt for a more traditional style rather than one with higher alcohol and lots of ripe fruit.

Any of the above beverages will work well for this meal.

See you at the table!

Editor’s Note: Andy Lagana is a Chef at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, Sussex County, N.J. For more information on its culinary program, visit www.CSResort.com.

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 11

12 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 13

14 January 2024 As we prepare to turn the page on 2023 and get ready to start 2024, it is time to reflect on the events of the prior year. It is time to take stock of what crops did well in the prior year and what crops did not perform well.

Time must be taken to analyze the reasons why crops did or did not do well. Did they grow poorly because of weather, or a specific weather event such as a drought, freeze, hailstorm, etc…? Or did a crop do well, but just underperform or lag in the area of sales? What was the reason for this? Was it a one-time issue, or was it part of a trend?

Was timing an issue? Were crops spaced out throughout the season sufficiently? All of these factors and many more must be taken into consideration so that adjustments can be made for the next growing season.

Once we have had a chance to take stock of these items and come to some conclusions, it is time to start focusing on 2024.

First, we have to determine what types of products we are going to grow as well as the quantities we are going to grow. Once that has been decided, it is time to determine where we are going to grow them. There are several

GardenerNews.com The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Getting a Jump on the New Year items to consider when deciding on a location for each specific crop. First of all, it is generally considered to be a good practice to rotate different crops on the same ground from year to year.

But this can vary quite a bit depending on the crops being grown. For example, we like to plant pumpkins and winter squash on the same ground only once every five years. This is done because pumpkins are extremely susceptible to certain diseases that can develop in years with excessive rainfall.

And because these harmful pathogens can survive from year to year in the soil, it is a good idea to try and limit their buildup by seeking fresh ground in which to plant. Other crops such as tomatoes, peppers,

summer squash, cucumbers and melons will all greatly benefit from being grown in a significant rotation.

Even crops such as corn, soybeans and leafy greens that don’t have a great deal of susceptibility to disease will benefit from a proper crop rotation schedule. There are nutritional advantages from switching crops from year to year that will not only allow growers to save on the application of fertilizer, but allow the crops to take advantage of certain microbes that can build up in the soil. Any legume crop such as snapbeans, peas or soybeans will actually fix nitrogen in the soil, thereby decreasing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that has to be applied for the next

Graphic DesiGn | printinG | Direct mail

Establis h e d 1978

12 Center Street, Chatham, NJ 07928

www.ChathamPrint.com (973) 635-1880

SUBSCRIBE TO THE

Gardener News

Please visit the top right-hand corner of

www.GardenerNews.com BILL RANDOLPH AGENT

908.782.4028 LIFE • PROPERTY DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE American National is a group of companies writing a broad array of insurance products and services. Products and services may not be available in all states. Terms, conditions and eligibility requirements will apply. Life insurance and annuity products may be underwritten by American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas. Property and casualty products and services may be underwritten by Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York.

Form 11094 | 12.18

SERVING THE AGRIBUSINESS COMMUNITY

crop. Another factor that comes into play is weed control. If the same crop is grown year after year, certain “problem” weeds will start to proliferate in the soil and can become very difficult to control. Because different crops have varied planting and harvesting schedules, and different herbicides are labeled for use on different crops, there is a good chance that weed control will be made much better as well as much easier with proper crop rotation.

There is an old adage concerning farming, and farm equipment more specifically, that gets repeated quite a lot, especially in the spring. That is, “Stuff doesn’t break until you use it!” It seems as if every year we will have a piece

of equipment that sits around all winter long not being used, and then when we go to use it in the spring, something happens and it breaks, doesn’t work, whatever. And then, upon closer inspection, we realize that something had actually happened to it during the last growing season but we just failed to notice it, and it decided to give out for good the minute we started using it. Of course, if we had only known there was something wrong, we had plenty of time to fix it during the winter months. Now we have to scramble to get it fixed when we really need it. Happy New Year!

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is a member of the Tewksbury Township Committee, Hunterdon County, NJ. 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.

GardenerNews.com With global climate change creating extreme weather events, such as extreme summer temperatures, periods of drought, warmer than normal winters, periods of significant precipitation inundation, etc., we need to consider plants and plantings that will be more tolerable of these extremes.

Certain types of plants, or even specific species, are already showing the effects of the changing climate. For example, the true cedars, Cedrus, which are native to higher elevation mountainous regions of the world seem to be suffering from hotter and longer summers. The cedarof-Lebanon, Cedrus libani, is native to the mountains around Lebanon and the Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica, occurs in the Atlas mountains in northern Africa. Both of these regions of the world are dry with low humidity climates. Cedrus atlantica and Cedrus libanii for decades where stately conifers that thrived in this region with beautiful specimens at both the Tyler Arboretum and Scott Arboretum, however, with changing climates both species are suffering.

Scientists have predicted that certain species like the native white oak, Quercus alba, will succumb to the changing weather over time and this species will retreat to the north where the summers are cooler.

The Pennsylvania

January 2024 15 native population which has heat tolerance embedded in its genetic make-up.

This approach to managing climate change in the garden and landscape will

By Andrew Bunting undoubtedly evolve over time as new information and Vice President of Horticulture research results are made available. The home gardener can play a role by observing which plants seem to be This list includes many currently thrives in Raleigh, struggling and those that are “southern” species, including North Carolina. This dogwood thriving under these changing native species that currently species develops alabaster conditions. exist in North Carolina, white bark over time. Pinus South Carolina, northern ayacahuite is a relative of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, white pine, Pinus strobus Editor’s Note: Andrew and Mississippi. These plants, which is native to Mexico. It Bunting is Vice President in theory, will have genetics exhibits many of the attributes of Horticulture for the that make them better adapted of the ubiquitous white pine, Pennsylvania Horticultural to hotter, dryer and longer but over time should be more Society. He is one of the most summers. They have included tolerant of hot summers and recognized horticulturists in Southern natives, such as relatively warmer winters. the Philadelphia, Pa., region and a highly regarded mountain pepperbush, Clethra Quercus myrsinifolia is the colleague in the world of acuminata; Cornus florida Chinese evergreen oak. 20 professional horticulture. subsp. urbiniana which is years ago, this evergreen tree Bunting has amassed a selection of the flowering was considered marginally a plethora of awards, dogwood from Texas; hardy in the Delaware Valley including the American and feverfew, Pinckneya and New Jersey. Today, it is a Public Gardens Association bracteata, which is native to small tree that reaches 30 feet Professional Citation, Georgia. tall at maturity and provides Chanticleer Scholarship in Other plants from more considerable winter interest Professional Development, southern latitudes than with its evergreen leaves.

Delaware Center for Philadelphia should prove Cultivar selection can Horticulture’s Marion to have heat and humidity also play a role in mitigating Marsh Award, and the tolerance.

This might against climate change. For Certificate of Merit from the include plants from central years, Betula nigra Heritage® Pennsylvania Horticultural or southern China, southern was the most popular cultivar Society.

In addition, Japan, Taiwan, and possibly of river birch. Heritage® was Bunting has lectured even northern Vietnam. On made from a population of extensively throughout their list is Emmenopterys river birches with climatic North America and Europe, henryi which has large tropical conditions similar to and participated in plant looking leaves and an amazing Philadelphia. In more recent expeditions throughout Asia profusion of white bracts in the years, Dura Heat® has been and Africa. Learn more at summer. Cornus wilsoniana promoted because it was https://phsonline.org/team/ is a Chinese dogwood which selected from a more southern andrew-bunting

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Plantings to Mitigate Global Climate Change Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has published a resource, Selecting Trees for Pennsylvania’s Climate Change.

This document focuses on native trees that will be tolerant of hotter and more humid summers, drought conditions, and wet soils due to episodes of large rainfall events.

The Kendall Crosslands Arboretum at Kendall Crossland Communities in Kennett Square, PA has developed impressive curatorial tools for the campus arboretum to start to proactively plant to mitigate climate change. They have developed a list of trees exhibiting low to medium vulnerability to climate change in the Philadelphia area, including those existing plants in their collection. To guide future plantings, they have created a long list of “target species” for climate change. The document states “climate change resilient trees for PA should be southern tree species that tolerate/ prefer wetter soils and warmer temperatures.”

2023 Person of the Year

(Continued from page 1) farmers, greenhouse growers and landscape professionals that he interviewed. https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/new-jersey-towns-ban-onOne million sunflowers used in New Jersey farm maze gas-powered-leaf-blowers-prompts-lawsuit-from-landscaping-companies/ https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/millions-of-sunflowers- amp/ used-in-new-jersey-farm-maze/amp/ Landscaping trade show takes over Meadowlands Expo Center “I would like to congratulate Jim Vasil on being selected the 2023 https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/landscaping-trade-showGardener News Person of the Year. As the 2021 recipient, I am honored takes-over-meadowlands-expo-center/amp/ to be in such good company,” said Raj Sinha, owner of the Sussex County “It was truly fantastic having Jim Vasil join us at the Landscape New Jersey Sunflower Maze at Liberty Farm. “I first met Jim when he traveled out to Trade Show,” said Richard Goldstein, president of the New Jersey Landscape Sandyston, to cover our Sunflower Maze this past summer. We spent the Contractors Association. “His presence brought to light the professionalism morning touring the farm and I was immediately impressed by his depth of of the landscape and outdoor living industry. Bringing valuable insights, Jim knowledge and appreciation for New Jersey Agriculture. Jim is a true asset to was exceptionally professional and a pleasure to collaborate with throughout.” our tri-state area, the local farmers whose stories he covers, and his dedicated How to spot spotted lanternflies before they hatch following of viewers. Congratulations, Jim!” https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/how-to-spot-spottedFarming through poor NJ air quality lanternflies-before-they-hatch/amp/ https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/farming-through-poor-njRent The Chicken service brings hens, fresh eggs to your own air-quality/amp/ backyard New Jersey town’s ban on gas-powered leaf blowers prompts lawsuit https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/rent-the-chicken-servicefrom landscaping companies brings-hens-fresh-eggs-to-your-own-backyard/amp/ (Cont. on Page 16)

16 January 2024 Over the years there have been discussions suggesting that you should reduce your lawn size in favor of native grasses, stones, pollinator gardens, etc.

The American lawn is still very popular and enjoyed for its visual beauty, picnics, dog ball toss, and the occasional football or soccer match with the neighborhood kids.

There have been numerous strides made by the “Lawn Industry” in the past 50 years.

Grass seed breeding for improved performance was first pioneered

by Dr. C. Reed Funk from Rutgers University in the 1960’s. Dr. Funk created new varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue. Dr. Funk introduced hundreds of varieties in his career, making him a world leader in turf grass science. The turf grasses offered today show improved disease resistance, color, drought tolerance, growth habit and reduced requirements for water and fertilizer. I favor a lawn with a large percentage of Tall Fescue for the best lawn in town. Tall Fescues are more drought tolerant and need less fertilizer than some other lawn grasses to still look good.

The fertilizer industry has also introduced improved products for

GardenerNews.com Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

I love my lawn!

lawn use. There are many versions now available of “slow-release” Nitrogen that grass plants use more efficiently. This allows for better absorption of Nitrogen, reducing leaching and run-off. In the last 15 years, many states have enacted stricter lawn fertilizer laws in order to address water quality issues.

These include lower Nitrogen rates, increased slow-release nitrogen percentages, removing all Phosphorous from lawn fertilizers unless you are seeding or sodding, or if you can show a soil test indicating low Phosphorus levels.

This was also done to reduce water quality issues. For many years, universities promoted 4 lbs. of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year for healthy lawn growth.

Nitrogen application rates are now down to 3.2 lbs. maximum per

year in many states. These new lawn fertilizer laws also created “black-out” dates when you cannot apply lawn fertilizer. In general, black-out dates are from December 1 to March 1 in many states. This reduces the potential of fertilizer running off the lawn into sewers, again to reduce water quality issues.

Many soil amending products have been introduced in the last 20 years. This includes gypsum, amino acids, humates and biological soil activators. These products improve soil health, thus reducing the need for as much fertilizer for the lawn to still look good. What about checking your soil pH? We’ve talked about this many times over the years.

Research shows that if your soil pH level is not between 6.2 -

7.0, you could be wasting up to 70% of the lawn fertilizer you apply. The new age golf course superintendent classes taught by leading universities like Rutgers and Penn State strongly recommend reducing inputs and following Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to reduce pesticide usage.

We have a “Show us our lawn” contest monthly at Jonathan Green.

I am amazed at the lawn photos sent to us from many homeowners with beautiful, gorgeous lawns.

These photos show that you can create a great lawn to be proud of if you follow my many lawn tips over the years. Besides increasing your property value, a well-maintained lawn provides the following benefits: a 50 foot x 50 foot lawn produces enough

oxygen for a family of four every day; lawns reduce glare and noise pollution; lawns trap dust, smoke particles and other pollutants; and, lawns purify water and moderate temperatures while improving soil conditions and controlling erosion.

Mulch your grass clippings and leave them on the lawn. This helps put moisture and nutrients back into the soil and out of the landfill.

Professional sports teams prefer natural turf over synthetic playing fields. This is due to injuries which happen more frequently on synthetic grass surfaces.

Other questions to consider with synthetic turf: the cost; heat buildup causing heat stress on athletes and if you have to water the surface to reduce the temperature; what to do if blood gets on the field; and, how do you dispose of the plastic material after its useful life.

Why not show your lawn a little love this year? Happy New Year!

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

2023 Person of the Year

(Continued from page 15) New Jersey Christmas Tree Farm offers a unique interactive holiday vegetable farm but the New Jersey agricultural industry as a whole.” experience The most recent data from the United States Department of Agriculture National https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey-christmas-tree-farm-offers-a- Agricultural Statistics Service showed that the nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod industry continue to be New Jersey’s leading agricultural sector, with sales at unique-interactive-holiday-experience/ Local farmers and agricultural businesses provide some of the most celebratory almost $500 million. The value of New Jersey floriculture sales was $356 million.

Before PIX11, Jim reported for News 12 New Jersey, WFMZ-TV 69 News objects of the season – setting the stage for so many happy holiday and seasonal in Allentown, PA, and Spectrum News in Albany, NY. He holds a BA in Radio memories. and Television from Rider University, which recently honored him with the 2023 When should you get your Christmas tree, according to experts https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/when-should-you-get-your- Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

This paper now wholeheartedly salutes Jim Vasil for the goodness and kindness christmas-tree-according-to-experts/amp/ “The New Jersey Christmas tree growers genuinely thank Jim Vasil for helping that he has shown to the farmers and growers he interviewed for broadcast media, make long-lasting memories at local Christmas farms,” said Christian Nicholson, as he’s traveled around the Garden State. It also salutes him for his dedicated association president. “Jim was a pleasure to work with and fully understood how journalistic approaches, the way he delivers important agricultural facts, how he important it was to help out farmers. His coverage also helped to promote the use makes the people feel during the interview, and how he makes his interviews “news of real trees, which helps to keep open land preserved, farmers in business, and of the day.”

All facets of the Garden States agricultural, gardening, landscaping, nursery, and promote conservation issues.” outdoor living sectors are lucky to have New Jersey’s own Jim Vasil on PIX11 News.

Christmas comes alive with poinsettias at NJ greenhouse Gardener News began the annual “Person of the Year” cover story in 2008. https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/christmas-comes-alive-withGardener News will annually bestow our “Person of the Year” award to a person poinsettias-at-nj-greenhouse/amp/ who performs exemplary outstanding service to the agricultural, farming, gardening, It was a real pleasure having Jim Vasil in our family’s greenhouses at Christmas landscaping, nursery, and outdoor living communities. time,” said Tim Hionis, co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses. “During the holiday season, the poinsettia is a commercially important flowering plant to our growing operation. Jim was very professional in showcasing the production of and how to Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener care for these Christmas plants. He’s welcome back anytime.”

News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, How an 11th-generation farm in New Jersey makes apple cider environmental stewardship, gardening, and landscaping, led to the founding https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/see-it-how-an-11th-generation- of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to farm-in-new-jersey-makes-apple-cider/amp/ bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration and education Pete Melick, co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm, added, “Jim Vasil was very to the agricultural, gardening, landscaping, nursery, and outdoor living professional to work with. He did an excellent job covering not only our fruit and communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 17 The Garden Historian

By Lesley Parness Garden Educator

GARDEN CENTER HARDWARE LANDSCAPE MATERIALS NURSERY STOCK

POW E R EQUIPMEN T

18 Hamilton Rd. Hillsborough, NJ 08844 (908) 359-4652 CentralJerseyNurseries.com

Gardener News Gardener News is the leading Agricultural, Gardening, Landscaping and Nursery industry publication, both online and in print, in the New Jersey metropolitan area.

Gardener News is written by amazing, credentialed industry professionals, industry leaders and brilliant industry specialists.

Gardener News

covers local, national and regional farming, forestry, horticultural, landscaping and outdoor industry news. We also feature a wide variety of interesting reading material and great educational tips.

SIGN UP TODAY for an E-Newspaper Subscription It’s Fast and Easy!

Please visit the top right-hand corner of

www.GardenerNews.com Gardener News is published and disseminated monthly. *Whether you are looking to promote your business, a sale or event, celebrate an expansion, enhance your image or maintain relationships with customers, Gardener News can help meet your advertising goals.

Germinated in 2003

“Love Potion No. 9”

Valentine’s Day is coming and if a bouquet and a bonbon no longer do the trick, the history of plants provides some unusual suggestions. Love Potions have existed for millennia and in every culture. In addition to animal-based ingredients such as roasted turtle doves, bat blood, and stag glands, plants have long been additives.

Ancient Egyptians revered Min, a fertility God who heartily imbibed the juice of wild lettuce, Latuca virosa, aka ‘Opium Lettuce’ as an aphrodisiac. Extracts of it are still used for this purpose and as a sedative.

The Greco-Roman world was rife with liquid love potions, and the word potion comes from the Greek “potio” or “to drink.” Everyone drank wine, sometimes laced with simple fennel seeds, sometimes with the poisonous oleander.

In Europe’s Middle Ages, extracts from nightshades were used to make love potions. These included belladonna, angels trumpet, and black henbane, all of which contain hallucinogenic alkaloids. “Fly me to the moon” would have been a common lover’s refrain as visions of flying were induced by these plants.

Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, had no shortage of lovers and happily munched on the candied roots of Sea Holly, Eryngium.

These “kissing comfits” became immensely popular with the public and were manufactured well into the 18th century.

England’s love potions abounded in literature too, such as Shakespeare’s “Midsummer’s Night Dream,” wherein naughty fairy Puck misuses one made from ‘Lovein-Idleness,’ or the wild pansy, Viola tricola. “Aristotle’s Last Legacy, The Golden Cabinet of Secrets,” London, 1711 was widely read, but not written by the Greek scholar.

It contains this recipe for a fool proof philter: “Take Ellicumpane (elecampagne), the seeds or flowers Viruine (vervain), and the berrys

of Mesleto (mistletoe), beat them, when well dryed in an oven, into a fine powder, give it to the party you design upon, a dram in a glass of wine, or other liquors, and it will work wonderful effects to your advantage.”

The 1848 Materia Medica of Patna (India) included 41 aphrodisiacs. Mughal princes were advised to rub the soles of their feet with a paste of sweet almond oil and the ground root of the giant mustard.

That will spice up your love life!

The Mandrake is also included.

The Mandragora genus contains several species which various cultures have used for centuries - either its flower or root, which resembles a man. The Old Testament’s Song of Solomon sings its praises, “The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you, my beloved.”

Even fungus can provoke love.

Truffles are the fruiting body of the ascomycete fungi that form underground. Valued as a prize culinary ingredient, they are also considered a potent aphrodisiac.

Europe’s great gastronome, M. Brillat-Savarin, became one of truffles’ greatest proponents, saying, “Truffle. As soon as the word is spoken, it awakens lustful and erotic memories.” Naming them the “testicles of the earth” sealed the deal.

Other earth dwelling plants like the perennial vegetable skirrit, Sium sisarum, were coveted aphrodisiacs of Early Americans. Like a Viagra for settlers, each immigrant garden grew its version of Suikerrod (Dutch for “sugar stick.) Email me for a Skirrit Pie recipe. No prescriptions needed.

If you do give flowers, make it an orchid. At Versailles, under the many Louis, the powder of Satyrion, a type of terrestrial orchid of the Coeloglossum genus, which was harvested almost to extinction,

was a well-known aphrodisiac.

It was selected for use based on The Doctrine of Signatures, which held that the appearance of a plant indicated its God-approved uses.

The orchid’s phallic shaped roots conveyed that thought convincingly for three centuries.

An ancient Toltec myth identifies Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god, as planter of the cacao tree.

The Mayas and Aztecs regarded Nahuatl, chocolate, as a potent and royal aphrodisiac. Its Latin name, Theobroma cacao, means “food of the gods.” Chocolate contains the chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, both thought to be mood boosters and mild sexual stimulants.

Maybe that bonbon was a good idea after all…

No love life? Try this formula from the 1500’s. At bedtime on Valentine’s Day sprinkle two Bay leaves with rosewater and lay them crisscross under your pillow. Put on clean pajamas turned inside out and lie down saying these words, “Good Valentine be kind to me, In Dreams let me my true Love see.”

Got a love life? Try aromatherapy.

Fragrance has always been essential to the art of seduction. Scent has a direct connection to the amygdala and the hippocampus – parts of the brain that process emotion through the olfactory bulb. Jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, patchouli, and vetiver are essential flower oils with aphrodisiac properties. Citrus oils such as neroli and bergamot can promote relaxation and a peaceful mood. So, burn a scented candle, fill a tub with scented water, or spray the bed linens with your chosen scent.

Researchers predict the future of love potions to be intranasal dopamine sprays, testosterone gels, estrogen scrubs, and pheromone nebulizers, all made of plants.

Whatever you do, just don’t kiss that cop on the corner of Thirty-Fourth and Vine, or he will break your little bottle of Love Potion No. 9.

Editor’s Note: Lesley Parness offers a variety of presentations and workshops for garden clubs, plant societies, and horticultural gatherings. Recently retired from her position as Superintendent of Horticultural Education at the Morris County Park Commission, and with four decades of teaching environmental science and garden education, her focus now is garden history. A complete listing of her talks can be seen at lesleyparness.com and she can be reached at parness@verizon.net. This column will appear in the paper every other month.

18 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

And the Award

The New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) is excited to announce our 2023 Landscape Achievement Awards winners. The awards program is designed to acknowledge landscape professionals who execute quality landscape projects. In sponsoring the awards program, the NJLCA strives to recognize superior landscaping projects and to encourage landscape contractors’ consistent use of quality materials and workmanship. The names of entrants are kept from the panel of judges, so as not to affect the decision-making process.

This year’s competition was especially difficult to judge, as there were so many award-worthy projects entered! Some of the winning projects were highly debated until the judges came to a consensus based on some of the smallest of details.

The NJLCA first presented awards to individuals and companies who have provided outstanding service to the industry and support of the NJLCA. Associate of the Year went to Terre Co./Extech; Contractor of the Year to Al Demuro, Al D. Landscaping and Tree Service; Distinguished Service Award to Michael Kukol, Horizon Landscape Co.; Budding Contractor Award to SRV Landscaping; Nursery of the Year to Hionis Greenhouses; Innovation Award to Downes/ DTS Trucking; Volunteer of the Year to Kevin Dulio, Native Fields Landscaping; Customer Service Award to Gail Atkinson, Cedarwood Landscaping; Making a Difference Award to Richard Cording, CLC Landscaping; MVP Award to Henry Estrada, Yellow Wagon Landscaping; Team Player Award to Scott Mortensen, Cedarwood Landscaping; the Service Project MVP Award to Anthony Verrone, Exclusive Stoneworks; and, the Spotlight Award to Peter Kikot, Sponzilli Landscape Group.

2023 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award Winners: American Beauty Landscape Design, Inc. (Paramus, NJ) won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation: Sustainable for Outdoor Classroom & Butterfly Garden. They also won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation: School for Main Campus Renovation. Both projects were designed by Greg Carpenter.

Canete Landscape, Inc. (Wayne, NJ) won the Award of Merit in Landscape Installation without Pool: $50,000-100,000 for the Giurintano Backyard Living Space. In addition, they won the Award of Merit in Landscape Installation: Condo/Townhouse for the Juliana - Courtyard Planting Renovation. Both projects were designed by Kelly Tuttle. Finally, Canete Landscape won the Award of Merit in Landscape Maintenance: Condo/Townhouse for 1000 Avenue at Port Imperial, site supervised by Kevin Condon.

Castle Point Landscape Design (Basking Ridge, NJ) won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation: Lighting for Overlook Landscape Lighting, designed by Steve Graul. Furthermore, they won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation without Pool: $50,000-100,000 for the Overlook Front Walkway Transformation, designed by Elizabeth Johnston. In addition, Castle Point won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation without Pool: Over $100,000 for the Gentoso Patio Transformation.

CLC Landscape Design (Ringwood, NJ) won the Award of Merit in Landscape Installation with Pool: $250,000-500,000 for The Woodcliff Lake Escape, designed by Kevin Taylor. They also won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation with Pool: $250,000-500,000 for Montville Makeover, designed by David Robbins. In addition, CLC won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation without Pool: $25,000-50,000 for Pollinator Heaven, designed by Rich Cording, Jr. CLC also won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Maintenance: Residential for the Flowers, Flowers, Flowers! property, site supervised by Arnie Casamenti.

Lastly, CLC won the Award of Merit in Landscape Installation with Pool: $100,000-250,000 for Hydrangea Heaven, designed by Andrew Dunn.

Exclusive Stoneworks, LLC (Lyndhurst, NJ) won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation without Pool: Over $100,000 for the Steketee Residence and the Award of Merit in Landscape Installation: Lighting for Steketee Lighting, both designed by Rich Andreu.

Borst Landscape & Design (Allendale, NJ) won the Award of Merit Finishing Touch Landscape Construction (Boonton, NJ) won the in Landscape Installation without Pool: Over $100,000 for McKinley Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation with Pool: $250,000Place Haven, designed by Jessica Booth.

500,000 for the Lobiato Residence, designed by Kim Kline.

New Jersey Landscape

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 19

The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Executive Director

Winners Are...

Greenleaf Lawn & Landscape, Inc. (Pennington, NJ) won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Design Only for the Princeton Xeriscape Design, designed by Tom Pennacchio and Russell Klockner.

Landscape Techniques, Inc. (Nutley, NJ) won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation with Pool: Over $500,000 for the Preuninger Residence, designed by Brian J Koribanick.

Let It Grow, Inc. (River Edge, NJ) won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation: Commercial/Industrial for Morgan North.

Monello Landscape, LLC (Wayne, NJ) won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Design Only for Rustic Custom Poolhouse, designed by Jarret Bernard.

Scenic Landscaping, LLC (Haskell, NJ) won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Installation with Pool: Over $500,000 for Modern Outdoor Living Design, designed by Matt Jones. Scenic also won the Award of Distinction in Landscape Maintenance: Residential for the Immaculate Garden Design Property, designed by Mitch Knapp, site supervised by John Jacobs.

Sponzilli Landscape Group, Inc. (Fairfield, NJ) won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation: Lighting for Montclair Magic, designed by Jason Sponzilli.

Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Development (Waldwick, NJ) won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation with Pool: $100,000-250,000 for The Takla Residence. They also won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation with Pool: Up to $100,000 for The Lucca Residence. In addition, they won the Award of Merit in Landscape Installation with Pool: Over $500,000 for The Santagata Editor’s Note: Gail Woolcott is the Executive Director for the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. Gail received the New York State Turf Residence. All three projects were designed by Thomas Flint.

Visionscape Design (Ringwood, NJ) won the Award of Excellence in Landscape Installation without Pool: $50,000-100,000 for Hillside Sanctuary, designed by Greg Imhoff.

Congratulations to all the 2023 NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award winners! We cannot wait to see what 2024 projects you have in store for us!

& Landscape Association 2022 “Person of the Year” award on December 1, 2022. Gail also received a proclamation from the Westchester County, New York Board of Legislators proclaiming December 1, 2022 as “Gail Woolcott Day” in Westchester County. Gail has also been presented with a community service award from the Borough of Fairview, New Jersey for her assistance in leading the 9-11 Memorial Park project and the Legislative Champion of the Year award from the Federation of Employers and Workers of America. She can be reached at 201-703-3600 or by emailing gwoolcott@njlca.org.

Contractors Association

20 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

NORTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF STATE The Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture convenes the following 10 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

CT Doag Announces Farmland Restoration, Climate Resiliency & Preparedness Grant Opportunity The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is accepting grant proposals for the 2024 Farmland Restoration, Climate Resiliency & Disaster Preparedness Grant (RRP). Support is available to provide Connecticut agricultural producers and not for profits directly involved in production agriculture funding for investments which will increase the long-term climate resiliency of farming operations and decrease farm vulnerability to extreme weather events. Applications are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

“This grant is a revision and expansion from the previous Farmland Restoration Grant Program to better prepare our farmlands with climate resiliency outcomes and disaster preparedness planning and implementation to support Connecticut’s agricultural sector as they navigate changing weather patterns,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “Over the past four years we have experienced dramatic and more frequent extremes in weather – drought, flooding, and late freezes. This grant is one avenue to help mitigate those in the future through strategic investments while continuing to improve lands to produce food for people and livestock.”

Farmland Restoration, Climate Resiliency & Preparedness Grant is authorized by and funded through Connecticut General Statutes 22-6c with a priority given to regenerative agricultural practices that restore lands into active agricultural production while also increasing climate resiliency and focus on restoring and improving land with prime and important farmland soils in accordance with a Farmland Restoration and Climate Resiliency Plan (FRCR Plan).

Applicants must choose to submit under Group A or Group B. Group A is open to eligible farmers who identify as BIPOC, new/beginning (1-3 years of production), and/or veteran farmers. Group B is open to all eligible farmers, including BIPOC, new/beginning (1-3 years of production), and/or veteran farmers, as specified in the guidance.

Awardees will be provided technical advice and assistance by a soil scientist or other advisor assigned and paid for by CT DoAg in the development of their FRCR Plan. Once a FRCR Plan is approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture, grantees may request up to $50,000 or $100,000 to implement their FRCR Plan. To learn more about climate resilient farming practices, visit the NRCS Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities List.

There is a 90/10 match requirement. 90% of project expenses may be grant funded with 10% of the total project expenses covered by the applicant as match funding to the award. Priority will be given to projects which support historically underserved farmers. Grant guidelines and forms can be found at www.CTGrown.gov/grants with additional details on match requirements and eligible expenses. Applications will be evaluated by a review panel. Grant awards to be announced in March 2024, with an estimated contract start date of May 1, 2024.

Workshops will be available to assist interested applicants, including a general overview and a virtual office hour session. For more information on the webinar, or to register, click here. The workshop will be recorded and posted to the RRP Grant webpage for those who cannot attend the live session.

Questions regarding the RRP Grant can be directed to Eileen Underwood at Eileen.

Underwood@ct.gov. More information on application requirements, submission process, and accompanying forms can be found online at www.CTGrown.gov/grants.

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center Grants to Benefit New Jersey Producers The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announced that 35 businesses have been selected for awards through the Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant. Two of those grants have the ability to positively impact New Jersey dairy producers.

Clover Farms Dairy received a grant to purchase and segregate fluid milk from New Jersey dairy farmers. The product will be packaged into Class I half pints and sold to K through 12 school districts throughout New Jersey, bringing local milk to New Jersey students. New Jersey law (Section 18A: 18A-6) requires public schools in the State to serve milk produced in New Jersey when available.

“This has the potential to be a significant development for many of our fluid milk producers,” NJDA Assistant Secretary Joe Atchison III said. “It can create a reliable market for our dairy farmers as well as ensure that students in our schools have the option to drink milk produced right here in New Jersey.”

Clover Farms plans to use the grant to install a 60,000-gallon tank that will be used exclusively for New Jersey produced fluid milk. The Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant funds allow for the purchase of specialized equipment to help processors increase the use of regionally sourced milk and expand regional dairy processing capacity. Clover’s goal is to have its new tank installation completed in the spring of 2024, and then have New Jersey produced milk ready for schools in the fall of 2024.

“The tank replacement will allow us to process milk from New Jersey farms and package it in half pints for New Jersey school students,” said Ron Mong, a dairy consultant for Clover Farms. “This makes sense for us from a business perspective and also can increase the financial success of New Jersey dairy farms.”

Mong said the plan was conceived during conservations with one of the Clover Dairy owners and the NJDA. The other grant recipient is Valley Shepherd Creamery in Morris County.

It will use the money to purchase specialized glass pot packaging equipment to expand its sheep milk yogurt sales throughout the region.

“Sheep milk products have a burgeoning market, and this grant will allow Valley Shepherd to explore more opportunities and possibly serve as a model for how other sheep milk producers can operate and distribute their commodities,” Atchison said.

With total funding of $12,287,001 across eight states, the NE-DBIC individual awards range from $25,852 to $1 million. Those selected for awards represent processors of all sizes: from farmstead creameries to multistate businesses and co-ops. The USDA awarded the NE-DBIC an additional $20 million to address the stability and viability of Northeast regional dairy.

New Jersey’s dairy farmers produced more than 120 million pounds of milk and added more than $22 million to the state’s economy, according to the most recent Census of Agriculture from the USDA. In addition to milk, New Jersey dairy farms and processors provide consumers with creams, yogurts, butter, cheeses, and other dairy products and maintain scenic vistas and open space, which enhances the quality of life for all state residents.

From calcium to potassium, dairy products like milk contain nine essential nutrients to help lead a healthier lifestyle. Whether it’s protein to help build and repair the muscle tissue of active bodies or vitamin A to help maintain healthy skin, dairy products are a natural nutrient powerhouse.

To learn more about dairy products and the benefits they can provide, go to www.americandairy.com.

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 21

DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE NEWS RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEM Advises Identifying Potential Snow Disposal Sites to Prevent Contamination of Water Supplies this Winter With the region’s temperature cooling and snowfall likely in the coming weeks, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is reminding businesses, households, community groups, and state and local government agencies to begin preparations for snow disposal. DEM has developed updated guidelines to assist organizations with selecting and preparing snow collection sites to minimize impacts on the environment and public health.

Snow collected from roads, parking lots, bridges, and sidewalks may contain harmful contaminants

such as road salt, sand, pollutants, and litter that can compromise water supplies. To minimize the risks, DEM advises organizations to: •Locate snow collection sites near or on permeable (porous) surfaces in upland areas away from water resources and wells. This will allow snowmelt to filter into the soil, leaving behind sand and debris. The latter should be removed as soon as possible, but no later than springtime.

•Prepare and maintain snow collection sites to maximize their effectiveness. Installing a silt fence or sediment barriers on the down-sloping side of the site,

maintaining a vegetative buffer between the site and adjacent waterbodies, and clearing away debris before and after using the area for snow disposal are effective preparation techniques.

•Under normal winter conditions, store and dispose of snow only in upland areas and not in or near waterbodies or wetlands. DEM’s updated Snow Disposal Policy includes guidance on emergency disposal of snow under extraordinary circumstances when upland snow storage options are exhausted.

For more information on DEM programs and services, visit www.dem.ri.gov

DELWARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Delaware Poultry Owners Urged to Take Precautions Due to HPAI on Delmarva The Delaware Department of Agriculture is urging all poultry owners, including commercial producers and backyard flock owners, to take precautions to protect their flocks from disease after a commercial broiler flock in Caroline County, Maryland, was preliminarily confirmed to have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Further confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory is pending.

Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.

Avian influenza can infect poultry, such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, geese, and guinea fowl, and is carried by some wild bird species, such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

Wild birds typically do not show signs of illness but can shed the virus at high levels in their manure or droppings if infected. In fact, one gram of contaminated manure, enough to cover a dime, can infect one million birds. Therefore, Delaware poultry is at risk from exposure if they can access areas where free-flying waterfowl and wild birds are in the environment.

Additionally, if a person steps in contaminated manure while out and about, they can bring the virus back to their domesticated birds, where the birds can eat it, causing infection.

Biosecurity refers to everything people can do to protect their flock to stop anything that causes disease away from the birds, property, and people. Anyone raising or working around poultry should follow these key biosecurity practices: • Wear designated farm clothing and shoes when

working with your birds, or use disposable shoe coverings each time you enter your flock area. If you have multiple chicken houses, have a dedicated pair of footwear that you keep in each house. Use footbaths before entering a chicken house.

• Wash your hands before and after working with your birds to reduce the chance of spreading infectious particles.

• Clean and disinfect any equipment or bird housing/ coops before bringing them onto your property.

Avian influenza can survive in manure for several months, especially with high moisture and low temperatures.

• Starlings, songbirds, vultures, and other raptors can be carriers of avian influenza and not show signs of disease. Consider hanging a bird deterrent in the poultry house doorway when working in the poultry house while doors are open.

• Wash your vehicles and trailers after visiting other poultry facilities, and go through a car wash before you return home.

• Keep visitors to a minimum. Only allow those who are responsible for caring for your flock to come in contact with the birds. Limit, monitor, and record any movement of people, vehicles, or animals on or off your farm using a logbook. If visitors had contact with other poultry, have pet birds, or had contact with wild birds (e.g., hunting), do not let them come in contact with your flock.

When adding birds to your flock, purchase them from a reputable source. The baby chicks purchased at local farm stores come from NPIP-certified flocks tested and shown to be free from avian influenza. When they are two weeks old, these chicks will typically leave the store with their new owner, so they are considered low-risk for having the disease. However, they are

more susceptible to contracting the virus from their new environment once they are about three weeks old.

Make sure to keep new birds or returning show birds separated from established home flocks for 30 days.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture requires the registration of all locations where live poultry is kept. This allows timely information on disease incidents to be sent to all producers. If you have not registered your flock, please visit https://de.gov/poultry to access the Backyard Flock Registration Form.

No matter the size, all poultry farms should be monitoring flocks for any signs of increased mortality.

Pay particular attention to see if any birds show signs of respiratory illness or distress, such as sneezing, gasping for air, coughing, and/or runny nose. Other signs of HPAI in poultry can include swelling around the eyes, neck, and head; purple discoloration of the wattles, combs, and legs; tremors, drooping wings, circling, twisting of the head and neck, or any combination; watery, green diarrhea; lack of energy, poor appetite; and a drop in egg production, or soft or thin-shelled, misshapen eggs.

If You Have Sick Poultry or Experience Increased Mortality in Your Flock: • Commercial poultry producers should follow the procedures of contacting the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.

• Delaware backyard flock owners who notice any signs of HPAI in their flock should call the Delaware Poultry Health Hotline at 302-698-4507 or email poultry.health@delaware.gov and provide your contact information, flock size, location, and concerns.

• Backyard flock owners will be contacted if a sample needs to be taken. Do not take dead or sick birds to a lab to be tested or move them off-site.

22 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

USDA to Conduct Floriculture Survey The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the 2024 Commercial Floriculture survey (2023 production year) with approximately 3,100 producers throughout the Northeastern Region. Growers will be asked to provide information on production area, sales of floriculture commodities, and the number of agricultural workers on their operations.

Growers can complete the survey online at agcounts.usda.gov, by mail, or phone. If NASS does not receive a grower’s completed questionnaire by December 29, a representative may reach out to arrange an interview.

“This information helps growers, buyers, government agencies, and others who can use the data to identify state and national trends, make plans, and determine the industry’s impact on farm income and the economy,” said Charles Butler, acting regional director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office.

“By participating in the survey, floriculture growers ensure that NASS can provide accurate data on floriculture production,

RECYCLE THE

thereby enabling USDA and the industry to be more responsive to domestic and international markets and consumer needs.”

This floriculture survey is a census of commercial floriculture operations that annually produce and sell at least $10,000 worth of fresh cut flowers, potted flowering plants, foliage plants, annual bedding and garden plants, herbaceous perennials, cut cultivated florist greens, propagative floriculture material and unfinished plants.

The survey includes all 50 states, with the top 28 (AL, AK, CA, CT, CO, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI) published individually, and the remaining states combined into an “other states” total.

In accordance with federal law, survey responses are kept confidential. Survey data will be available in aggregate form only to ensure that no individual producer or operation can be identified. NASS will publish the survey data May 16, 2024, in its Quick Stats database only at quickstats.nass. usda.gov.

Buying and Selling Plants and Seeds Online Plants and seeds for planting pose a significant risk to U.S. agriculture and natural resources because they can carry insect pests and pathogens. Seeds can also be mixed with noxious weed seeds. To safeguard U.S. agriculture, APHIS regulates the importation of plants and seeds for planting, including plants and seeds purchased through e-commerce sites, to ensure they meet U.S. import requirements and are free of pests of concern.

People and businesses that buy or sell plants and seeds for planting from another country through an e-commerce site must comply with all applicable U.S. import requirements, including obtaining an import permit from APHIS, obtaining a phytosanitary certificate from the national plant protection organization of the country of origin, properly labeling and shipping the plants and seed, and meeting unique requirements for certain plant species and seed types.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact APHIS’ Permits Help Desk by phone (301) 851-2046, toll free (877) 770-5990, email plantproducts.permits@usda. gov, or visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/ planthealth/import-information/permits/plants-and-plantproducts-permits/plants-for-planting/buying-selling-plantsseeds-online/buying-selling-plants-seeds-online

Gardener News SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND

Full Moon January 25, 2024

Advertise in the

Gardener News Please visit www.GardenerNews.com and click on the Advertising Link in the center of the Navigation Bar to view our Media Kit. We can be contacted through our Contact Us Form, also on the Navigation Bar. Thank you!

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 249 Published Monthly RESERVE AD SPACE Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff

Executive Editor/Publisher . . . . Tom Castronovo Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan F. Kessel Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Castronovo Tom Castronovo Todd Pretz Gail Woolcott

January 2024 Columnists

Andrew Bunting Brian Schilling Peter Melick

Bob Andrzejczak Bruce Crawford Andy Lagana

Joe Atchison III Bert Kuhn Lesley Parness

January 2024 Contributing Writer Hubert Ling

Gardener News is published monthly by

Gardener News, Inc.

16 Mount Bethel Road #123 Warren, NJ 07059 The Gardener News invites correspondences on gardening subjects of interest. Gardener News, Inc, and its Publisher reserve the right to accept, refuse, or discontinue any editorial or copy, and shall not be liable to anyone for printing errors, misinformation or omissions in editorial or copy. The information contained in articles herein represents the opinions of the authors and, although believed to be accurate and complete, is not represented or warranted by Gardener News, Inc. to be accurate or complete.

All advertising is subject to the Gardener News advertisement rates, and must be PAID IN FULL at time of submission. Publisher reserves the right at its absolute discretion, and at any time, to cancel any advertising order or reject any advertising copy whether or not the same has already been acknowledged and/or previously published. In the event of errors or omissions of any advertisement(s), the newspapers liability shall not exceed a refund of amounts paid for the advertisement.

NOTE: All editorial, advertising layouts and designs and portions of the same that are produced and published by Gardener News, Inc., are the sole property of Gardener News, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form unless written authorization is obtained from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to: Gardener News, 16 Mount Bethel Rd - #123, Warren, NJ 07059. (c) 2024 Gardener News, Inc.

GardenerNews.com

January 2024 23

Home Sweet Home & Garden Center

r u o y Find orite v a f w e n here!

4 CODDINGTON RD, WHITEHOUSE STATION, NJ

BUY DIRECT FROM ONE OF NEW JERSEY’S LARGEST GROWERS OF PLANTS & FLOWERS

Huge Selection of House Plants

Tropicals Succulents Cactus

908.534.7710 • www.hionisgreenhouses.com

24 January 2024

GardenerNews.com

BEAST OF THE NOR’EAST

S

A

O

W

N

SN

W H E N A N O R ’ E A S T E R R OA R S I N , YO U N E E D A B E A S T O F A S N OW B LOW E R TO R OA R BAC K .

ERICA’

D †*

AM

B L

O W E R

B

R

*Based on average Traqline unit share for snow blower market from 2013 – October 2017

AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE SNOW BLOWER BRAND

†

POWER CLEAR®

COMMERCIAL SNOW BLOWERS

21” SINGLE-STAGE SNOW BLOWERS AVA IL A BL E IN 60V BAT T ERY A ND GA S POWER TO BLAST SNOW

POWER TRX HEAVY-DUTY

All the power to break through heavy, wet snow in no time and throw it up to 40 feet.

MORE ROOM FOR WHAT MATTERS

28” I 32” TRACKED TWO-STAGE

Sleek, compact design for easy storage and quick use.

SELF-PROPELLED HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION TRACKS PROVIDE INCREASED STABILITY FOR TOUGH SLOPES AND STEEP TERRAIN

SNOWMASTER® 24” SNOW BLOWERS

NEW! BATTERY

POWERED

P

O

W

POWER CLEAR®

LIGHTNING FAST

P E

R

S

Y

S

T

E

M®

Tear through snow and ice in record time with the powerful engineered auger.

O KEEP W UPE THERPACE S

Y

S

T

E

M®

You control your speed with the Personal Pace® Self-Propel System.

POWER MAX®

24” I 26” TWO-STAGE SNOW BLOWERS AVA IL A BL E IN 60V BAT T ERY A ND GA S BUILT 2X STRONGER Hardened gears and no shear pins to break or replace in the cold.

TRIGGLERLESS STEERING Self-propelled, triggerless steering for smooth turns. (Select models)

21” COMMERCIAL SINGLE-STAGE EXTENDED LIFE PADDLES AND REINFORCED HANDLE

POWER MAX® HD

28” I 32” COMMERCIAL TWO-STAGE CAST IRON SKID PLATES AND DRIFT CUTTERS

GRANDSTAND® MULTI FORCE™

WITH BOSS® 48” OR 60” SNOW BLADE, 48” SNOW BLOWER OR 55” POWER BROOM

POWER MAX® HD

28” I 30” I 32” HEAVY-DUTY TWO-STAGE POWER UP Optimal performance and years of dependable use with Toro Premium 4-cycle OHV engines.

NIGHT VISION Your visibility will never be clearer with the LED headlight.

Find Your Local Dealer at WWW.TORO.COM/DEALER

†Based average Traqline Traqline unit forfor snow blower market from 2013-March 2021. 2021. †Based ononaverage unitshare share snow blower market from 2013-March