Gardener News September 2018

TAKE ONE

Gardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities

September 2018

GARDENERNEWS.COM

TAKE ONE No. 185

Commissioner of Agriculture Owns Beautiful Farm in New York State

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor Richard A. Ball has been the owner and operator of Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie, Schoharie County, N.Y. since 1993.

Schoharie Valley Farms consists of 200 acres and produces a wide range of vegetable crops, small fruits, and greenhouse crops. The farm serves both retail and wholesale customers through an onsite farm market known as The Carrot Barn, as well as shipping to brokers and restaurants.

I’ve had the opportunity to personally visit Commissioner Ball’s farm on many occasions. I love driving through his cornfield, with him at the wheel of his pick-up truck, and being able to reach out the window to pick a fresh ear of corn as a treat.

Ball is also the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets in the State of New York.

I also enjoy visiting with Ball at the New York Produce Show, which is held annually in New York City.

He is always promoting his New York State Grown & Certified program, which makes it easy for consumers to identify local, safelyhandled, and environmentally responsible agricultural (Cont. on Page 16) products.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball proudly displays freshly harvested carrots on his family’s farm behind The Carrot Barn at Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie, Schoharie County, N.Y.

2 September 2018 G a r d e n C e n t e r D i r e c t o r y GardenerNews.com

35

This Fall Restore Your Lawn The All Natural Way Learn About Organic Fertilizers Eco-friendly grass seed mixtures Questions specific to your lawn

Saturday, September 15th 10AM to 1PM

GardenerNews.com

September 2018 3

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

Available at garden centers and hardware stores in your area.

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

8/18

4 September 2018 Technology is moving at a pace never seen before in the advancement of agriculture, whether in New Jersey or around the globe.

With the amount of relevant data being collected, the resulting applications are astounding. Even five years ago, there was no realistic way a farmer could quickly survey his fields, analyze all the findings, and make on-the-spot, sound judgments about proceeding to get crops into and out of the ground to satisfy his market.

Trying to do all of those things to manage the flow of work quickly sometimes could mean treatments were over-applied or under-applied, leading to potential waste and inefficiency.

Today, though, we are seeing a sea change in the role technology plays in farming, as New Jersey growers seek to maintain their reputation as premier and efficient operators.

Many New Jersey farmers are making every effort to invest in equipment that includes robotic milkers, vacuum seed planters, digesters, temperature and moisture sensors, and soft-touch robotic pickers for crops previously thought only harvestable by hand.

GardenerNews.com NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture

With farm technology, the times they are a-changing

This new world of high-tech farming brings a game-changing shift in agriculture mirroring one that occurred around a hundred years ago. Think back to when our grandparents or great-grandparents watched plow horses put out to pasture and replaced by “machines,” which we collectively refer to today as tractors.

Imagine how amazed they would have been to see these mechanical marvels doing the work of a farmer and a team of horses in far less time – hours versus days. Many of the descendants of those machines now do the same work, but with added brainpower – on-board computers – programmed into their steel and plastic bodies.

And then there are drones.

Unmanned flying machines that started almost entirely in military applications have now become ubiquitous. Home hobbyists fly

them. Online retailer Amazon has experimented with using them to deliver packages.

And they are becoming more commonplace on farms as well.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of the very progressive growers in our state, the Sorbello family, at their Growtopia/Sorbello Farms location in Swedesboro. Their farm manager, Kris Wilson, demonstrated the various ways in which drones help keep efficiency at an ultra- high level on the farm.

It would take a farmer on foot or even in a motorized vehicle quite some time to check on the array of vegetables (asparagus, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers) on this 900-acre farm.

Using the drones to send back images of what’s going on in the fields takes a second.

Kris told us how using

Graphic Design | Printing | Mailing

drones can give a farmer the ability to view an entire farm’s worth of crops – in this case tomatoes – hours less than it would take a farmer to walk a single field.

“The drones are a tremendous asset and help us see the development of the plants,” he said. “It saves us time in surveying the plants ourselves and (the drones) can pinpoint exactly what areas may need extra attention.”

Throughout various forms of agriculture, drones are being used to reduce costs of planting (up to 85-percent less costly), irrigation, plant-health assessment and crop spraying.

It’s not just about what the drone can “see” and send back to the farmer. It’s also about how the drone can send images up to the “cloud” computer networks, have the images analyzed and get an almost instantaneous

diagnosis of what may be needed by a given plant.

These high-tech methods of monitoring for crop pests, diseases and other problems can help New Jersey farmers increase their already nationally recognized levels of efficiency and output. New Jersey farms, with great soils and farmers who innovate, are known throughout the nation for being able get the most production and the best quality from their land.

All these great tools still must be employed in every possible manner to ensure they reap the most benefit to our farmers. And that’s where the most valuable tools – New Jersey’s forwardthinking growers – play the most important role of all.

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture. He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction. He can be reached at 609.292.3976.

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

morris county park commission

The FrelinghuysenArboretum Basket Weaving Workshop: French Gathering Basket

Pamela Wilson leads this beginner level workshop to create a basket for harvesting herbs, flowers, or vegetables from your garden.

Saturday, September 8 • $60.

Establis h e d 1978

Biblical Botany Walking Tour

Dr. Jon Greenberg walks us through 5,000 years of history, combining his knowledge of botany and the Talmud for a fascinating look at the gardens.

Sunday, September 16 • $15

This program eligible for 1.5 Rutgers Master Gardener CEU’s

Your local printing company is more than just printing!

Reach your audience In Print | With Mail | On the Web Postcards | Invoices | Ad Booklets | Stationery | Mailing Services Programs & Directories | Posters | Brochures | and more for businesses, organizations & schools

12 Center Street, Chatham, NJ 07928

(973) 635-1880 www.ChathamPrint.com

to upload artwork, get a quote, send an email, get work done!

Haiku in the Garden

Learn how to create a haiku poem while observing nature in the garden, under the guidance of award-winning poet Dr. Deborah Gerrish, professor at FDU.

Saturday, September 29 • $20

Seeing Flowers: Discover the Hidden Life of Flowers

Whole new worlds of beauty and intricacy emerge when one looks closely at flowers. Noted author and editor Teri Dunn Chace takes us on a journey into this captivating world. A book sale and signing follow the lecture.

Sunday, September 30 • $20

Homegrown Vegetable Centerpieces

Floral designer Marge Hulstrunk demonstrates how to construct beautiful arrangements using veggies from your garden or the farm stand.

Thursday, October 4 • $20

353 East Hanover Avenue • Morris Township, New Jersey • 07960 *Pre-registration is required

GardenerNews.com

September 2018 5

Support NJ Agriculture JERSEY GROWN

Nursery Stock JERSEY GROWN

Sunflower Birdseed JERSEY GROWN

Firewood

JERSEY GROWN

When you’re shopping for JERSEY GROWN nursery stock, you know the trees, shrubs, plants and flowers are checked for quality, disease, are pest free, and accustomed to the Garden State’s climate and soil conditions.

Annuals & Perennials Made With

JERSEY GROWN

Wood Birdhouses & Bird Feeders

Governor Phil Murphy Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher

jerseygrown.nj.gov

6 September 2018

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

Nestlé Collaborates with the Culture of Health Academy at the Rutgers New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health

The annual Nestlé Cares Day of Service allows employees from offices and factory locations across the country to volunteer in their local communities.

On August 2, volunteers from Nestlé Health Science participated in their third annual day of service and treated preschoolers at the Culture of Health Academy (CHA) at Rutgers to a day of learning and fun.

The CHA operates as a partnership between the Center for Childhood Nutrition Education and Research (CCNER) and the Rutgers Psychology Child Development Center, and is located at the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH) on the George H. Cook Campus. It is a focal point of the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative, a program recently launched to achieve health equity for all children. David Krol is the medical director for both the IFNH and the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative.

“The volunteer day was a great example of the potential for collaboration between the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative and Nestlé,” said Krol.

“Nestlé was interested and excited about the work we’re planning and wanted to be connected in some way.”

Dolores Oreskovich, head of Consumer Sensory Insights at the Nestlé Product Technology Center and a co-leader of the group outing to CHA, explained the relationship between Nestlé’s service mission and the preschool.

“This year we were dedicated to healthy eating and nutrition-based programs that could really help our community and supporting the Culture of Health Academy fit this objective perfectly.”

Nestlé staff members from the Bridgewater, New Jersey office stepped away from their usual finance, research & development, logistics and manufacturing tasks to make crafts and play fruits and veggies bingo in the CHA classrooms. Students were introduced to the concept of “Eating the Rainbow,” as the Nestlé crew passed around colorful foods such as zucchini, purple cauliflower and radishes.

Distinguishing between different types of potatoes and feeling the bumps on the outside of an avocado were new experiences for some of the preschoolers.

The Nestlé team “learned how important it is to engage the kids, so that they can be active participants in the learning process,” said Oreskovich. “Having them identify, touch and hold the different items helped to reinforce their learning.”

After a beginners’ yoga session, led by a Nestlé employee, healthy snacks of rice cakes and hummus were customized with fruit and vegetable smiley faces. One child remarked that she had never eaten a rice cake before.

“The children enjoyed the many activities that Nestlé brought to the Culture of Health Academy and the staff were very pleased to see the children engage in new lessons that made the day special for them,” said Daniel Hoffman, director of the CCNER. “By hosting the volunteers from Nestlé Cares, the IFNH expands its community and creates new opportunities for mutually beneficial programs.”

In addition to teaming up with the preschool classes, Nestlé escorted members of the Scarlet KIDS summer camp on a tour of the IFNH Center for Health and Human Performance. These school-aged campers engaged in a discussion of calories in food, and took

(Cont. on Page 7)

GardenerNews.com

From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Provided by Brian Schilling Director

Reducing Food Waste through Food Service Professional Training

Today food waste is one of the largest environmental issues of our time. In the U.S., we throw out about 40 percent of the food we grow. Approximately 31 percent of that food is lost at the retail and consumer level.

That is approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food wasted annually.

That is why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) teamed up on September 16, 2015, to create the first-ever national food loss and waste goal in the U.S., which called for a 50-percent reduction in food waste by 2030.

Decreasing food waste will not only save the land, water, labor, and energy used to produce the food, it will also save the national resources put in to dispose of it. In 2010, the economic cost of disposing food into landfills was more than $2 billion. This is because “food is the single largest component of municipal solid waste going to landfills, accounting for over 20% by weight.”

Additionally, food waste is contributing to the global warming concern on our planet. Food waste creates methane, a greenhouse gas which is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

That is why the EPA and USDA created a U. S. Food Waste Challenge, with focus on high waste producers such as K-12 schools and consumers.

In July 2017, Governor Christie’s administration signed into law bill S-3027 which will reduce the state’s food waste by 50 percent by 2030. This bill, along with other legislation, will require the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Department of Health and other state agencies to work together to establish guidelines on how New Jersey will reduce its food waste footprint and what municipalities, schools, universities, and other institutions can do to reduce food waste.

Working with Paterson Public Schools, the Family and Community Health Sciences department of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Passaic County created an intervention that was meant to reduce food waste overall, while also increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children.

This study sought to address many of the gaps in the current research on food waste intervention programs in schools by measuring a large sample size, measuring each meal component, and randomizing the selection of schools participating.

The school district has a total of 48 schools, of which 30 schools were elementary and middle schools that prepare their meals on-site. We randomly selected 15 of the 30 eligible schools to participate in our study. The schools selected varied in total enrollment, ranging from 138 students to 857 students.

Due to this wide range of student enrollment, we measured 30 percent of all student trays during the lunch period. Since this school district was under the Community Eligibility Provision, all students received a free lunch unless they opted out. The district serves 25,010 students from very diverse backgrounds.

In 2017, data collection occurred one month prior to the intervention training, from February 16 until March 8. Afterward, we conducted a training session on March 10 for the food service workers and March 22 for the lunchroom monitors. We conducted hands-on training for the 15 schools that were selected for measurement, to see if they met their self-set goals. Finally, we measured the post-intervention food waste from April 4 until April 28.

A total of 9,140 trays were measured for food waste – 4,637 for the pre-intervention and 4,503 trays for the post-intervention. Of the food and beverages served during our 60 visits to schools, 2,473 pounds were wasted before the intervention and 2,123 were wasted after the intervention.

Overall, 350 pounds of food were saved, which was a 14-percent reduction in food waste due to this intervention. This indicates that the amount of food waste prior to the intervention per school that accounted for 84 pounds of food per school day, which for the 180 days of school amounts to 14,838 pounds of food and district-wide that is 623,196 pounds of food wasted per year.

There was a 98-pound decrease in milk waste, 150 pound decrease in fruit waste, 80 pound decrease in vegetable waste, and 22 pounds of grain and protein waste. Overall, 350 pounds of food were saved, which was a 14-percent reduction in food waste due to this intervention.

Additionally, a total of 7,129 pounds of food was donated from January until August to a local food pantry.

Overall, the intervention showed the impact of a food service training program on reducing food waste and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children. Working together with school districts will allow for New Jersey to meet its new food waste targets and reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030.

Editor’s Note: Sara A. Elnakib, RD, MPH, is the Family & Community Health Sciences Educator at Rutgers Cooperative Extension in Passaic County. She obtained her BS in Nutritional Sciences from Rutgers University-Cook College and her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

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

September 2018 7

The Toad and the Garden Gem September is a wonderful month for the Garden! Plenty of summer bloomers remain in color, while the garden begins its transition into the flowers of fall.

There are a number of “helper” plants that allow the transition to happen smoothly and without great notice. These plants bridge the seasons, beginning their bloom in midsummer and continuing into the fall. When considering a “helper” plant that simply begs for a close-up inspection, the Toad Lilies, or Tricyrtis hirta, are certainly among my favorites for their detailed blossoms and extended bloom.

Toad Lilies are currently members of the Asparagus Family or Asparagaceae, with 20 to 22 species stretching from China and Japan, south to the Philippines and Taiwan.

Tricyrtis hirta is native to Japan and was first discovered by Carl Peter Thunberg (17431828), a Swedish naturalist and

surgeon.

In 1784, Thunberg wrote the book Flora Japonica and described one of the plants that he found during his travels as Uvularia hirta. The species epithet means hairy, describing the small hairs found on the buds, stems and flowers.

Unfortunately, he did not include any sketches nor bring back any specimens, so its true appearance remained a bit of a mystery.

The genus name was initially penned in 1826 by the Danish surgeon and botanist Nathaniel Wallich (17861854). The name comes from the Greek Tri or “three” and Kyrtos, meaning humped or bulging. and was inspired by the swollen nectaries found at the base of the outer whirl of tepals.

Wallich was describing the Chinese species of Tricyrtis pilosa, which he wrongly assumed to be the same plant that Thunberg found and wrote about 40 years prior. The story comes full circle when the Scottish botanist Robert Fortune (1812-1880) finally

rediscovered Thunberg’s plant in Japan during an excursion in 1860-62 and sent seeds back to England.

In 1863, Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), a systemic botanist and Director of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, finally identified the plant as Tricyrtis hirta! Its common name of Toad Lily most likely stems from the purple dots on the flowers, which exhibit a slight resemblance to the lumps on the back of a toad.

It is clear that the focus of this plant is all about the one to one-and-a-half-inch diameter flowers that begin to appear in mid-August and continue well into autumn. The flowers are typically white with purple spots and appear like miniature starfish. The flowers consist of an outer ring of sepals that are actually modified leaves and an inner ring of petals – since both the sepals and petals appear nearly identical, they are called tepals.

The outer ring of tepals have a swelling at the base, which are the nectaries that inspired the genus name.

Nestlé Collaborates with the Culture of Health Academy at the Rutgers New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (Cont. from Page 6)

thermometer and calorimeter measurements.

Executive Director of the Rutgers Psychology Child Development Center Jennifer Manuola, who oversees both the CHA and the Scarlet KIDS camp, believes that “Collaborating with community partners who are engaged in nutrition-focused research develops a pipeline for sharing research-based science to early childhood educators.”

“This data can be used to build the foundation of healthy and active lifestyles for the youngest learners in our state,” she added.

Krol summed up the volunteer opportunity in this way. “I look forward to a future of many more collaborations with our friends at Nestlé.”

RUTGERS

Office of Continuing Professional Education Landscaping and Certificate Programs Register Early and Save www.cpe.rutgers.edu/landscape

Arising from the flowers’ center is the ovary, topped by a threepronged style, the tips of which split into two lobes. A style is the portion of a flower that connects the stigma, the part that receives the pollen, with the ovary. The style hovers over the anthers and provides an exotic appearance to the flower.

The flowers are beautifully displayed along the arching stems of Tricyrtis hirta, growing to two feet or taller. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems, with the base of the leaf clasped about the stem.

The flowers appear at the base of each leaf in branched clusters called cymes. In the wild, the plants grow in dappled sun along woodland edges or along streams. They appreciate soils that retain moisture, yet drain freely. There are numerous cultivars available in the trade, but the selection “Miyazaki” received great accolades from tests conducted at Chicago Botanic Gardens.

Although Tricyrtis has been in cultivation for over 150 years, it remains a muchunderutilized plant, well hidden

from mainstream notoriety.

Despite its ease of culture, attractive foliage and form, and the longevity of bloom, gardeners feel reluctant to use the plant – perhaps gardeners are perplexed by the common name.

If this is true, they should pull up a stool – perhaps a toadstool – to hear the story about the toads and this garden gem.

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and the immediate past-president of the Garden State Gardens Consortium.

He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visit www.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

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

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

8 September 2018

GardenerNews.com

New Jersey Legislative Update Beach Bill to Require Licensing for Pool and Spa Servicers, Builders and Installers Advances

Legislation sponsored by Senator James Beach that would require licenses for pool and spa servicers, builders and installers was approved by the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

“Creating a means of verifying these contractors’ qualifications adds a level of professionalism to the industry and a layer of protection for consumers,” said Senator Beach (D-Burlington/Camden).

“New Jersey residents will have a new sense of confidence when it comes to choosing who to hire to repair their pools.”

The bill, S-2091, would establish the Pool and Spa Service Contractors and Pool and Spa Builders and Installers Advisory Committee, under the existing Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. They would manage the licensing program and regulate licensed individuals and businesses, and would be required to meet at least twice a year. The committee would consist of seven members from various trades. Each member would be appointed by the governor to three year terms.

The committee would set standards, as well as approve and issue licenses. It would design the license application, and determine the fees associated with licensing and the licensing process.

They would be responsible for establishing a code of ethics and taking appropriate actions if that code or other aspects of the law were violated.

Applicants would be required to establish their qualifications by presenting one of several certifications delineated the in the bill. Contractors or installers would be able to work without certification for the first 24 months following the enactment of the bill if they can provide certain documentation.

The pool service licensee would be permitted to perform all plumbing, heating and electrical work necessary to service, modify, repair, replace, alter or maintain any pool or spa at already existing connections. They would also be permitted to service, repair and maintain the heating components of spa heaters. Licenses would be issued for a three year period. Certain work related to servicing pools would still require a licensed electrician, plumber or HVAC contractor.

The building and installation licensee would be permitted to perform tiling, excavation and grading, and installation of all circulation equipment.

The bill would take effect on the 180th day following enactment.

It was approved by a vote of 27-3.

Gov. Signs Bateman’s $9.7 Million CBT Appropriation for State Park Projects

Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation sponsored by Senator Kip Bateman appropriating $9.703 million from constitutionally-dedicated corporate business tax (CBT) revenue to the NJ DEP for State capital and park development, preservation, conservation, and recreation projects.

“New Jersey is blessed with some of the most beautiful parks in the country, but we cannot keep them that way without funding regular maintenance, let alone build new ones,” Senator Bateman (R-16) said. “Using constitutionally dedicated CBT revenue is a voter-approved, fiscally responsible way to expand these preservation projects in every part of our state.”

The appropriation authorized by A-4211/S-2729 is funded by the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” which was made possible by the 2014 voter-approved constitutional amendment that created a long-term funding source for open space preservation.

In June of 2016 Governor Christie signed the “Preserve New Jersey Act” which implemented, for Fiscal Years 2017-2019, constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation.

Voters overwhelmingly approved dedicating CBT revenues for open space, historic and farmland preservation by voting yes on a public question that appeared on the ballot in November of 2014.

The 2016 “Preserve New Jersey Act” and the 2014 constitutional amendment were also sponsored by Senator Bateman, who has fought to secure funding for open space, park and farmland, and historic preservation in every subsequent state budget.

The projects funded by Senator Bateman’s S-2729 include bridge repairs, restoration of historical structures, natural habitat improvements, and improving access to certain boating and fishing recreational centers.

“As a lifelong supporter of our State, county, and local parks and a staunch advocate for environmental protection, I will always fight to preserve the green acres, landmarks and natural habitats that make New Jersey the Garden State,” Senator Bateman added.

“We must safeguard a cleaner, greener future for our children and grandchildren. Funding parkland preservation and upkeep is critical to achieving that goal.”

Andrzejczak, Land and Mazzeo Bill Providing Additional $1.2 Million to Shellfish and Marine Fisheries Management Signed into Law

Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Bob Andrzejczak, Bruce Land and Vince Mazzeo providing a supplemental appropriation of $1.2 million to the Shellfish and Marine Fisheries Management for the Bureau of Marine Fisheries in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for this coming fiscal year was signed into law Friday, August 10, 2018 by Governor Murphy.

“This will undoubtedly provide a big boost for tourism and for fishermen in South Jersey,” said Andrzejczak (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland).

“By protecting our coast and our bays and the life they contain, and by ensuring we sustain our abundant shellfish population, we are allowing for fisheries and industries reliant on tourism to thrive for years to come.” The supplemental $1.2 million provided under the law (formerly bill A-4255) is an increase to the $2.468 million allocated in the Governor’s proposed FY2019 budget, granting the Shellfish and Marine Fisheries Management for the Bureau of Marine Fisheries with a total budget of $3.668 million for this coming fiscal year.

“New Jersey’s commercial fishermen catch more than 100 varieties of shellfish and finfish, amounting to over 100 million pounds of seafood each year valued at over $100 million,” said Land (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland). “This law will allow us to sustain and responsibly maintain the financial viability of the fishing industry, while also keeping New Jersey’s water teeming with life for years to come.”

“This law is good for New Jerseyans, for tourists, and for the beautiful landscape we have the privilege of calling home,” said Mazzeo (D-Atlantic). “Our coastline and the tremendous seafood that comes from it have much to do with our $16 billion tourism industry. This law makes a critical investment in our state to protect our fishing and tourism industries.”

The Bureau of Marine Fisheries is responsible for the administration of marine fisheries management program with the objective of protecting, conserving and enhancing marine fisheries’ resources and their habitats.

New Jersey has 6 major commercial fishing ports which this law would primarily affect, although the law would affect other ports as well: Atlantic City, Barnegat Light, Belford, Cape May, Point Pleasant and Port Norris.

The bill was approved by the full Assembly on June 25 by a vote of 71-6-0.

McKeon Applauds Recent State Environmental Action

Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex, Morris) praised recent actions the state has taken to combat recent environmental protection rulings by the EPA: “I applaud the steps taken by Attorney General Grewal and the Governor to address the recent actions by the Environmental Protection Agency that weaken the rules aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.

“Rolling back vehicle emission standards, expanding off-shore drilling along New Jersey’s coast, moving forward with plans to build a natural gas pipeline, and allowing companies to choose for themselves to use chemicals that are known contributors to greenhouse gases instead of a safer alternative are all initiatives that will only grow our global warming concerns.

“The joint agreements and filings the state is participating in aims to protect the progress we have made to strengthen environmental protection laws and stem the effects of climate change over the last decade. New Jersey’s participation in the broader conversation takes a stand for every citizen’s right to clean water, clean air and an environment that does not pose any public health risk.”

GardenerNews.com

September 2018 9 Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Spotted Lanternfly Update

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The destructive, invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is now in New Jersey. Other neighboring states could be next.

SLF is a plant hopper, Lycorma delicatula, belonging to the family Fulgoridaein the order Hemiptera.

In the May 2018 Gardener News, an informational cover story about this insect was featured.

Since that story, confirmed sighting of the SLF have taken place in Hunterdon, Mercer and Warren Counties in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) has determined this insect to be a dangerous insect that is destructive to the agriculture, horticulture and forest industries of New Jersey, and has declared a quarantine of this injurious insect pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:1-21.5 in the above-mentioned counties.

The purpose of the quarantine and regulations is to minimize the environmental and economic damage to the nursery, horticultural, fruit, vegetable, orchard and viticulture industries that will be severely affected by infestations, along with reducing the nuisance of honeydew excretions affecting the public wellbeing.

The general public in the quarantine area are required to obtain and fill out a New Jersey residence checklist before moving any type of Recreational and Camping Equipment, Outdoor Tools and Patio Furniture, Building Materials, Lawn and Garden Equipment, Mulch, and Firewood. The checklist also serves to inform the public about the SLF, including how to identify all life stages of the insect and minimize or eliminate its movement.

Please visit www.state.nj.us/ agriculture/divisions/pi/pdf/ NJResidenceSLFChecklist.pdf for the check list.

Business entities that routinely travel in and out of the quarantine area are required by law to take, and pass, training regarding the SLF that is supplied for free by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at https://www.state. nj.us/agriculture/divisions/pi/

pdf/SLFPermitTraining.pdf.

New Jersey will accept and recognize the Pennsylvania permit. Those businesses that interact exclusively in New Jersey’s quarantine zone must comply with the details outlined in the quarantine order.

The quarantine also allows access to your property for the NJDA, USDA, or USDAcontracted agents where the SLF is suspected or confirmed, to evaluate and treat the property if necessary.

The SLF is an excellent hitchhiker, with the ability travel on all types of vehicles as well as various landscaping, woodbased materials and agricultural produce. It’s imperative that the movement of this pest is stopped before it can make a further impact on New Jersey.

The SLF is currently in its adult stage. The insect, which is native to China, India, Vietnam and East Asia, was first located in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has spread to 13 counties there, which are also quarantined.

The pest prefers Tree of Heaven (Alainthus altissima) as its host, but can feed on 70 other different plant species, including fruit trees, ornamental trees, woody trees, vegetables, herbs and vines, including agricultural crops like grapes and hops.

In late-spring, the SLF emerges from an egg mass, and reaches adulthood by late-summer. The life cycle completes in the fall, as the insect lays one-inch-long egg masses on nearly anything from tree trunks and rocks to vehicles and firewood. The masses are smooth and brownish-gray with a shiny, waxy coating when first deposited.

Adults and nymphs feed on phloem tissues of young stems with their piercing and sucking mouthparts.

SLF may be toxic to domestic animals because of Cantharidin and toxic metabolites from Tree of Heaven.

The full extent of economic damage this insect could cause is unknown at this time. The insects are gregarious in nature, producing large volumes of honeydew excretions that allow

the development of sooty mold, which covers plant tissues, reducing the photosynthetic ability of infested plants, resulting in the death of the plant. These honeydew excretions also attract hornets, wasps and other stinging insects which aggregate to the area causing potential human health and nuisance issues.

The unabated spread of SLF would seriously threaten all agricultural industries and the environment of New Jersey and related industries throughout the Northeastern United States.

The most effective method to eradicate this insect is to spottreat all life stages of the SLF with general use pesticides, bark spray treatment, use of tree banding techniques on Tree of Heaven in the habitat, and destroying egg masses which overwinter and hatch the following spring.

Please visit the bottom of the Gardener News’ homepage (www.GardenerNews.com) to view a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on the Gardener News Network.

After viewing the PSA, if you see the spotted lanternfly, KILL IT (THEM) and REPORT IT (THEM) to your State Department of Agriculture.

In New Jersey, the Department of Agriculture is the lead regulatory agency for reporting the SLF. Please see page 15 for a complete telephone listing for contacting your local department of agriculture.

This is a serious pest and all of us need to be vigilant, and stop it. Lord knows that we don’t need another widespread problem like the Gypsy Moth.

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

10 September 2018

GardenerNews.com

Green Industry Symposium Continues to be a Growing Success

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Paul Kurtz, center, an entomologist for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Industry; points to a recently collected spotted lanternfly sample, as he explains its life cycle to Jack Otterbein, left, President of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, and Brian Fosdick, an Environmental Specialist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Pesticide Compliance and Enforcement, at the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association’s 7th Annual Summer Plant Symposium. The symposium took place on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at the Rutgers Cook Campus Student Center in New Brunswick. Over 100 landscape, nursery and green-industry personnel attended the one-day educational event. Classes included: Spotted Lanternfly Update & Potential Management Options; Planting for Wildlife Habitat; Tour/Talk of the Living Wall at the Rutgers New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition & Health; Benefits of the CNLP Program & How It Can Help Your Business; New Jersey’s Invasive Species Plant List and Alternative Plant Options; and a lot more. Pesticide credits were also available. The day concluded with a silent plant auction.

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GardenerNews.com If my grandfather were still alive, he would be 118 years old. Charles Butler was born on an apple orchard in Harmony Township, Warren County.

Orphaned at the age of 5, he and his brother were split up to live among their aunts and uncles.

Charles Butler was the first in his family to graduate high school, left the farm, went to college and got a degree in engineering. Later, he also became a lawyer. Despite his long and distinguished career, my grandfather always had fond memories of his life on the farm. Wherever he lived, he always had an acre or so that was his garden, and even sold the excess bounty to a local farm market. I guess you can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.

Growing up, he would often tell stories about his life on the farm. One particular story involved how his family sold their products. Each Saturday during the season, they would fill barrels full of apples, hitch up a team of horses, and ride about seven miles to the center of Phillipsburg. There, joined with other farmers, they would sell their products directly

September 2018 11 NJ Agricultural Society

By Al Murray Executive Director

Watching Old Become New

to their customers. Sound familiar?

Maybe without the horses, but in over 150 communities all across New Jersey, our farmers take their produce and other products into town centers and sell directly to the public.

Back in the early 1900s, most of what people ate came from local farms. While the advent of the railroad helped link our country with farms from other states, by and large our communities ate what was in season and from a local farm.

As our country’s transportation network progressed, a wider selection of products came in from other states, and eventually other countries.

Asparagus, strawberries and other seasonal delights were now made available yearround. As truckloads of produce streamed in from Western states, suddenly our farms seemed

outdated. Community farm markets virtually vanished, and farmers resorted to selling at their on-farm, roadside markets.

Consumers interested in locally grown now had to travel to the farm.

Retailers were more interested in securing 52-week uninterrupted supply chains from large sources. The neverending search for efficiencies meant they no longer dealt with multiple, local, small farmers.

Products from the West were grown for “ship-ability” and shelf-life. Taste was a secondary consideration. Consequently, a lot of old varieties went by the wayside. (Today we call them heirlooms.) Produce shelves were stocked with items that all looked like they came off an assembly line. Several generations of consumers thought this was fine.

Then sometime during the

1990s, America’s tastes started to change, and locally grown gained a new appreciation.

The explanation varies, but the locally grown “phenomenon” became a trend.

Reasons include: a wide and diverse ethnic population looking for food similar to their homeland; people no longer preparing their own food, but eating out, thus being exposed to different foods; the advent of the 24-hour food network that introduced consumers to new tastes; a new generation that was willing to try and explore new products and reject the old “standard varieties” of their parents.

Baby boomers became more health-conscious, as are the millennials. More and more consumers have adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, thus demanding new products.

Inner-cities had areas known as “food deserts” and suffered a

lack of access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Additionally, concern about the environment introduced “carbon footprint,” and “food miles” (which debates whether food grown locally is better for the environment as opposed to food grown thousands of miles away and trucked in).

The horrible events of 9/11 made people question our food security.

Suddenly, “locally grown” went from being trendy, to becoming a normal part of our daily lives. As we begin to move into autumn, New Jersey is at the height of the growing season. I hope you take time to visit one of the many community farmers markets and enjoy the wonderful bounty our farmers have to offer.

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

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

New Jersey Forest Service Encourages Landowners to Help Spread Shortleaf Pine Trees Across Pinelands Region

As a partner in a multistate initiative, the Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging landowners in the Pinelands to use technical assistance and expertise available through the New Jersey Forest Service to help restore shortleaf pine trees to the region.

The Forest Service is a partner in the Shortleaf Pine Initiative comprising 22 states, federal forestry and wildlife organizations, and other partners. The New Jersey Forest Service offers technical and other assistance to help landowners incorporate the species into their forest management plans.

“New Jersey’s Pinelands is globally recognized for unique ecosystems that support a wide variety of plants and animals, some found in few places outside this region,” Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe said.

“While the pitch pine is the predominant tree species in the Pinelands, re-establishing shortleaf pine helps restore a species that once had a bigger presence in the region and create opportunities for greater wildlife diversity.”

The shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is found in the eastern and southern U.S. and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania represent the northernmost extent of its range. In the Pinelands, the species prefers drier upland habitats. It is one of many species the Forest Service is working to restore across the state.

Shortleaf pine has declined across much of its range due to insect damage, disease, competition from other species, inadequate forest management practices in the past and changes in land use patterns.

New Jersey has more than 400,000 acres of pine

forests in the Pinelands region. The shortleaf pine represents only about two percent of the total.

Nevertheless, attendees at a national conference on shortleaf pine restoration held last fall at Stockton State University were amazed at New Jersey’s existing shortleaf pine resource and the potential to grow its population.

“In New Jersey, private landowners own 47 percent of forested land,” State Forester John Sacco said. “They can make a big difference in restoring this species. We encourage them to learn about this program and to take advantage of the technical resources we offer. Properly managed forests help to capture greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.”

Participation in the state’s Forest Stewardship Program offers several benefits, including formal recognition for environmentally responsible management, financial management assistance and the personal satisfaction for being stewards of their land.

To be eligible, property owners must manage at least five acres of forest.

The Division of Parks and Forestry has launched initiatives to establish or enhance shortleaf pine in Wharton and Brendan T. Byrne state forests in the Pinelands. The division hopes to expand the total acreage of shortleaf pines on state and private lands by 30,000 acres during the next 10 years.

Landowners interested in managing shortleaf pine on their properties and funding assistance opportunities may contact Forest Service Supervising Forester Jon Klischies at (609) 984-0827. You may also contact a state-approved forester. For a list, visit www.nj.gov/

dep/parksandforests/forest/ACF.pdf Shortleaf pines have experienced a 50 percent decline in its range over the past 30 years, with the most significant declines occurring east of the Mississippi River.

The Shortleaf Pine Initiative, launched in 2013, is a coalition of states within the species’ range and includes the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Association, the Southern Group of State Foresters and other state and regional forestry groups.

In 2016, the initiative launched a five-year plan to stem the rapid loss of the species and to improve shortleaf pine ecosystems across its range. Well-managed shortleaf pine forests can provide habitat for wildlife species such as grassland birds and woodpeckers. To learn more about the Shortleaf Pine Initiative, click the logo above or visit www.shortleafpine.net/ In addition, the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery in Jackson Township, Ocean County, sells shortleaf pine seedlings as well as 25 other evergreen, deciduous tree and shrub seedling species. The nursery will accept orders for seedlings starting in December for delivery and planting the following spring. To order shortleaf pine and other seedlings, visit www.forestnursery. nj.gov For information on grants for conservation planning, which is critical for implementing forestry practices, visit the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program at www. nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/nj/programs/ financial/eqip/

12 September 2018

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GardenerNews.com Many times throughout the course of the growing season, I am stopped by customers and asked questions about certain items that we grow. As you can imagine, we tend to get a lot of repeat questions.

That is, there are certain questions that we get asked over and over again. And don’t get me wrong, these are all very valid questions and we are more than happy to answer them. But let me take the time to go over just a few of the more common questions that we get.

Because we are now in the middle of peach season, let’s start there. The questions we are most often asked concerning peaches are: “What is the difference between white and yellow peaches?” or “Which ones taste the best?”

As to the first question, the main difference has to do with the flavor of the peaches.

Yellow peaches tend to be more acidic or tangy flavored than white peaches. White peaches are usually much milder in flavor than their yellow counterparts and this mildness will often make people believe that white peaches are actually sweeter than yellow peaches.

It’s Back to School time already! In honor of September, I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about the amazing array of careers in the landscaping and green industry.

Being a landscape professional is much more than owning a lawn-mower and a truck these days. There are dozens of rewarding positions available and hundreds of contractors looking for great employees. Salaries can range from a minimum-wage hourly pay to $40,000 per year as a supervisor or foreman, from $80,000 as an account manager to six-digit salaries for architects and specialists.

Landscape Maintenance is what most people think of when they talk about their landscaper.

The people who cut your lawn, edge your beds and blow your leaves are generally landscape maintenance contractors.

In addition to maintenance, there are also lawncare companies.

Some might mow, but most are interested in maintaining the health of your lawn. Lawn care technicians will test your soil, treat weeds, fertilize and seed your lawn.

Those who fertilize in New Jersey are required to have a Fertilizer License and anyone who applies chemicals must hold a Pesticide Applicator or Pesticide Operator License.

September 2018 13 The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

What’s the Difference?

As to which ones taste the best, I usually try and leave that up to the customers to decide as that has more to do with their own personal preferences.

But their respective flavors are rather unique from one another and there definitely is a distinctive difference.

The next most common question that we get about peaches is, “What is the difference between freestone and clingstone peaches?” The difference between these two types of peaches is actually described pretty well by their names.

With freestone peaches, when the fruit is split in half, the pit or “stone” easily pops out of the center of the peach, while with cling peaches, the flesh of the peach will stick to the pit, making it difficult to cut in half. If the peaches

are just going to be eaten out of hand, there is really no advantage with one type over the other. But if they are going to be cooked, frozen or canned, freestone peaches are definitely much easier to work with.

Here in New Jersey, the majority of the main-season varieties that are grown are mostly all freestone. The only exception is that some of the earliest ripening cultivars do tend to be clingstone. So, while all of the peaches are juicy and flavorful, for cooking purposes it would be a good idea to wait until the freestone varieties are ready.

And while we are on this subject, nectarines are actually peaches without fuzz. The trees are identical to one another and without fruit on the tree, it would be impossible to tell the trees apart.

Another common question that we get is, “What is the difference between regular and heirloom tomatoes?”

Traditionally, an “heirloom” was a variety that had at one time, perhaps many years ago, been gown and cultivated, and then for whatever reason, had fallen out of favor. Usually, the reason that these varieties had fallen out of favor was that they were replaced by newer and more improved cultivars, which then pushed them out of the marketplace.

But because these older varieties had been around for a number of years, they had developed a fan base, so to speak, of avid growers and consumers. These devotees then advocated for their preservation, and were able to push them back into the modern produce channels.

The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Director of Operations

I Want to Work in Landscaping When I Grow Up

A horticulturist will work with all plants, making sure that they remain healthy, pruning and feeding the plants as needed. A horticulturist may also grow and harvest their own plant material to sell or use for their business.

Landscape Architects plan and design yards, commercial sites and other outdoor spaces. They understand topographical concerns, drainage, plant material and energy use. A landscape architect will usually use CAD drawing or design software to create plans for installation of landscaping and hardscaping. Landscape architects are licensed by the state and usually have a degree in landscape architecture.

Tree care is another specialization that has many career tracks. One might be a climber, while another might trim trees and shrubs. Arborists are qualified to detect and treat diseases of trees.

They keep trees healthy and may plant and remove trees. A tree

surgeon specializes in removing limbs from the tree to keep it healthy. In New Jersey, tree care workers must now be either an ISA Certified Arborist, a Licensed Tree Expert, or a Licensed Tree Care Operator.

Some landscape professionals specialize in hardscape installations. This might include decks, patios, walkways, driveways, arbors, fences, retaining walls and firepits. There is currently no license required for hardscaping. However, there are two voluntary certifications available. Interlocking Concrete Paver Installers have taken a twoday course and an exam to prove their knowledge of not only how to lay pavers, but how to grade areas, plan for drainage and ensure a smooth installation. Segmental Retaining Wall certification ensures that the contractor understands material and system component properties, soils and compaction and the effect of water

on installations.

Some landscape professionals do maintenance and/or installations of softscapes. Softscaping includes installing sod and plant material, creating gardens, laying out planting beds and more. They are generally knowledgeable in most aspects of landscaping and will often do installations of plans created by landscape architects.

When needed, they will bring in experts in areas that they are not licensed for, such as electrical work for lighting. They might also install water features and ponds, as well as specialize in interiorscaping.

Irrigation contractors perform the construction, repair and maintenance of landscape irrigation systems. They are knowledgeable and mindful of water as a resource and make sure your landscape is getting the proper amount of water for the landscape. In New Jersey, Licensed Irrigation Contractors install irrigation.

Usually, these heirloom varieties have some type of defining characteristic that sets them apart from other tomatoes.

With a variety like Brandywine, it might be its distinctive pink color and outstanding flavor. With Green Zebra, it is its green-and-yellow striping and its very acidic, almost citrus-like flavor. But with older red round tomatoes, it is much more difficult to set them apart because they do not look much different from their modern counterparts.

So, if you have any type of question at all, don’t be afraid to stop in and ask!

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

Aside from the careers above, there are so many other options in the green industry. There are research scientists who study plants, grasses, weeds, pests, growing methods, chemicals, seed creation, mechanics and more.

Nurseries and growers provide plants for the beautiful landscapes that we create, as well as sod and trees.

There are jobs in management, marketing, human resources, sales, accounting, equipment manufacture, environmental planning, agronomy and organics.

The industry is wide open and bursting with opportunity for many great careers! Landscaping and the green industry are very viable, profitable and satisfying options for “what I want to be when I grow up.”

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

14 September 2018

GardenerNews.com

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September 2018 15

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Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

16 September 2018

GardenerNews.com

Commissioner of Agriculture Owns Beautiful Farm in New York State (Continued from page 1)

Every time I see him, he is promoting New York State’s agriculture industry, which he says is one of the greatest assets in his state.

For the 20 years prior to owning Schoharie Valley Farms, Ball worked on and then managed a vegetable farm in Rhode Island and has made his living in agriculture since he was 18.

His inspiration to become a farmer came from his grandparents, who were lifelong dairy farmers.

In the fall of 2013, Ball was asked if he would be interested in being the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets for New York State. After much thought and consideration, he accepted the challenge and was nominated by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on January 9, 2014.

Prior to that, he held a number of positions within

agriculture organizations and community organizations at the local, state, and national level, including: Vice President, New York State Vegetable Growers Association; Board of Directors, New York Farm Bureau; Member Executive Committee, New York Farm Bureau; Member Audit Committee, New York Farm Bureau; Chairman Labor Committee, New York Farm Bureau; Member Labor Committee, American Farm Bureau (past Chairman); Representative for Schoharie County, Mohawk Valley Reginal Economic Development Council; Board of Directors, Schoharie County Farm Bureau (past president); President, Schoharie Valley Association; Chairman, Schoharie Recovery Inc., a non-profit formed to help the recovery effort

from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee; and Past President, Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce.

About 20 percent of New York State’s land area, or more than 7 million acres, is farmland. There are nearly 36,000 family farms producing some of the world’s best food, helping to drive the New York State economy. New York ranks high among the major agricultural states in the nation, ranking in the top 10 in production of 30 commodities. It is the second-largest producer of apples, snap beans and maple syrup; third in cabbage, grapes and dairy, which is the largest segment of the state’s agricultural sector; and fourth in pears.

The Department, through its various divisions and programs, promotes New York agriculture and its

high-quality and diverse products, fosters agricultural environmental stewardship, and safeguards the state’s food supply, land and livestock to ensure the viability and growth of New York’s agriculture industries.

As Commissioner of Agriculture, he’s a member of the Northeastern Association States Department of Agriculture (NEASDA). NEASDA is comprised of the Chiefs, Commissioners, Secretaries, and Directors of Agriculture from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

NEASDA is part of NASDA, the National Association State Departments of Agriculture.

NASDA was founded in 1916. NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit

association which represents the elected and appointed chief ’s, commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories.

NASDA grows and enhances agriculture by forging partnerships and creating consensus to achieve sound policy outcomes between state departments of agriculture, the federal government, and stakeholders.

NASDA is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors consisting of a five-member Executive Committee; one At-Large member; and the presidents of the four NASDA regions.

Executive Committee members are the officers of the association and serve a five-year term. (Each region has at least one member serving on (Cont. on Page 24)

USDA Designates Two Counties in New York as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Agricultural producers in Columbia and Dutchess counties in New York, who suffered losses and damages due to excessive and strong winds, hail, lightning and a tornado, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. The loans are made available under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue.

Producers in the contiguous counties of Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer and Ulster in New York, along with Fairfield and Litchfield counties in Connecticut, and Berkshire County in Massachusetts, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in all designated primary and contiguous counties will have until April 1, 2019, to apply for emergency loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking

into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include: Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; the Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at https://www.farmers.gov/ recover.

State Agriculture Commissioner Announces $500,000 to Advance Farmland Protection Actions Across New York

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball announced $500,000 is available to eligible land trusts to further farmland protection actions across New York State. The funding is being provided through the Land Trust Grants Program, which is part of a slate of new funding opportunities outlined in Governor Cuomo’s 2017 State of the State address to enhance regional collaboration on farmland conservation projects. So far in 2018, nearly $75 million has been dedicated by the State to farmland preservation efforts in New York.

Commissioner Ball said, “New York State has provided unprecedented support for farmland preservation over the last several years, from grant funding to assist with the purchase of development rights to support for the development of local land inventories. We’re pleased to announce today’s funding, which will cover the cost of

an appraisal for a potential conservation easement project, helping to conserve New York’s valuable farmland for future generations.”

This second round of the Land Trust Grants Program is being offered to help landowners who are contemplating whether to sell or donate development rights on their farmland. Since appraisals estimate the value of development rights, this information will help landowners determine if they will proceed with a conservation easement. This funding opportunity helps strategic planning on the local level and advances activities identified in local farmland protection plans.

Awards of up to $50,000 will be made to eligible applicants. All proposals must be submitted on the Grants Gateway by 4 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Learn more at www.agriculture.ny.gov/RFPS.html

GardenerNews.com

September 2018 17

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18 September 2018

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N.J. Nursery Manager Appointed to Township Committee

Tom Castronovo/Photo

The Hillsborough Township Committee voted unanimously at its meeting on Tuesday, August 14, to appoint Republican Shawn Lipani to fill a vacancy created when former Committeeman Greg Burchette resigned earlier this summer.

Immediately following the Township Committee vote, Lipani was sworn into office by former state Assemblyman and township resident Jack Ciattarelli.

Lipani manages Central Jersey Nurseries, a family-owned business that has operated in Hillsborough Township, Somerset County, since 1970. Central Jersey Nurseries features a fully stocked garden center, Jersey Grown plant material, a commercial and residential landscape design and installation division, a mower and power equipment shop, and a hardware store line with over 1,500 items.

Lipani is a lifelong resident of the Township and has been active in the community his entire life.

He recently served as chairman of the Hillsborough Planning Board.

He also has been a member of the Hillsborough Economic Development Board, Board of Adjustment, Capital Planning Board, Rotary and Youth Services Commission.

Meet the Potential Tree, Maybe

By Hubert Ling Our native great blue lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, is a short-lived perennial which produces dense spikes of showy, bright-blue flowers in September.

It is a member of the bellflower family which has 2,400 species around the world, most of which are small herbaceous plants.

However, in Hawaii there is evidence to indicate that about 13 million years ago a single species of lobelia, perhaps similar to great blue lobelia, arrived at the islands and started to colonize the developing archipelago and eventually became 125 species currently placed in four distinct genera.

This would be the most extensive speciation of any species on any island.

Many of these plants are herbaceous, but the largest grows up to 30 feet. It would be interesting to discover

how many other herbaceous plants have latent genes which would allow them to grow into trees.

Blue lobelia grows naturally from Canada to Texas and Wyoming. In New Jersey, it is found in almost every county. The plant generally grows to about 18 inches, however, if given ideal conditions in moist soil and sun, the plants may reach about six feet.

The plant is sometimes called blue cardinal flower and is difficult to distinguish from cardinal if not in bloom and you must be very careful when collecting seeds that you do not hopelessly mix up the two seed collections.

I have on several occasions just dumped the seeds when I wasn’t sure which species I just collected.

Blue lobelia seeds are very small; it takes 6,400,000 of them to weigh a pound. Even though the seeds are minute the germination rate can

easily be over 70 percent.

Therefore, you really don’t need very many of them to fill up all available space in your yard. Most people only need a pinch of seeds, about the size of a match head.

Mix these seeds with dry dirt, sand, or fine wood dust and sprinkle these in a flowerpot in fall. Don’t plant them too deep or keep the winter mulch on too long, since the seeds need light to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil damp since the seedlings are very sensitive to even a short period of drying out.

The plant can also be propagated by splitting off the small plants which tend to grow at the base of large plants in fall. However, be sure to go back to the reproducing the plants by seed since individuals only live about three to four years.

Blue lobelia is relatively trouble-free and rarely may even be aggressive, but it is easy to control and you can

always give away any excess plants. Although the plant grows best in partial shade, in moist areas it tolerates a variety of conditions and is much easier to maintain than its spectacular cousin, the cardinal flower. Blue lobelia tolerates deer, heavy shade, and a range of soil pH. The genus name (Lobelia) is in honor of the French botanist Matthias de l’Obel; the species name (siphilitica) is from the time that this plant was used by Native Americans to treat syphilis and other venereal diseases.

Nineteenth century American physicians were not impressed with the success rate for curing syphilis and thought it might work better if combined with a few other medications, but an effective, non-toxic cure for syphilis had to wait for the development of modern antibiotics.

For the Meskwaki Nation of Iowa (Fox Tribe) blue

lobelia was used as a love medicine to avert divorce.

However, Foster and Duke assign a “potentially toxic” warning to this plant and physicians found that it often causes vomiting and if taken in large quantities convulsions and coma.

You might find that a box of chocolates would work better for your marriage.

Blue lobelia attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. Use the plant to add color to you late-summer garden. It is useful for a perennial border, native plant garden, or near ponds and streams.

It can help stabilize stream banks and will selfsow if happy. Take a careful look at this plant as an addition to your garden; you will be richly rewarded.

Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is the Horticulture Chairman for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.

He can be reached at milhubling@verizon.net

GardenerNews.com The season’s shifting light and nighttime temperatures will tell you when it’s time to move your summering houseplants back indoors.

Chilly air can damage tender tropical leaves, so act before night temperatures dip below 45 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit and before you turn the heat on indoors. Once nighttime temps are reliably in the 50s, start the process, and this is a process - just as transitioning them to the outdoors was. (See Gardener News, July 2018 issue) Begin by moving what invariably has taken the place of the houseplant. This could be just about anything, including another houseplant. You’re on your own figuring that one out. If you have sufficient space indoors, think about quarantining the plant for a few weeks by keeping it apart from “non vacationing”indoor plants. Also, you may wish to cut back on watering large outdoor plants to cut down their weight before the move.

Next, examine your plant for pests. Carefully check the leaves – top and bottom. Leaf-dwelling pests include aphids, spider mites, scale, mealybugs, spiders, gnats or lacewings. Your County Extension office can provide

September 2018 19 The Garden Historian

By Lesley Parness Garden Educator

Houseplants Take a Holiday, Part 2: You Can Go Home Again

support identifying plant pests.

A straightforward way to remove insects is to hose down plants. It’s best to use a hose with a nozzle so you can direct water underneath foliage. Apply a gentle spray; too hard a jet will damage leaves. Allow the houseplant to dry and then spray the entire plant, soil and all, with insecticidal soap or a mixture of a mild soapy dish detergent and water. Repeat this procedure twice and then bring your plants indoors a few days later.

For small specimens, consider dunking the entire plant into a five-gallon bucket of water for 15 minutes. This will cause insects on leaves or in soil to flee.

Add a few drops of mild liquid dish or hand soap to the water as a further deterrent to insects.

I use Dr. Bronner Organic Baby Liquid Soap. Succulents and

cactus however, cannot abide by this treatment.

Insects can also take up residence in the soil. These pests include slugs, sowbugs, earwigs, fungus gnats and ants.

For plants in small containers, gently slip the plant from the pot and examine soil. Typically slugs, sowbugs and ants will be visible on the outer layer of soil near the drainage holes. Remove them with a stick. Fungus gnats and earwigs typically dwell in the upper regions of soil.

Re-potting will eliminate insects that took up residence in the soil. And if the plant doesn’t need re-potting, then at least refresh the top two inches of soil, which will give you ample opportunity to examine the plant at ground level. Clean the bottom of the container as well and check the drainage holes for bugs. This

is especially important for pots that have been sitting directly on the ground.

If the plant is in a sunny location, begin to move it to a slightly shadier spot for several hours every day. A gentle transition from bright, full spectrum sun to indoor sunny space is the goal. If you’ve gone from outside to inside in one day, then expect leaf drop and water sparingly once the plant is indoors. Alternately, place a grow light above the plant to bolster the light for a few weeks as it adjusts. This is especially helpful for ficus, whose leaf drop is legendary in the best of times.

Once they are back indoors, your houseplant will return to work, adding beauty to your home and cleaning your indoor air from a multitude of pollutants.

We owe our fascination with

houseplants to the British. During the reign of Queen Victoria, the American floriculture industry benefitted greatly from English plant exploration to distant lands and all the subsequent new plant introductions. Nary was the late19th century parlor or drawing room on either side of the pond without a houseplant.

We’ll explore more about unusual, rewarding and environmentally friendly houseplants in November’s column based on my newest lecture, “Beyond the Potted Palm: Victorians and Their Houseplants.”

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.

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20 September 2018

GardenerNews.com

Milkweed and Rue Precautions

By Jeannie Geremia Contributing Writer

September finds us in the midst of our butterflies and other critters filling out their respective destinies, and unfortunately their life stages have been impacted by mankind in modern times so much so that many of us have felt the need to try to reverse seriously declining populations.

It seems to be a losing battle, and can be discouraging indeed, so let’s take a look at some aspects so that each of us can decide the actions we may choose to take. My focus in this article will be on Monarch Butterflies and Black Swallowtail Butterflies, their plight, and how we can help them fulfill all their life stages and not put our own health at risk, too.

Even the idea of intervening in a largescale way wasn’t on most gardeners’ radar until alarms were sounding from wildlife and nature organizations about the peril our pollinators, along with other wildlife were in, with a confluence of adverse elements causing a calamitous decline and the specter of species loss looming as a very real consequence.

Many experts trace part of the precipitous decline to the introduction of fertilizers whose chemical make-up was used in World War II, and subsequently turned into many different forms, including pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, all with the goal of ridding us of offending bugs, critters and weeds, thereby allowing us to create the perfect landscape.

Except that bugs became resistant, and good bugs, critters and weeds were also destroyed in the process. Loss of habitat, introduced diseases, predators and climate change also brought us to this moment in time where we are trying to preserve and reverse the decline of species whose wellbeing impacts all of us in

countless ways.

Milkweed is the host plant of our Monarchs, and without milkweed availability, our Monarchs will surely die.

Our migrating Monarchs also need milkweed that is free of harmful pesticides and herbicides, as a desperate e-mail to me from Dorothy somewhere in New Jersey, brought home in no uncertain terms.

Dorothy moved to a new home last year, and being side-lined with health issues, decided to raise milkweed on her deck for Monarchs. She had great success, with many resulting eggs and caterpillars, that was short-lived as her Monarch caterpillars started vomiting green fluid, shrinking in size and dying.

A search on the Internet revealed that they had ingested milkweed tainted with pesticides/herbicides and since she had purchased non-GMO, organic milkweed, she suspected that spray drift from her neighbors had tainted her milkweed along with vegetables she was growing for her consumption.

Dorothy stated: “It is a lonely place here in the world of organic gardening and NO CHEMICALS! I simply can’t understand how parents of young children can spray their Round-up from Walmart, following NO instructions, spraying in the late afternoon, EVERYWHERE!” Dorothy has since disposed of all her tainted plants and is looking for untainted milkweed so she can repeat her last summer’s joy of raising and releasing 40-plus Monarchs to make the journey south. Since we all want to stay healthy, and yet keep ghastly infestations of bad bugs under control, using an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program is our best way of achieving that goal. Whoever said it was easy?

Speaking of milkweed, and rue, as favored host plants for Monarchs and Black

Swallowtail caterpillars, these are a few precautions that should be followed in handling these plants. We’ll talk about safe handling of milkweed first as that can be the most at-risk of damaging.

Yes, Monarchs need milkweed to survive, and if you raise Monarchs and/or grow milkweed to be sure they have their necessary supply, please handle milkweed with care, protecting your skin and especially your eyes from exposure to the toxic milky sap that exudes from the cut stems.

This sap contains a mild poison that is irritating to the skin but very dangerous if it gets into your eyes. It can cause blurred vision, light sensitivity and extreme pain, and can cause Corneal Endothelial Toxicity and an immediate trip to receive medical treatment. Please don’t work with milkweed and rue on hot, steamy days at all as, even taking precautions, you may inadvertently wipe your brow with sweat getting in your eyes, and causing you no end of problems.

Both milkweed and rue leaves can give you a nasty rash and I’m not sure which caused a rash on my forearm, but washing it and putting a calamine type lotion on it eliminated it. Use eye protection, gloves and just be mindful. Please don’t let it stop you from helping our caterpillars and butterflies fulfill life stages, as it never ceases to be a MIRACLE! Happy Gardening!

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

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

Recycle the Gardener News show it to a friend!

New Jersey Farm Real Estate Values

The New Jersey farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and building on farms, averaged $12,700 per acre for 2018, down $100 per acre (-0.8 percent) from 2017. This ranked New Jersey second nationally, behind Rhode Island averaging $13,800 per acre.

New Jersey has the highest published cropland average value per acre at $12,900; California is second at $11,740.

New Jersey pasture land averages $12,500 per acre. This was also the highest published state, with Florida second at $5,200 per acre. Rhode Island cropland and pasture values were combined with other states.

Source: USDA/NASS

New Jersey Cranberry Production Forecast

New Jersey cranberry production is forecast at 556 thousand barrels in 2018, up 23 percent from 2017 production, according to Bruce Eklund, State Statistician of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New Jersey Field Office.

United States 2018 total cranberry production is forecast at 8.63 million barrels, up 3 percent from 2017.

Production in Wisconsin is forecast at 5.50 million barrels, up 2 percent from 2017. Wisconsin growers reported some winter damage, but overall the crop looked good.

Massachusetts cranberry production is forecast at 1.895 million barrels in 2018, down 1 percent from 2017 production.

Both Washington and Oregon production is forecast to increase.

Source: USDA/NASS

USDA to Measure Small Grain Production

During the first two weeks of September, growers of small grains around the country will receive survey forms from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The agency is taking a comprehensive look into the 2018 production and supply of small grains, which include wheat, oats, barley, and rye.

“The small grains industry is an important part of Northeastern agriculture and it is crucial for all involved with the agriculture sector to have accurate data about this key sector of the economy,” said NASS Northeastern Regional Director King Whetstone. “We will contact more than 4,000 producers in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to accurately measure 2018 acreage, yield, and production for small grain crops. The data collected from this survey will also help set small grain acreage, yield, and production estimates at the county level, to be published in December 2018.”

NASS will contact survey participants to gather information on their 2018 production and the quantities of whole grains and oilseeds stored on farm. As an alternative to mailing the survey back, and to help save both time and money, growers will have the option to securely respond to the survey online.

Farmers who have not responded by August 29, 2018 may receive a phone call or visit from a NASS representative who will help them fill out the survey form.

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only county-, state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” stated Whetstone. “We recognize that this is a hectic time for farmers and ranchers, but the information they provide helps U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable. I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their time and cooperation.”

NASS will analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Small Grains Summary and quarterly Grain Stocks reports, both to be released September 28, 2018. Survey data also contribute to NASS’s monthly and annual Crop Production reports, and the USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE).

Source: USDA/NASS

GardenerNews.com

September 2018 21

New Jersey Department of Agriculture Celebrates National Peach Month New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher highlighted National Peach Month with a visit to Melick’s Town Farm in Hunterdon County on August 16, 2018. Secretary Fisher, along with state and local officials, viewed Melick’s pick-your-own orchard site in Califon, Hunterdon County, to emphasize that locally grown peaches and other farm products are readily available now at farmers markets and stores around the state.

“We are having another great year with Jersey Fresh Peaches,” said Secretary Fisher, who also visited Sunny Valley International in Gloucester County on Friday, August 17. “They are super-delicious and once again we are experiencing a good harvest season with all varieties. We encourage consumers to visit places like Melick’s Town Farm, where you can pick your own peaches or buy them fresh from the stand, and to also look for Jersey Fresh peaches in local supermarkets. It’s a credit to our farmers that New Jersey remains one of the leaders in the country when it comes to the quality and quantity of peaches.”

“Business has been really good for us so far this year,” said John Melick, one of the three Melick siblings who owns and operates Melick Farms along with his sister, Rebecca, and brother, Peter. “With the pick-your-own option, it’s an opportunity for families to come out together and enjoy a piece of the on-farm experience. We hope it creates good memories for them and that our peaches allow them to create any number of delicious recipes for them to enjoy.”

The Melick family has been farming in New Jersey since about 1725. They farm a total of 650 acres, with about 250 acres of orchards. The Melicks have about 4,000 peach trees, with more than 30 different varieties of peaches. Melick’s Town Farm, which has three locations and was formerly run by George and Norma Melick, is also an active member of the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council.

The peach season for New Jersey lasts through the end of September. There are approximately 80 peach orchards in New Jersey with growers producing more than 100 different types of peaches. About 90 percent of those peaches are the yellow and white varieties.

Tom Castronovo/Photo The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has projected New Jersey to Tom Beaver, left, Director of Marketing, New Jersey harvest approximately 64 million pounds of peaches this year, which would be about an Department of Agriculture; Rebecca Melick, center; and 8-million-pound increase from last year. That projection places New Jersey No. 3 in the New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.

U.S. in peach production for 2018.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Tom Beaver, left, Director of Marketing, New Jersey Department of Agriculture; George Melick, second from left; Norma Melick, second from right; and New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New Jersey Assemblyman John DiMaio, left; Mitchell Jones, President, New Jersey State Board of Agriculture, center; and New Jersey Senator Michael J. Doherty picking peaches.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher, right, wishes George Melick a Happy Birthday.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher leading the press event.

22 September 2018 There continues to be debate as to the best method utilized to transplant trees.

Nurserymen, landscapers, and landscape architects all have opinions, and many have actual field experience.

It is a subject discussed at length at professional conferences and continues to be researched at universities.

There are numerous studies addressing this issue, and yet no real solid conclusion…and hence no accepted standard in the industry. The ANSI A300 Standard for planting trees addresses this, as do many, many other publications. Yet the jury is still out.

Most of the debate surrounds balled and burlapped trees. These are trees grown in nursery fields until a desired size is achieved, and then mechanically dug by specialized digging machines. The tree’s root ball is then lowered into a burlap-lined wire basket, the burlap is secured by binding twine to the tree trunk and basket, and the tree is ready to go. The size of the root ball, and hence the basket, is standardized to the caliper Most of our lives are very busy. The technology of our phone and the 150plus channels our TVs offer distracts us from everyday simple ways of the past.

Some folks do not read newspapers or watch the 6 o’clock or 11 o’clock news anymore; they get the news from their cell phones.

Remember when summer seemed to last so long when we were kids? Not today.

Who’s got time for a lawn these days?

People who want a nice lawn for a pool party, picnic or volleyball also may want to go to the beach and boardwalk or out of town for a nice vacation. It’s hard to get them thinking about their lawn when fall arrives.

Summer is over, the kids are going back to school, and football games are on all the time. So, who wants to work on their lawn?

This year lawns have taken a real beating, between the wet, cool spring, to the hot, dry summer and fungus running rampant. Your lawn-care program might not have gone as planned since you may have missed

GardenerNews.com Tree Notes

By Steve Schuckman NJ Certified Tree Expert

Transplanting Trees: The Debate Continues

of the tree. Larger trees will have larger root balls, and can be quite heavy.

The purpose of the burlap and the basket is to protect the root ball from drying out and to help keep it intact.

Even if root pruned while still in the ground, the tree loses a significant amount of root mass during the digging process. This is very stressful to the tree. Any additional root loss or damage will most likely result in death of the tree. Keeping the remaining root mass intact is very important.

Many planting specifications require removal of the basket, twine, and burlap at the time of planting.

Experienced installers have various techniques for doing this with little impact or damage

to the root mass. However, trees grown in soft or sandy soil may lose much of the soil surrounding the roots.

Heavy wet soils may break away in large pieces, tearing the fine roots. The root ball of trees with coarse roots may just fall apart. All of these situations may damage the roots that remain, and further stress or kill the tree.

Thus, the debate. Should the basket, twine and burlap be removed entirely? Can it be left on entirely? Should it be partially removed?

There are no solid answers to these questions, and in fact sometimes one might do all of the above…depending upon the tree species. So, what are some options?

First, before setting the tree in the planting hole, the twine and upper part of the

burlap must be removed to properly locate the trunkroot flare. This is to ensure proper planting depth. The flare should be at or just above finished grade. Too many trees are planted too deep, so this is important.

Some installers remove the top third or half of the basket, keeping the lower part intact, thus disturbing the root mass as little as possible. Once set in the hole (at the proper depth), the burlap can be peeled down and the hole backfilled.

This is one option I have seen used. Another is to set the tree into the planting hole, cut the basket in several locations, slice through the burlap in several locations, and backfill. This provides minimal disturbance to the root mass, allows the basket

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Who’s got time for a lawn these days? applications altogether or your application timing was thrown off.

Fall is here, and remember, fall is the best time of the year to upgrade or re-seed your lawn.

Actually, early-fall is the absolute best time. Warm summer days create warm soil, which is very receptive to new grass seed growth.

Cooler fall temperatures and the return of normal rainfall also provide an excellent environment to grow newly sown grass.

If your lawn has suffered some summer damage from heat, drought, fungus or insects, plan on re-seeding as early as possible this fall.

Let’s review some tips to remember for successful fall seeding. Proper preparation is most important. Cut

your lawn short, rake out all debris and try to loosen soil so grass roots can grow deep into the ground. If this is too much work, consider renting a power machine to help from your local rental center.

Using quality grass seed is also very important. Why use poor quality grass seed full of problems? Look for high germination rates and low content of crop and weed seeds and inert matter.

Buy a mixture designed for use in the area you are seeding.

Using a “starter” type lawn fertilizer will help get young seedlings off to a great start. If the area you are seeding has had problems growing grass in the past, test your soil’s pH levels prior to seeding. Add

calcium carbonate-based products to increase soil pH levels if testing shows results 6.0 or below. Apply sulfurbased products if soil pH testing shows results greater than 7.0. These applications can all be done on the same day in no particular order after soil preparation is completed.

Water the seeded area the first few weeks as needed one to two times a day for a week and then two to three times a week thereafter.

Mow once new grass height reaches four inches.

Perhaps you want to simplify your lawn program.

Consider using all-organic lawn products.

Organic lawn fertilizers provide a gentle, slow feeding over time as the applications build up the soil quality. Set

to rust or spread out with root growth, and prevents root restriction and encourages burlap decay.

Then there are some who simply set the tree as is into the hole, fill, and walk away.

So, what is the correct method? I do not know. I have done plantings using different methods. I have killed trees removing all of the basket and burlap. I have dug up dead trees that have been in the ground for years to find the basket still perfectly intact. And the burlap.

Next month, I will discuss some case examples, and review planting containergrown trees.

Editor’s Note: Steve Schuckman is owner of First Mountain Aboriculture, which provides horticultural consulting and community forestry services. He is currently the consulting forester for Bloomfield, Hawthorne, Maplewood, and Montclair, in New Jersey. He is also a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert. He can be reached at smschuckman@verizon.net your mowing height to three inches, and try to reduce watering altogether.

While we cannot predict Mother Nature’s weather patterns to determine how tough each summer will be, a good healthy lawn with deep roots can withstand a lot of stresses. Some stress from heat and drought, insects and fungus can hopefully be tolerated by a healthy, growing lawn. Maybe you can reduce the amount of times your lawn goes brown or dormant in the summer months with a long-term organics strategy.

Millions of homeowners derive great joy from a great looking lawn. Pleasure derived from playing on it with the kids or dog or just looking at it provides some peace and calm. I hope you feel better about your lawn this fall and try to enjoy it.

Watch some football games this weekend.

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

GardenerNews.com

September 2018 23 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

My Horticultural Summer

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Part of the beauty of my industry, aside from the plants, is that you can never know everything. Gardening tricks, academic answers pitted against practical solutions, and the rate at which new plants are thrust into retail certainly keeps you on your toes.

My favorite part of my job, however, is traveling. Whether it is to nurseries, arboretums or a customer’s backyard, there is always a “take away” for me. This summer afforded me several traveling experiences learning new plants and new ideas.

The beginning of July, I found myself touring a nursery in Connecticut, learning about a new series of hydrangea, the Seaside Serenade collection.

A collection of hydrangea diverse in color with improved hardiness, compact growth habits and refined aesthetics.

Nine different selections will have gardeners looking forward to extra-dark green leaves, sturdier stems, long lasting and repeat flowering types, as well as pH sensitive types, so you can adjust the color as needed. All varieties would look magnificent en masse!

The end of July had me traveling with my friend and mentor for nearly 30 years, Tony Maiello. Tony has given me more expert tutelage, both personally and professionally over the years, than one could ever hope for. We have traveled around the country many times and this time we were in Oregon.

Extensive nursery tours had us traveling about 100 miles in every direction from Portland, gobbling up nursery stock for our garden centers for this fall and next year. Sharing similar passions for plants, politics, family and business, it has always been helpful, for each of us, to use one another as sounding boards.

Our aggressive schedule had us visiting five nurseries in two days. Conifers, deciduous ornamentals, perennials, tropicals, advanced pruning

methods, IPM (Integrated Pest Management) solutions, and of course, networking were all covered here.

Perhaps one of the most stunning trees I saw, this time to Oregon, was a Hedge maple type, Acer campestre “Carnival.” In absolute awe of a mature one in a private garden, this eye-catching tree had my attention from several hundred yards away.

Mature leaves of green and white, more white on this one, almost called me over to say “Hi.” “Carnival’s” new spring growth emerges with a blush of pink, and its slowgrowing habit makes it suitable for smaller footprints. Hardy to zone 5, “Carnival” benefits from being placed in semishade, where the hot summer sun won’t scald the white portions of its leaves. Truly a beacon in anyone’s garden!

What helped to complete our trip, aside from the plants, the food, Mt. Hood and the Timberline Lodge and a day of wine tasting was a little help from Google. I asked where I could find a large Monkey Puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana, in the Portland area, and voilà… it appeared!

Traversing the Willamette River and a few local roads of downtown Portland, Google granted our wish with a 70-foot tree. How Google knew where roughly 40 of the largest Monkey Puzzle trees were, in relation to our whereabouts, overwhelmed us.

August 1 was the next stop of this horticultural whirlwind.

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., really needs no introduction. A public garden set forth for the sole purposes of “exhibition, instruction, education and enjoyment” (Longwoodgardens.org).

Last year’s attendance alone had over 1.5 million visitors appreciating their programs, exhibits, architecture and plants.

Our day began with a private tour appreciating the nearly 200 Littleleaf Linden trees, Tilia cordata

“Greenspire,” that our tree supplier had supplied.

Wrapping the Main Fountain Garden and most of its $90 million revitalization, we were proud for our friend who helped build such grandeur.

The other highlight of the trip was listening to a gentleman named Tim Jennings speak passionately about Longwood’s prized Water-Platters. Giant, water lily with massive, floating mid-green lily pads that can reach up to eight feet (worldoffloweringplants.com), Tim is charged with their upkeeping.

Longwood hybrid WaterPlatter, Victoria “Longwood Hybrid,” is a cross between Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana. Tim spoke about the weight these Water-Platters could hold, displaced over 100 pounds, and its thorns on the sides and bottom. He spoke about water garden design, training the eye to stop with vertical plants like Lotus, and explained the Lotus effect… in a word ultrahydrophobicity!

Tim knew his audience this day and made it so all could understand what he clearly is so passionate about.

There is nothing more I love to see than someone who loves their work. “I don’t have time for hobbies. At the end of the day, I treat my job as a hobby. It’s something I love doing,” David Beckham once said.

By the way, as I write this, the summer is not over… stay tuned!

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

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

24 September 2018

GardenerNews.com

Commissioner of Agriculture Owns Beautiful Farm in New York State (Continued from page 16)

the Executive Committee.) Ball held the executive committee member position for NEASDA last year. The regional presidents serve a one-year term. The At-Large member is selected by the Executive Committee.

The three other NASDA regions consist of the Midwestern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (MASDA), covering Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA), composed of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Virgin Island; and the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture (WASDA), covering Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Samoa, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Ball’s farm has some interesting history. In the early 1700s, German and Dutch immigrants arrived in the Schoharie Valley to work some of the richest soils of America. Their first crop of wheat was sown and produced a substantial yield. A few decades later, the Valley’s wheat fed George Washington’s troops and earned the Valley the title of “Breadbasket of the American Revolution.”

Through the years, this warm and durable land was adapted to flax, broom corn and other important crops.

By the mid-1800s, the cultivation of hops had become the Schoharie Valley’s most famous agricultural industry.

Today, Ball lives in this special place and proudly tills the same soil and enjoys a quality of life built on agricultural heritage.

Ball’s produce is picked fresh daily starting with spring spinach and asparagus. His farm celebrates summer with juicy tomatoes, tender sweet corn, peppers and all

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball, left, looks over his earlyseason mum crop with his grandson Benjamin Borst in front of The Carrot Barn at Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie, Schoharie County, N.Y. the summer farm bounty. He savors autumn and its color with the harvest of pumpkins, squash, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and other fall vegetables. And there’s always the best hand-chosen non-seasonal fruits and vegetables available.

His greenhouses overflow with seasonal selections of plants. Colorful spring bulbs welcome the new season.

You can decorate your home with beautiful hanging baskets. Fill your garden with flowering annuals and perennials, herbs and vegetables. Hardy mums herald the colors of autumn. Beautiful poinsettias can fill your home for the holidays. Ball also offers some of the freshest in hand-selected Christmas trees and wreaths for the holidays.

Ball has an incredible farm family. His wife Shirley, and his three children are all actively engaged in the farm with a growing number of future farmers among the grandchildren.

I can’t wait for my next visit. I think I’ll order a slice of warm apple pie in his garden center’s food court.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball eyes up an ear of sweat corn on his family’s farm (Schoharie Valley Farms) in Schoharie, Schoharie County, N.Y.

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

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September 2018 25

Honey Bee Colonies in U.S. Unchanged from a Year Earlier for Operations with Five or More Colonies The number of honey bee colonies in the U.S. on April 1, 2018 totaled 2.69 million for operations with at least five colonies, unchanged from a year earlier, according to King Whetstone, Director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Northeastern Regional Field Office. On January 1, 2018, the number of honey bee colonies in the U.S. for such operations was 2.63 million, down slightly from 2.64 million a year earlier. The U.S. honey bee colony inventories on July 1 and October 1 in 2017 were 2.99 million and 2.85 million, respectively, for operations with five or more colonies.

Honey bee colony loss in the U.S. during January-March 2018 for operations with at least five colonies totaled 425 thousand colonies, or 16 percent of the colonies at the start of the quarter for such operations, compared to 399 thousand colonies lost during January-March 2017, or 15 percent of the colonies at the start of that quarter. This was tied with October-December 2017 as the highest quarterly percentage loss in 2017. The April-June 2017 and July-September 2017 quarterly percentage losses were 11 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

The number of honey bee colonies added in the U.S. during April-June 2018 by operations with five or more colonies was 726 thousand, compared to the 613 thousand colonies added during the same quarter in 2017 and the 513 thousand colonies added during January-March 2018. The April-June 2017 quarter had the highest quarterly number of added colonies last year.

Renovated honey bee colonies totaled 715 thousand in the U.S. during April-June 2018 for operations with at least five colonies, or 27 percent of the colonies at the start of the quarter for such operations. In 2017, the April-June quarter had the highest quarterly percentage of starting colonies that were renovated, at 28 percent.

Varroa mites were the leading honey bee colony stressor in the U.S. during the first two quarters of this year and all four quarters of 2017.

These statistics are from the Colony Loss Survey, which the National Agricultural Statistics Service conducted for the first time in May 2015. The survey collects information required by the White House Pollinator Health Task Force’s National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. It provides a statistical benchmark on colony numbers and death loss.

Source: USDA/NASS

Full Moon, September 24, 2018 Eastern Daylight

TIP OF THE MONTH

Bulbs should be planted as soon as the ground is cool, when evening temperatures average between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. You should plant them at least six to eight weeks before the ground freezes. Look for bulbs that are plump and firm. It’s typically best to avoid bulbs that are soft and mushy or have mold growing on them. Also look for big bulbs; the bigger they are, the more they generally bloom compared to smaller bulbs of the same variety. You can plant bulbs just about anywhere in your garden, as long as the soil drains well. Bulbs don’t like wet feet. So, avoid areas where water collects, such as the bottom of hills. Bulbs like sun. Depending on the bulb, follow the recommendation on the label for planting depth. As a general rule, plant big bulbs about eight inches deep and small bulbs about five inches deep. Set the bulb in the hole pointy side up or the roots down. If you can’t figure out the top from the bottom, plant the bulb on its side. In most cases, even if you don’t get it right, the flower bulb will still find its way up.

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 185 Published Monthly Reserve Ad Space Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/Publisher . . . .

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September Columnists

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Brian Schilling

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Todd Pretz

Douglas H. Fisher Steve Schuckman Peter Melick Lesley Parness

Contributing Writers

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Jeannie Geremia

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