Nljune17

SUMMER IS HERE!

for discerning weeders

The Foundation for the Gator Nation.....

An equal opportunity institution.

WARM SUMMER BREEZES Here we are, half-way through the year. Summer begins this month and we celebrate all the dads and grads. That also means there will be a lot more kids playing outside so be aware as you are traveling down the highways and byways.

Some folks will be traveling up north to escape the heat while others will be flocking to our shores to enjoy our food, white beaches, warm waters, and everything else the Emerald Coast has to offer.

In the meantime, there will be plenty for the Master Gardeners to do. Don’t forget that there is a Native Plant Trail that can always use a hand. Contact B. Bayer and see if there is a job or two that you’d be able to tackle.

We’ve been fielding a lot of questions when the offices are open about insect pests, lawn pests and fungal issues. It’s turning out to be an active year for some of the critters and diseases that plaque our gardens. The good news is that more and more folks are calling or stopping by to get answers BEFORE they run out to buy the first can of pesticide they come across.

Don’t forget to log your hours in the VMS system!

VMS is your one-stop location for information, dates, events and more!

We are also officially in Hurricane Season. Remind clients to take a few minutes to inspect their landscapes for problem trees and other factors that could cause them huge issues should a storm come our way.

Ground pearls. If you come across them in your travels, get samples and give them to Larry. These critters seem to be a lot more prevalent lately. As you know, there are no chemical controls for this insect. Never seen a ground pearl in the flesh?

Let me know...my neighbor has plenty.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

On a non-garden issue: There is a dog flu going around.

H3N2 CIV has been confirmed in at least a dozen cases. UF Veterinary Hospitals website http://hospitals.vetmed.ufl.edu/ canine-influenza has information for pet owners and for veterinarians about this highly contagious disease. Let your neighbors and friends know especially if they are planning on boarding their pet while on vacation or make frequent visits to the dog park.

Event Calendar

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On the Trail

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Gloves

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In Our Yards

5-7

Ye Old Farm

8

Folk Tales

9

Plugging

10

Wildlife Happenings

11

June Chores

11

Gardener Holidays

11

Plentiful Plantings

Don’t Be Fooled

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Editor-in-Chief

Gardening Disorder

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Disaster Preparedness Info graphic

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Mosquito Control Info graphic

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News You Can Use

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Book Review

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Recipe Round-Up

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Last Word

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Stock up on the sunscreen, insect repellant and wear your hat.

Keep that water bottle going and pay attention to what your body is telling you when you are outside working in our heat and humidity. We want everyone to have a safe and happy Summer!

On the Cover - Brassica juncea (Japanese giant red mustard) in flower. Photo courtesy of M. Stewart

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

For details on any of the upcoming events, go to www.ocmga.org/Calendar.html. Master Gardener members go to VMS to sign up for events and log in your hours.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

ON THE TRAIL

by B. Bayer

The Trail is a tremendous, tremendous, just tremendous place. All of the 6,000 visitors that have walked it in the last 10 years all say the same," Tremendous." They have never seen anything like it. Better than Bush Gardens, Jungle World and Epcot all rolled in one. The place just teems with wildlife, lions, tigers, dinosaurs, elephants and some animals that have never been seen before. It takes the efforts of our more than 200 Master Gardeners, living or dead, to maintain the thousands of native and exotic plants that line the trail.

However, some plants have been banned because of their country of origin. The Trail is real, all the rest is just "fake news." (Just keeping up with the times.)

small trunks within the cluster. Unlike the chestnut that is killed by the chestnut blight, the chinquapin is to some degree resistant. When infected, the above ground portions die but the root sends up new shoots to replace them. Another problem this tree faces is its intolerance to shade. It prospers much better in woodlands that are prone to fires that opens the area and suppresses competitors. Shade also means moisture retention, which in turn produces root rot , another problem for this little tree.

Three weeks later when I attempted to retrieve the camera, the marker was nowhere in sight.

Knowing the general location, I roamed around the woods until I finally found the bag and the tree it was attached to laying on the ground.

Maybe we do have elephants! When the data was retrieved from the camera, it turned out we had set it on 'Video' rather than 'Still Pictures.'

We had the attached Deer picture and a squirrel flying through another frame. Too quick to get a good still. When I saw the time on the picture now I knew why I had never seen them before I guess they couldn't sleep so they got up to browse and tweet.

The alternate leaves are easily recognized by their margins that resemble the teeth of a circular saw blade with the addition of a sharp bristle on the end. The fall color is usually yellow.

With all these problems it makes one wonder, how does the chinquapin ever survive? It has two interesting adaptations that make this possible. Encased in a burr, that opens in the Now for reality. In the four plus years that I have worked on fall, the nut falls to the ground and quickly germinates. There the Trail, I have seen a rabbit, a snake and a lost dog. I've been are usually many nuts produced insuring the survival of at told by some of the very early morning arriving agents that least a few. The nuts are also sweet and a favorite food of many they have seen deer. I never have. animals. Squirrels quickly gather the nuts and bury them for winter food, which they Late last year, I was presented with a "Wildgame," which is an never get to eat due to Infrared Digital Scouting Camera. My instructions were to the rapid place it somewhere off the trail to get pictures of the animals. germination.

This sort of presented a number of problems. The first being , how does this thing work? Thanks to Jennifer for solving that Both male and female one. The next was where to place the camera to get pictures of flowers are produced on what I believed were non-existing animals. The site selected the same tree. The male appeared to be an animal trail. The camera was fastened to a flower is a pale yellow tree with the two bungee cords that are included. Pushed the or white catkin and the 'On' button and probably took pictures of myself. Knowing I smaller female flower is would never find this site again if I did not mark it, with my found at the base of the tiny hands, I tied a white plastic bag around an adjacent tree. male flower. The Now we were all set. flowers are usually in full bloom by late summer.

Small trees can be purchased at native plant nurseries and usually do better in the open landscape than in the natural setting of the crowded and shaded woodland. The bonus is the rapid growth and the sweet nuts for yourself or the wildlife.

FEATURED TRAIL TREE Chinquapin or Chinkapin Castania pumila The chinquapin, a shrubby relative of the American chestnut and not to be confused with the similarly named chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) can be found at several locations along the trail. By comparison to the other trees found on the trail this is not a very attractive specimen.

Rather than having one strong sturdy trunk, most have several

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

Ed. Note: There is a handy trail guide available at the front desk of the Extension Office.

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May/June, 2017

WHITE GLOVE TEST Let me just say right up front that I might not be the best one to recommend gardening gloves. I tend to buy multiple pairs at one time of the cheapest gloves I see that I think will last at least a few months. For the past year I’ve been making do with three pairs of John Deere rubberized ladies gloves that I found at Tractor Supply. Now that the third pair has sprung holes in the fingertips, however, it seems like a good time to look into this subject further and educate myself a bit and share the information with my fellow gardeners. Now, I do have a few standards when it comes to gloves. They have to be very flexible, so that I don’t have to pull them off every time I need to use my fingers for something small, such as releasing the spring clip on my pruning shears. They have to be tough enough to survive some pretty rigorous jobs since I tend to work like a field hand on my various outdoor projects. (Oh wait, I AM a field hand…). I generally wear only wrist-length gloves although I will concede that there are plenty of times that I should have elbow-length gloves on, such as when pruning roses or berries or dragging thorny brush around while wearing a short-sleeved shirt. My gloves do not have to be pretty. I learned long ago that those cute flowered cloth jobbies that they sell at the garden center checkout won’t make it through a weekend with me. My John Deere's have the famous JD logo on them. They are pink though, which is kind of a concession to girly-ness I suppose, but that’s not the reason I bought them. I’m sure they were cheap and that was the deciding factor.

So, with all that in mind, I set out to see what the best, most cost-effective options are for those of us who need our gloves to work at least as hard as we do. Since I am clearly not an expert on this subject and was not willing to shell out several hundred dollars to do the actual product testing myself, I have relied on a few people who have done the testing to provide lists of the best of the best in gardening gloves. One new thing I learned in this process is the name of that rubbery waterproof material that is either applied to a portion of many gloves (such as my John Deere's) or is actually the material the entire glove is made of. It’s called “nitrile.” This article has an excellent set of tips for things to consider while shopping for new gloves and there are several recommendations offered: http://gardeningproductsreview.com/best-gardening-gloves/

by K. Harper gloves and the task(s) they are best suited to. There is definite appeal to this concept. As one who tends to multi-task, though, I wonder if I’d take the time to change gloves if I were working on a variety of jobs at the same time. But I do like the idea: https://hubpages.com/living/Best-Garden-Gloves For men, here is a list of top gardening gloves, specifically for you: https://www.gardenista.com/posts/5-favorites-mensgarden-gloves/ And I suppose I would be remiss if I failed to mention these interesting items- gloves with claws for digging: http:// tinyurl.com/loa4qrf. These come in right hand or left hand.

There are other variations of this design out there in internetland and for some reason, people tend to send me links to these gloves, I suppose because they know I’m always digging in the ground. They don’t appeal to me right off the bat because I am enough of a klutz with tasks requiring manual dexterity without having long claws attached to my fingertips.

But perhaps I should be more open-minded and add these to the list of possible gloves I might keep on hand in the event that I do someday become one of those people who changes gloves depending on the chore at hand (no pun intended).

Postscript: I sit here on a Friday afternoon at my computer wrapping up this article, staring at my dirty fingernails and wondering how I’m going to get them clean in time for church on Sunday. My fingernails are dirty because my John Deere gloves have holes in the fingertips and I spent all week digging in the ground with them anyway. This is madness for someone who has just put in several hours researching and writing about gardening gloves. I have therefore ordered those new nitrile gloves mentioned above! And I might get really crazy and order some elbow-length gloves too. The sky is the limit!

Meanwhile, here is a photo of my John Deere gloves after today’s yard chores. May they rest in peace.

Even better, though, is this article written by a glove expert who offers her resume in addition to offering advice and actually tested the gloves she recommends:http:// thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-gardening-gloves/ With the pending death of my last surviving John Deere gloves, I think am going to go with the recommendation of this writer for a ‘six pack’ of nitrile gloves: http://tinyurl.com/ m3hmf3d The gloves are available in S-L sizes. I take a medium. While these are meant to be unisex gloves, I am fairly certain that the large size would not fit most men, assuming they could get past the color scheme of the gloves. However, here they are, offered in men’s sizes and the color is black so these might meet with approval from more men. And they’re a bit cheaper! Note that this is a different manufacturer than the previous link: http://tinyurl.com/lgqfo6j If you think you might need different pairs of gloves depending on the job you’re doing, here is a thoughtful list of various An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

Ed Note: If you’re faced with a really tough gardening chore check out the mechanic’s gloves. They come with extra protection on the knuckles and palms.

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May/June, 2017

IN OUR YARDS

by Staff

There’s always that one friend……..

Above: Katydid found chomping on my Meyer lemon this morning. He turned into bird food.

Left: Leaf cutter bee.

Photos courtesy of A. Sheringo

The Jokester A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

IN OUR YARDS

by Staff

Blossoms on an asparagus fern! Who knew?!? Photo courtesy of A. Donatelli

It’s not every day you look out your front window and see a great grey heron strolling down the street.

Breakfast with Rear Admiral Semmes. Photo courtesy of D. Hickenbotham

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

IN OUR YARDS

by Staff Enjoying my orchids as they re-bloom in 100% humidity. Nursery guru L. Vanderpool told us not to cut all of the flower stems back after they stop blooming and the results are great! Photos courtesy of V. Dougherty

Leaf-footed bug nymphs having a pow-wow on a jalapeĂąo pepper. Guess some do like it hot! Photo courtesy of P. Garrett

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

YE OLDE FARM

by D. Gordon

About 8 years ago, we had a neighbor disc a small plot of land to plant wildflowers. The plot was no larger than probably 30x30. The seeds were planted in the fall and most of the seeds germinated. It is amazing what has taken place over the last 8 years. Wind and water have spread the seeds to cover approximately 12 acres. Also, we have the first mowing after the flowers have gone to seed and many are distributed this way.

We have had individuals stop and take pictures and ask if they could pick some of the flowers. A nice stand of clover has started to expand over the landscape. There are also other wildflowers that are finding their way onto the field.

It is amazing that from a small rectangle of seed planting that the field is now covered with a sea of yellow coreopsis.

All of this coverage nature has achieved on its own. What a beautiful sight to see a sea of yellow coreopsis.

An Unusual Flower I never ceased to be amazed by nature. One day while looking at plants in my “Pollinator Garden,� an unusual plant caught my eye. This is a volunteer plant that came by way of nature.

After viewing it for a period of time, the plant appears to have the characteristics of a sunflower, coneflower, or black-eyed Susan. Take your pick. The center is very large, as you can see from the picture, with small petals protruding from the cone.

It will be interesting to see if it continues to bloom in this manner. No chemicals have been sprayed in the garden to cause a genetic mutation. If you have suggestions, let me know. For now, I will enjoy having a plant in the garden that is new to me. It would be interesting to save the seeds and see the results.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

HOLD UP ON THE EGGSHELLS

courtesy of Dr. Laura Tiu

By Mary Beth Breckenridge Akron Beacon Journal (TNS)

Myth: Adding aspirin to the water will keep cut flowers fresh longer.

Years ago my father-in-law kept a stash of Juicy Fruit in his underwear drawer so he could roll up the sticks of gum and poke them into mole holes in his backyard.

Fact: Aspirin won’t keep flowers fresh. Neither will adding wine, pennies or a drop of bleach to the water. Barrett said it may help to use a floral preservative, but it’s more important to sanitize the vase, recut the stems, remove any leaves that fall below the waterline and check the water level daily. Keeping flowers away from hot or cold drafts also helps prolong their life, he said.

He’d heard the trick would kill the pesky critters, apparently from a buildup of undigested gum. But all he got out of his efforts was fruitysmelling underwear.

That’s because the Juicy Fruit ploy, like many folksy lawn and garden remedies, is pure hooey. And Eric Barrett, an educator with the Ohio State University Extension’s Mahoning County office, is out to set the record straight.

Myth: Peonies need ants on them to bloom properly.

Fact: The presence of ants has nothing to do with successful blooming, Barrett said. The reason ants often congregate on peonies is they’re attracted to Barrett recently busted a few widely held gardening myths the sugary liquid secreted by the flower buds. The ants aren’t during the Saturday Gardening Series, an educational program helpful, but neither are they harmful, he said. organized by the Summit County Master Gardeners.

Here are some of them.

Myth: Putting gravel in the bottom of flowerpots improves drainage.

Myth: Chemicals are bad for your landscape.

Fact: Surprisingly, research shows this common practice Fact: Any substance you use in your yard or garden has a doesn’t help and might actually slow water flow, Barrett said. chemical makeup, whether it’s natural or synthetic. What’s A better strategy, he said, is to use a soilless potting mix more important, in Barrett’s view, is the effect the substance instead of a mix containing soil, and to make sure the has on the environment. It’s important to find out about the container has drainage holes. properties of any treatments you use, he said. Even natural or organic remedies that seem benign could harm soil, wildlife, Myth: Spread diatomaceous earth around plants to deter water or other elements of our natural world. And remember, slugs. too much of anything is never a good thing, he cautioned.

Fact: Gardeners often recommend creating a rough surface Myth: Adding eggshells to the hole when you plant tomatoes out of diatomaceous earth, crushed eggshells or other sharp will prevent blossom end rot. substances, in the hope that slugs won’t want to crawl over them. But in reality, slugs create so much slime that they can Fact: Blossom end rot – a disease that causes dark spots to even cross a razor blade, Barrett said. He has a better develop on the bottom of tomatoes – happens when a plant approach: Lay pieces of damp cardboard around the plants. can’t take up calcium from the soil, usually because the plant The slugs will congregate under the cardboard, making it easy has gone without water for too long. That can happen even to collect and destroy them. when the soil has plenty of calcium in it, be it from eggshells or any other source. The best way to prevent blossom end rot is to So if these widely held gardening beliefs are wrong, how can make sure tomato plants get a consistent and adequate supply you tell what’s right? of water, Barrett said. An Ohio State fact sheet recommends 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week.

University researchers are constantly working to determine what works in our landscapes and what doesn’t. While there’s Myth: Epsom salts are a cure-all for countless garden still more research to be done, Barrett said, their findings offer problems. reliable guidance on pretty much any lawn or garden issue.

The extension services at land grant universities such as Ohio Fact: This is a case where too much of a good thing can be State are great resources. It’s the job of those services to share bad. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate, so they add research-based information with the public. magnesium – an important plant nutrient – to the soil. The OSU’s Ohioline website http://ohioline.osu.edu problem is many gardeners use Epsom salts indiscriminately, Let’s all commit to gardening better – and more responsibly which can cause too much magnesium to build up in the soil.

That can prevent plants from taking up other nutrients. Better to test your soil to determine whether it needs magnesium, Barrett said. If it does, correct the problem by adding dolomite lime in the amount recommended in the soil test report.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

PLUGGING AWAY

by K. Harper

I thought I’d share my grass-plug shopping experience with my fellow gardeners and lawn warriors, in case you too are interested in patching your lawn. The back story: three years ago I completely re-sodded my approximately 2000 sq. ft. lawn with St Augustine sod purchased from Woerner Turf. It has done quite well but, as all Florida lawns will after a few years, it is showing a few signs of wear mainly due to the big dawg who lives (and pees) here. So I decided a few dozen grass plugs were what I needed to get it back in shape.

got them in the ground last Friday and they’re starting to take hold and if I can just nurse them along for a few more weeks, they should quickly blend in with the rest of the lawn and fill in some of the less than perfect areas. Unfortunately, as I write this, it appears that the supplier Amazon uses is currently out of both St. Augustine and centipede grass plugs and there is no mention of when or if they will be available again. You are still in luck today if you need zoysia plugs, though: http:// tinyurl.com/y6w5y928

Unfortunately, none of my prior local sources for grass plugs were still carrying them. This includes Lowe’s, Home Depot and even the Exchange on base, all of which used to carry grass plugs. No more. Lowe’s doesn’t have them at all, either in the store or online.

Lowe’s will sell you a pallet of sod for $449: http://tinyurl.com/yasnqob5 (Pro tip- you can get a pallet of sod from other local suppliers for a lot less than that, like about half that cost.) Home Depot has grass plugs online and I was about to order 72 of them which would have cost me $109.96. There would be no shipping cost and also no 10% military discount, in case you have that available at Home Depot. We always use ours in-store. Alas, that discount is not available for online orders: http:// tinyurl.com/yb2aazok. I decided to look further. Wal-Mart sells grass plugs and for 72 of them it would have cost me $109.92, with no shipping charge, to have them sent to my house. You can get a $2.14 discount per 36 plug order if you drive down to Wal-Mart and pick them up yourself. To avoid the aggravation of going down to Wal-Mart, I’d gladly pay that extra $4.28 to have them sent to my door: http://tinyurl.com/ ya6ek2sf. I decided to look at other online sources. I could get my 72 plugs at this place for $74 plus $22.78 shipping: https://www.seedworldusa.com/products/palmetto-grassplugs-1-tray. So that would have cost me $96.78. Lastly, this place seems to offer a pretty good deal: http://lawnplugs.com/ info/prices.html . With them it would have cost me $84.90 total for 72 plugs of St. Augustine sent to my door.

Summary: All of these suppliers appear to get their grass plugs from farms in central and south Florida. Provided they all use good shipping practices, I would think the quality and health of their grass products would be similar. If I hadn’t gotten lucky with my Amazon order, I’d have gone with the Lawn Plugs.com site for only an additional $13 and probably would have been satisfied with the results. Another cost that might be added on with all of these online suppliers is FL sales tax. I wasn’t charged sales tax on this order by Amazon.com but whether that is because of an Amazon policy or if grass plugs are an item that is exempt from FL sales tax, I do not know. I do know that I get charged sales tax by Amazon on many of my other purchases from them. I am just feeling lucky that I did this project for $72. Oh, and you will definitely need a plug planting tool to get your plugs in the ground. We used to have one but it disappeared over the years so I had to buy a new one and this one is great. It works like a charm and I can’t imagine doing this job without it: https:// www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSXJR6/ ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And one more cool thing. The grass plugs come in nifty trays of 18 with each plug in its 3” square slot (which exactly matches the 3” square area of soil that the planting tool will cut out of the ground for you). So, being creative (and cheap), I have re-used the planting trays and the 3” square plugs of soil I cut out of the ground to start my own grass plugs. I transplanted St Augustine cuttings from my existing lawn into the trays. St What I actually did was turn to Amazon.com, which is my Augustine spreads by runners so all you need is a bit of the go-to place for many things. Could they possibly sell grass grass with a leaf node on it and if placed in soil and watered, it plugs, I wondered? Well, of course they do and I got my 72 will grow. So in the likely event that the big dawg keeps peeing plugs of St Augustine for a mere $72 total, no shipping charge, on my grass, I should have my own replacement plugs and they arrived within a few days, healthy and quite nice. I available in a few months.

Summer begins The Jokester

June 20th at 11:24 pm CDT

Why is it that doctors call what they do ‘practice?”

The summer solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

WILDLIFE HAPPENINGS The official start of summer. June offers a lot of wildlife activity.

Birds •It’s breeding season for laughing gulls, least terns, oystercatchers, and black skimmers. They will even nest on rooftops if their preferred habitat is unavailable.

•Mockingbirds may attack pedestrians who get too close to nesting sites.

by Staff Fish •Snook begin moving into inlets and passes.

Insects •The sound of summer...cicadas emerge from underground to serenade us.

The Jokester

Mammals •The Southern Flying Squirrel starts its breeding season.

•Red bats and Seminole bats give birth.

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Reptiles •Peak Gopher Tortoise breeding is now.

JUNE GARDEN CHORES Annuals - Celosia, portulaca, vinca, and many new coleus cultivars can take the hot summer sun.

Palms - Summer’s warm, rainy weather is the perfect time to plant palms. Make sure not to cover the trunk with soil. Watch for nutrient deficiencies or environmental problems.

by Staff Lawns - Yellow and brown patches in St. Augustinegrass may be caused by a variety of reasons, including chinch bugs. Take time to determine the cause.

Summer-flowering shrubs - Prune lightly to encourage more branching and blooming. Azaleas may still be pruned.

Herbs - Mexican tarragon, rosemary and basil may be planted now. Pinch back regularly.

Vegetables - Okra, southern pea, and sweet potato can handle the heat.

Photo credit: David Shetlar, Ohio State University

Pests - Monitor weekly for harmful insects.

GARDENER HOLIDAYS June comes from the Roman, or Julian, calendar. It was initially named Iunius either from the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter, or from the word iuniores, Latin for ‘younger ones.” The early Roman calendar had June with only 29 days. It was Julius Caesar who added the additional day.

Monthly Observances Great Outdoors Month Perennial Gardening Month National Fruit & Veggies Month National Iced Tea Month National Rose Month Sorghum Month

by Staff Daily Holidays National Olive Day 1st World Environment Day 5th Corn on the Cob Day 11th National Flip-Flop Day 16th Pink Flamingo Day 23rd National Sunglasses Day 27th June’s birth trees are: Ash, hornbeam, fig, birch, and apple. Birth flower is rose. Birth stone is Pearl. Colors are light blue, white, and cream.

Happy Birthday

Weekly Observances National Sun Safety Week 4-10 Duct Tape Days 16-18 Lightning Safety Awareness Week 18-24 Watermelon Seed Spitting Week 22-25 National Mosquito Control Awareness Week 25-7/1 An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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M. Donavin

L. Fabian

J. Frederick

H. Jennings

J. Michetti

C. Reuter

M. Stewart

S. Taylor

May/June, 2017

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

by B. Buckellew

Recently, a client came to the office wanting us to evaluate his new soil tester. He was proud of it. It was a pretty thing, with all sorts of digital readouts, including temperature, moisture content, and, of course, pH. J. Michetti had just tested another customer’s soil, and it read 7.2, so we tried the client’s meter, and it read 7.0. Not bad, we thought, but then we tried other samples, and they all read 7.0 as well.

This is a familiar pattern. I know three other experienced Master Gardeners besides myself who have bought digital pH testers (all different brands) that simply did not work. Mine never read anything other than 7.0 on any soil I tested. I stuck it into a glass of vinegar. Yep, vinegar’s pH is 7.0! Then, I tried baking soda…7.0!

Most of these products are designed to be probed into dry soil.

Based on what we have learned, I can’t see how that can give an accurate result. The soil testers we use at the Extension offices all cost more than $200, require continual maintenance and calibration, and are sophisticated and reliable. The bigbox store gadgets cost about $20, but they are useless. Please encourage the public to see us for reliable, accurate, and free pH evaluation and not to waste their money on these products.

Inauguration of soil testing equipment at Niceville location. Photo courtesy of M. Koser

GARDENING DISORDER

courtesy of D. Edmiston

Do you plant things that aren’t hardy in your area and then get contradict and condemn anyone who says you can't grow all upset when they freeze or are damaged by cold? You may be something in your zone, coupled with an uncanny knowledge suffering from FZDD or Floridian Zone Denial Disorder. of statistical and anecdotal data to back up your opinion.

8. Catalog obssessivitis, characterized by a tendency to order Here are some symptoms of FZDD: every gardening catalog from every zone in the southern hemisphere, and an inability to refrain from buying Dutch 1. Inability to accept zone hardiness recommendations. This is bulbs and planting them in zone 10. characterized by the tendency to "ooh" and "ahh" over catalog 9. Extreme mood swings, ranging from excessive elation over a items and the inability to keep from ordering things not hardy single bloom to crying jags and depression over the death of a to your zone. Also includes confusion as to why northern plant. Anger over inability to make plants conform to plants can't be brought to Florida and thrive as they did where expectations is common, and may result in violent ripping out you came from. or chopping down of non-performing specimens, coupled with 2. Tendency toward "zone push." Characterized by thinking uncontrollable outbursts of obscenity. such as "It will be o.k. if I cover it during the cold," or "If it dies, I can get another one next year." Includes the delusion There is no cure for this disorder, but with treatment, a that shade growing will save many northern sun loving plants. reasonable level of reality can be instilled into the sufferer. It is 3. Hoarding of blankets, sheets, plastic and other protective important to monitor the sufferer after treatment due to the gear in order to make vain attempts to save non-hardy zone high rate of relapse thanks to The Weather Channel and plants from cold snaps.

Pinterest.

4. Excessive container planting, followed by intensive transfer of potted plants to a warmer place (like inside your house) when it gets too cold. This tends to result in making your house a winter jungle, which can only be traversed with care, through very narrow avenues weaving between the pots.

5. Compulsion to make things bloom out of their zone, when a dozen or more people have quoted you horror stories about how they have tried and failed.

6. Weatherphilia, characterized by constant monitoring of weather stations, weather charts, statistical data, and may include having a weather board on your wall with all the charts and data attached. Includes almanacitis, which is a obsession with almanac information, and may include a tendency to collect almanacs from 20 years ago or more.

7. Argumentative syndrome, characterized by a tendency to An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

NEWS YOU CAN USE General: Map of wind velocity and direction https://www.windytv.com/?30.637,-86.663,5 Limited Poultry and Egg Permit - you can sell up to 30 dozen eggs and up to 384 dressed poultry a week within the state of Florida http://tinyurl.com/y88pgyw5

Preventing wildfires http://tinyurl.com/y7remyyn Florida Rainfall Data Sources and Types - 5 page document introducing the sources, providers, and types of rainfall data available to Florida researchers and residents. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae517 Defining Extension’s Climate Change Adaptation role http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr403 Calibrating Time Domain Reflectometers for Soil Moisture Measurements in Sandy Soils http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae519 Master Gardener: Master Gardener 2017 Conference registration and information http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/gardener/index.html UF/IFAS branding guidelines, templates and more http://branding.ifas.ufl.edu/brand-guidelines/

by Staff Prenolepis impairs - Winter Ant, False Honey Ant http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1168 Nematode Management on Athletic Fields http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in126 Wildlife: Securing Bird Feeders from Florida Black Bears http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw430 Reducing Human-Bear Conflicts: Bear-Resistant Trash Cans http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw429 Plants: Mandarin hybrid developed by UF more tolerant to citrus greening http://tinyurl.com/ybxdfh9u Citrus Nutrition Management Practices http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1292 Disorders and Injuries that Affect Citrus http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1290 Health and Wellness: Fat in Your Diet http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/he695 Carotenoids and Eye Health http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1217

Master Gardener webinars http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/mastergardener/ volunteers/education/webinars.html

Prevent Osteoporosis http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy469

Programs:

High Blood Pressure: What You Need to Know http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy199

Developing County Associations for School and Community Gardens http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc279

Preventing Food borne Illness: Bacillus cereus http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs269

Plants and Youth: Designing and Building a Terrarium http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg356

JUST FOR FUN:

Insects:

If you think you can’t draw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TXEZ4tP06c

Shot borers, fusarium, and its impact on public health https://www.wired.com/2017/05/trees-will-die-will/? mbid=nl_5917_p1&CNDID=36654199

You’ve been washing your hands and wasting resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FMBSblpcrc

IPM to minimize cowpea curculio (pea weevil) infestations http://tinyurl.com/ybvj7arm

Believe me, you’re probably tying your shoes the wrong way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAFcV7zuUDA

Baeoentedon balios - Whitefly parasitoid http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1169 Calosoma scrutator - Fiery Searcher, Caterpillar Hunter http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1173

Many people today suffer from passive digital addiction

Delphastus catalinae - Whitefly Predatory Lady Beetle http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1172 An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

BOOK REVIEW

by M. Stewart The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia J. Messinger Carril ISBN-13 978-0691160771 There have been several times that I have come across a bee in my garden and have no idea what it is. Then it’s a trip into the house, fire up the computer (or for you with smart phones) and try to find it--dirty fingers and all.

Well here’s a great introduction to the approximately 4,000 different bee species found in Canada and the US. There is also a hefty dose of myth-busting when it comes to bees as well as great tips for telling our buzzing friends apart when you’re elbow deep in compost.

More than 900 color photos accompany descriptions of the bee’s natural history, where they live, how they gather food, their role as pollinators and how to attract them. This book gives detailed accounts of every bee family and genus in North America, describing key identification features, distributions, diets, nesting habits and a lot more.

RECIPE ROUND-UP Cheesy Bacon Pull-Apart Bread M. Stewart Ingredient: 1 egg 3 Tbs. milk 1 16.3oz can Pillsbury Grands! flaky layers 1 2.1oz pkg. pre-cooked bacon, chopped 6 slices of honey ham luncheon meat, chopped fine 1/2 cup Jalapeño cheese (shredded) 1/2 cup Monterey-Jack cheese (shredded) 1/2 cup Swiss cheese (shredded) 4 medium scallions (green onions) chopped 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. ground mustard Ground black pepper to taste

by Staff squares and serve right from the pan OR using a spatula, loosen around the edges and slide the whole thing onto a serving platter to be pulled apart.

You may serve this with a dunking sauce if you choose.

The joy of this recipe is that you can change out the cheese types, just make sure that you don’t use ‘wet’ cheeses. You can omit the green onions if you prefer. You can also change the meat amounts. Perhaps you’d like a bit of chopped pepperoni? (we did that and changed out the Jalapeño cheese for cheddar...YUM!) I would also highly recommend grabbing one of the ‘new’ Reynolds™ non-stick 11x9 aluminum pans. You don’t have to use it but it definitely helps the pieces come out clean.

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 350°F. If you use a regular baking dish (11x9 or a 2 quart), spray it with cooking spray and set aside.

When you send in photos, make sure you indicate who took the picture as well as what it is a photo of. Photos should be sent as attachments in a jpeg format.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and milk together until smooth.

Documents may be sent in Word format or as pdf files.

Separate the biscuits and cut each one into eight pieces. Place these into the bowl with the egg mixture and gently stir to coat all the pieces. Stir in the remaining ingredients. I found it easier to add the cheeses last and one at a time.

Submissions are due by the 24th of each month.

Pour mixture into the baking dish and arrange in a single layer.

Bake at 350°F for 23 to 28 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Cut into An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

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May/June, 2017

M. Stewart —Editor S. Farrell , K. Harper, and S. Berry—co-editors

Have pictures or an idea for an article?

Send it in!

Articles and pictures are always welcome.

Mission To assist Extension Agents in providing research-based horticultural education to Florida residents.

Vision To be the most trusted resource for horticultural education in Florida.

LAST WORD

by M. Stewart

As most of you know, we are down to one cat now. Walter is no longer a little kitten. He’s grown up into a rather large cat and is keeping us very occupied.

For a change, we have managed to stay relatively disaster free for a few months. Other than cutting Happy Hubby’s hair and choosing the wrong clipper guard (buzz cut anyone)...for the record, he was laughing and I was hyperventilating at that point. Turns out he prefers the new shorter cut so it all worked out in the end.

We’ve managed to get all of his ‘kitty’ things out of the guest bathroom for which I am very thankful. Even though Walter has made it very obvious that I am not to be trusted in that room by myself. If I want to take a bath I have to make sure that the door is shut firmly otherwise he will open said door resulting in the very idea of a ‘quiet’ soak getting tossed out the window.

With a firmly shut door I’m only treated to the door rattling and a paw appearing underneath. You aren’t safe in the shower either. He will stare at you the whole time (I don’t even want to know what he’s thinking at that point!) I guess that he has become the self-designated life guard in our domicile.

Another Walter-ism is that when he wants to be fed he will be the sweetest thing.

Rubbing against your leg...then taking a nip at your bare ankle. Not hard mind you, just enough that you do a slight dance. I shake my finger at him saying, “Don’t bite the mommy!” He responds by falling over.

That’s another trick. This feline has no concept of laying down. He believes in the quickest method for achieving horizontal status is to stand there and fall over.

Seriously….he just falls over. This is cute except when he does it while standing on your chest as you lay in bed trying to ignore him early in the morning. Hard to ignore a body-slamming fur ball that lands on your neck, effectively cutting off your air supply.

He hasn’t lost his jumping ability. I entered the kitchen to catch him in hot pursuit of a fly. When I say hot pursuit, I’m not kidding.

I stood there watching as he launched from the floor and his front paws hit the top of the refrigerator! Thankfully he caught the fly before he (Walter not the fly) could do any major damage other than knocking a few things off the counters.

And he can’t meow. He squeaks. Doesn’t purr either. Could be that he never learned how or that he’s just weird like everyone else in this household. For whatever reason, it’s endearing and I believe that he knows it.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

Walter attends every haircutting event now. I often wonder what he thinks of that whole operation. You see, Walter has no fear either. The steam mop doesn’t phase him (I actually have to physically move him out of the way) and other noisy objects he just stares at. Moving objects are meant to be swatted at and all open cabinets and drawers require investigation. New people walking into the house must be thoroughly inspected and no visit is complete until Walter falls (literally) on your shoes.

His favorite toys are a crazy fish on a string and my potholders. Well, they aren’t mine anymore--he kept stealing them and we are now down to one since he demolished the others. Walter and Happy Hubby actually have games of fetch with the remaining one.

Doesn’t everyone have a cat who trots around with a potholder dangling out of his mouth?

For all his foibles and idiosyncrasies, Walter really is a sweet boy. He really likes to be around people and while he isn’t a big snuggler, he likes to be close. Sometimes you have to remind him what personal space is but usually he minds his manners.

He is perfectly content to lay in a sunbeam or watch the lizards and other critters cavort in the backyard. As long as his food dish is full and there’s a random ice-cube to swat around the kitchen floor his kitty world is complete.

You know, we could learn a lot from Walter.

Enjoy the simple things and even when your idea of how to do something seems strange to everyone else--go ahead and be yourself.

Squeak, flop and stretch to your heart’s content...Walter approves.

Plentiful Plantings May/June, 2017