Master Gardener Website

The Master Gardeners of Santa Clara, California have a terrific website, check it out.

http://www.mastergardeners.org/scc.html

Hydrogels

In a previous entry a visitor made a comment on his use of hydrogels.  Hydrogels are those little clumps of material that when water is added swell into jelly-like blobs.  They are added to soils, mostly for container plants, to help retain water and then release it to the plant as the soil drys out reducing the need to water. I've also heard they are good for starting cuttings.   Some people like them, others don't.  If you use them or are thinking of using them you might read the article by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott from Washington State University for more insight on the materials.  Dr. Chalker-Scott is one of the the great mythbusters for garden remedies.  Even if you aren't interested in hydrogels, check out her website.  A link is in the box to the right.   Anyway she has concerns about the chemicals released when the products break down.  The link to her article on hydro-gels is http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalker-scott/horticultural%20myths_files/Myths/Hydrogels.pdf

After reading the article, make up your own mind.

Unusual vegetable

I just finished writing an article for the Master Gardener newsletter (the March issue will be posted around the first of the month) on unusual vegetables. I only picked out a few for the article but there were others. The cabbage walking stick was probably one of the oddest. A vegetable as tree! I'm not sure that it will grow in our area, it may be too hot, but it could be fun to try. It is a relative of kale and can get to 10 feet tall by the second year of growth. (Actually I found wildly varying estimates of its size, one source said it can grow as tall as 20 feet) It has been grown in the Channel Islands (England, not California) for over 200 years. The leaves are edible. To collect the walking stick, behead the plant when it reaches the height you want and let it try. The information I found said it needs to dry for a season, but I suspect that it will dry a lot faster here.

To find more information on growing for canes go to: http://tomclothier.hort.net.page32.html

Canes can be carved.

Seeds can be found at Annies Annuals & Perennials

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=2875

Interesting Cactus

When I first saw this cactus I thought they were golden barrel cactus, but I had never seen them grow so wildly before. There were lots of regular looking barrels in the garden also, so was intrigued by the forms these cactus created. Anybody seen anything like this? I know cactus will sometimes create fasciated forms, but not sure if that is what is going on here. Regardless, these were fabulous looking.

Potted Plants

In our climate it is difficult to grow container plants unless you are home to water a couple of times of day during the hottest part of the summer or install an irrigation system. It doesn't stop people from trying though. Sometimes it is simply a matter of finding the right container and the right plant. This container is a bit large for most homes and difficult to find, but creates the perfect match of container, climate and plant.

Pruning WorkshopsTree

University of Arizona Offers Free
Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstrations

It’s fruit tree pruning season and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County is offering three free deciduous fruit tree pruning demonstrations conducted by Extension Agent, Jeff Schalau. Come and learn why, when, and how to prune your backyard fruit trees. Demonstrations will cover apples, pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, and more. Fertilization, irrigation and fruit thinning will also be discussed.

Three pruning demonstrations are scheduled. The first will be held on Saturday February 6 at 10 AM at the McLandress Orchard, 850 S. Maricopa in Chino Valley. The second will be held on Saturday February 20 at 10 AM at the City of Sedona Jordan Historical Park, 735 Jordan Rd in uptown Sedona. The third will be held on Saturday February 27 at 10 AM at Chino Valley Farms, 2572 N. Rd 1E in Chino Valley.

Maps and directions to these workshops are also available on the Yavapai County Cooperative Extension web site: cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/. Signs will also be posted prior to the workshops to help participants find the locations. Carpooling is encouraged as parking may be limited. Please call the Prescott office at 928-445-6590 x 221 with any questions.

The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities.

Yavapai County Cooperative Extension
University of Arizona
840 Rodeo Dr Bldg C
Prescott, AZ 86305
928-445-6590 ext. 221
928-445-6593 Fax
www.cals.arizona.edu/yavapai

Importing Pests

Being an Arizona native and with parents that loved to travel we spent a lot of time on the road.  Coming back to the state at some point you had to stop at the Agriculture check station where the inspector asked if you were carrying any fruits or vegetables.  Most of the time Dad said no and we all knew about the oranges, grapefruit, apples or other fruit in the bag under the seat.  The inspector would send us on our way with "CONTRABAND APPLES".  Wow, illegal apples.  It impressed us for a while.  Unbeknownst to us we could have been carrying the next plague into Arizona.  We just thought it was a bit silly.  But simple uninformed actions can transform the world.

A number of non-native pests have transformed our landscapes and costs us a fortune.  Here’s a short list:

Formosan termites, also dubbed the super termite:  This creature is so voracious it can destroy the support structure of a house in months.  In New Orleans it has caused extreme devastation. They can chew through electrical cable!  It came into the US on wood products from Formosa after WWII.

Dutch Elm Disease transformed eastern forests and urban landscapes destroying nearly every elm tree in America.  While horticulturist and scientists have made some headway in developing a resistant tree, the great elms of America are gone.  The disease came in on logs from France.

Emerald Ash borer is in the process of destroying ash trees as the Dutch Elm did the elms.  It is a recent arrival apparently coming in on an overseas shipping container. 

Medfly is one of the world’s most destructive pests and the US is desperately trying to prevent it from taking hold in America.  About the size of a small housefly it can easily be brought into this country in fruit.  The fly deposits its eggs under the skin of fruit and can’t always be recognized by the traveler. In the United States, the Medfly could attack peaches, pears, plums, apples, apricots, avocados, citrus, cherries, figs, grapes, guavas, kumquats, loquats, nectarines, peppers, persimmons, tomatoes, and several nuts.  It has been found in California but so far the US has been lucky.

Travelers bringing dogs into the country brought cattle screwworm into Florida.

In 2003 bags of pine cones from India being sold in craft and chain stores were recalled when they discovered wood-boring insects in them.

It isn’t just plants though, its animals also.  Did you know that the Everglades are now home to a large population of pythons and other tropical snakes?  Originally released or escaped snakes now breed there. The English sparrow that dominates most urban bird feeders was imported because they apparently reminded some people of home.

Just a short list of why when you come into this country you may get asked about plants or food you may be carrying.  Do us all a favor and follow the rules!  Oh!  and those agriculture stations in Arizona—they have all been closed for budgetary reasons.

Below is a new alert by the US Department of Agriculture.

Gardeners: This holiday season, spread peace, love and joy. Not citrus deadly greening disease.   A message from the USDA

During the holidays, people buy and send more citrus plants than any other time of the year. Whether someone is buying citrus plants online or giving a citrus plant as a gift, they could be spreading citrus greening disease. This deadly bacterial plant disease is spread by a disease-infected insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, and has destroyed millions of acres of citrus plants around the world. Since there is no cure, the best way to protect our citrus is to not move citrus plants or plant materials.

Inform others about the dangers of moving citrus.

As a gardener, people respect your expertise on plants. Help spread the word about citrus greening disease. Let people know:

            •            Many areas of the Southeast are under quarantine for citrus greening disease and Asian citrus psyllids. It is illegal to move live citrus plants, plant parts, budwood, or cuttings from these areas.

            •            Many other areas are under quarantine for Asian citrus psyllids. Get a complete list of quarantined areas for both the disease and the psyllid.

            •            Citrus greening is only one of many diseases threatening our citrus. By not moving citrus, you help stop the spread of all these deadly disease.

            •            Citrus plants and plant materials include curry leaves, jasmine flowers, and the citrus leaves on wreaths and in potpourri.

Spread the word — don’t move citrus.

The safest approach is to simply not move citrus plants, ship citrus plants, or buy citrus plants of an unknown origin. If you or someone you know owns citrus plants, make sure they are inspected regularly for signs and symptoms of the disease and psyllids.

For more information from the USDA on citrus greening disease, visit www.saveourcitrus.org.

CACTUS CLUB FORMING IN PRESCOTT AREA

A local cactus club is forming in the greater Prescott area.  Membership is open to anyone interested in growing, observing or photographing cacti and other succulents (including agaves, aloes, euphorbias, sedums, and yuccas).

The idea for a club originated with a program on cold hardy succulents given by Gene Twaronite, Instructional Specialist with the Yavapai County Cooperative Extension.  A number of people at the program suggested forming a cactus club for this region.

The club as envisioned, according to Twaronite, would be informal, meeting perhaps once a month at various home gardens.  The main purpose would be to bring together cactus lovers of all ages and backgrounds to share their knowledge, cuttings, and gardens with others.  As the club progresses, there might also be occasional guest speakers or field trips to local natural areas to view some of our native succulents.

When not teaching about Firewise landscaping to area residents, Twaronite is an avid cactus and succulent enthusiast, who grows and displays many different species in his five acre wild garden in west Chino Valley.

Anyone interested in a local cactus club is invited to call Gene Twaronite (928 445-6590 ex. 231 or e-mail (twaronit@cals.arizona.edu).

Master Gardener Training

UA Cooperative Extension Offers Master Gardener Training in Cottonwood

Apply now for the 2010 University of Arizona Master Gardener Training, to be held in Cottonwood, Tuesday mornings, Feb 16 to May 25. The course provides research-based information on basic botany, soils, fruit tree care, planting, staking, pruning, ornamental trees and shrubs, water/irrigation, wildlife in the garden, insects, integrated pest management, vegetables, turf care, natural resources, plant diseases, pesticide safety, forest health, and fire-wise landscaping. Applications and full program description are available at http://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/mastergardener/training.htm or call your closest Cooperative Extension office (Cottonwood 646-9113, Prescott 445-6590 x221). Applications must be postmarked by December 1, 2009. A maximum of 40 applicants can be accommodated.

Botany of Desire on PBS

The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, is a book about human desires and how that is reflected in what we grow.  How our craving for sweetness ends up as supersweet apples and our desire for beauty in our lives spur the creation of thousands of different tulips.  The book was quite a sensation when it was printed and now it has been made in a program for television.  It airs this week on PBS, Wednesday October 28, 8pm.  If you can't watch it, you should read the book.