Hunt County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Cold Frames

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Cold Frames by Byron Chitwood

Several weeks ago, my wife’s cousin, Phil Lunt and wife visited us for a late celebration of Aunt Aldene’s 102 birthday. Aldene contributes her longevity to eating plenty of fresh vegetables, especially out of Byron’s garden. Phil and Rose Ann have restored and live in the home on a farm where Aldene was born. Phil and I got to talking about our hobbies and it turns out he is a Kansas Master Gardener. Believe it or not, they have all the same problems in the Pratt, Kansas area that we have here including bugs, high temperatures, plant diseases, and late spring and early fall frosts. Another problem that they have is on a growing season that is approximately two months shorter than ours. They are in Zone 6b verses our zone being 8b.

One of Phil’s concerns is the short growing season for tomatoes, especially since it gets hot in the middle of the growing season just like it does here. We put our heads together and came up with a plan that will give us several weeks or more additional growing and producing time for tomatoes. I have written several articles about cold frames before and how they are in great use in northern countries such as Russia, Scandinavia, Canada and the northern U.S. If you want to construct a cold frame or small greenhouse for the project of jump starting tomatoes, that will work. However, if you want a more simple way to do it, following is my suggestion: go to a store that specializes in containers or a store that has a stock of them and purchase a clear plastic container that has a length by width of approximately 26X15 inches and is about 6 inches deep. This will serve as your cold frame.

Either purchase some small pots or Styrofoam cups for planting containers. However, I found the neatest tool for making planting pots from newspaper and I will assume that you will go the route of making your own planting pots from old newspapers. There are several brands available that you can find at Amazon on the internet under “Paper Potters”.   They might be available at your favorite nursery supply. If you are real handy, you can make one out of plastic pipe or even a large diameter dowel rod. You will need some potting soil. Either purchase some or make your own using equal parts peat moss, well composted organic material and pearlite. Also, purchase several varieties of tomato seeds.

About Christmas time, fill all the paper planting pots with potting soil. Plant several tomato seeds about ¼ of an inch deep in each pot. Place the pots in the clear plastic container and moisten them. Do not overwater but keep the soil slightly damp. Keep the container with the plants in the house until daytime temperatures are above freezing. Carry the container out after the temperature has risen above 35 degrees in the morning and return it back into the house before it freezes at night. After the last freezing frost, transplant the individual containers into the garden soil. No need to remove the plants from the paper pots since the paper will eventually decompose.

All plants such as peppers and others that are frost sensitive can be started in the paper potting plants and will give them a jump start on their way to maturity and fruit bearing.

Building a Cold Frame for Early Gardening

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Building a Cold Frame for Early Gardening by Byron Chitwood

Even though this is the hottest time of the year, it is not too early to think about planting next spring’s garden.  There was a time when nursery grown plants were not readily available.  Many folks got an early start in the year by growing their own transplants.  This can be done by starting the transplants either in the house or in a greenhouse.  This greenhouse can be relatively small in which case, it is commonly referred to as a cold frame.  A cold frame can be as small as you think you need or fairly large.

To build a cold frame, either start with small dimension wood boards, plastic pipe or even metal tubing such as electrical conduit pipe.  You can even go to a container store and purchase clear plastic boxes that are made primarily for storage.  If you elect to build your own cold frame, select a location that receives plenty of sunshine, preferably on the south side of your home or work shed. Plan on making it about ten inches tall on the front edge and about twelve inches tall on the rear edge.  This slope will be enough to drain rain water or snow.  The top should also serve as a lid.  Build the frame strong enough so that it doesn’t collapse under its own weight.  Cover the frame with clear plastic.  Lay black sheet plastic down for the bottom.  You can also make the bottom out of roofing material.  The black material will absorb heat and keep the interior of the cold frame warm overnight.  If cold weather is expected, the cold frame can be kept warm with a light bulb.

Plant seeds in small pots or Styrofoam cups which have some holes in the bottom for drainage.  Fill the cups with a sterile potting soil.  You can make your own potting soil using a mixture of equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite and composted organic material.  The plants that are best suitable for raising your own transplants are: Cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, collards, cucumber, eggplants, peppers, squash, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and Bok Choy.  Follow the guide on the seed packages for depth of planting.  Plant several seeds in each pot and mark the pot as to which vegetable is planted and the variety.  Transplant the young plants into the garden soil after the last freezing frost.  Let the plants grow for several days before trimming back to one plant per space.  The reason for this is that sometimes, I really mean most of the time; some of the plants will be damaged when transplanting.  So by waiting before thinning at least one plant should be in each prescribed space.  After several weeks, fertilize with a mild fertilizer.  A good fertilizer to use is one with high nitrogen content that is labeled “slow release”.

If you do not have the chart “PLANTING BY SOIL TEMPERATURE, DEPTH AND DATES”, Email me at Chitwood@geusnet.com and I will forward a copy to you or, you can pick up a copy at the AgriLife Office on Washington Street.  Gardening is great recreation and can be more rewarding if you start your own transplants.

Rainwater Harvesting

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Rainwater Harvesting by PJ LaRue Smith

Depending upon where one lives in Hunt County, the average annual rainfall can range from 35” to 44”.  Keep in mind however, that this is the average rainfall for this area each year, not what actually falls every year.  Very dry years might have rainfall amounts in the teens and in extremely wet years it might rain 60 plus inches.  With variations like this, the saying, “plan for the worst, and hope for the best” certainly applies!

Historical documentation shows that man has been collecting and transporting rainwater for his use since ancient times.  While technology, society, etc. have changed, our need for water, both for ourselves and the crops we grow, have not.

Rainwater collection begins with a catchment area – any surface from which water can be collected.  Roofs (metal, shingle, or wood) and pavements/concrete (driveway, sidewalk) shed water rapidly and are considered the optimum catchment areas due to their hard, smooth surfaces.

Soil, as many a rancher/farmer knows, is a viable catchment system.  Particularly if it is clay-based, as it will shed water quickly if the rain is falling fast enough.  (Sandy soil, however, will absorb a considerable amount of water, and often requires a modified method of collection.)

From the catchment area, water is moved (distributed), typically via gravity, to a holding area.  These distribution systems need not be elaborate.  Water dripping from the edge of a roof to a planted area or a diversion channel located directly below the drip edge is an extremely simple method of moving water to a desired location.  Gutters and downspouts, sloped sidewalks, hillsides, along curbs, and through ditches are all fairly easy to employ as distribution systems.  (Note:  For sandy soil, lining a run-off ditch with an impermeable material (i.e. plastic), will increase the amount of water movement.)

Now that the water has been caught, and is moving, where does it need to go?  A simple “landscape holding area” can be a place that typically holds water after a heavy rain, a small pond, stock tank, or lake.  These types use soil to harness water for future use.  Maintaining and building such holding areas can be somewhat expensive as well as labor intensive.  However, if done correctly and properly maintained, this type of water holding system will be useful for many years, add beauty to the landscape, and be a harbor for a variety of wildlife.

Man-made “landscape holding areas” are typically storage containers made of polyethylene, fiberglass, wood, concrete or metal which can be placed either below or above ground.  While below ground placement will incur costs related to excavation and require some sort of pump system to move water from the tank into the landscape, their visual footprint is minimal.  Above-ground tanks require pad preparation (to maintain the stability of the tank); generally rely on gravity to move the water from the tank to the needed area(s) of the landscape; and make a large visual impact in the landscape.  The visual impact of above-ground tanks can be reduced by the use of fencing material, plants, or a combination thereof.

Harvesting rainwater can be a small, simple, and relatively inexpensive operation, or a large, elaborate, high-cost one, depending upon the amount of water that is to be harvested and the topography of the landscape.  Regardless of size, however, the following benefits certainly argue the case for harvesting rainwater:  reduces water bill cost; reduces demands on the municipal water supply; efficiently uses a valuable resource; and reduces flooding, erosion and contamination of surface water.  Rainwater is also free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth – making for much healthier plants and fewer disease problems.

Collecting rainwater, even in a small way, is a win-win situation – consider giving it a try this season!

Native Pollinators

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Native Pollinators by Charles Bohmfalk

Pollination is the process whereby pollen is transferred from the male part of the plant or flower that creates the pollen to the part that receives the pollen and allows fertilization and sexual reproduction to occur in the carpel part of the flower.  There are several ways that pollen is transferred so that reproduction can occur and seeds be produced.

Abiotic pollination occurs when the pollen transfer is accomplished without the aid or involvement of another organism or animal.  The process is accomplished typically by the wind in most plants or by water currents in aquatic plants.  Only about 10% of flowering plants are fertilized in this manner.

Biotic pollination occurs when a pollinator moves the pollen from the anther to the receptive part of the carpel or pistil.  The most commonly known pollinator is the honeybee.  Other pollinators include insects such as bumble bees, wasps, ants, beetles, moths and flies to name a few.  Pollination is also performed by birds such as hummingbirds, sunbirds, honeyeaters, and other bird species and by bats such as the fruit bat.

Pollination can occur either by self-pollination or by cross-pollination..  Self-pollination occurs when the pollen from a flower pollinates itself or other flowers of the same variety.  Cross-pollination occurs when pollen from another similar variety must be available to pollinate a particular plant.

Most fruit trees are self-pollinating or known as self-fruitful.  Some fruit trees and shrubs require cross-pollination and require a different variety of the same fruit in close proximity for pollination.  Examples of these are pears, walnuts, most plums and apples.

Pecans do not fit either category.  They have both male and female flowers on the same tree, but do require cross-pollination from another pecan variety nearby.  The pecan pollen is transferred from the male flowers to the female flowers of a nearby tree by the wind.

The diverse plant world has evolved with many methods of pollination up to and including some plants that rely on only one type of insect, bird or other natural phenomenon for their reproductive process.  Also, timing can be very critical, however, the plants have evolved with and adaptation  to reproduce with whatever method it takes.

Bring on the Blues

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Bring on the Blues by Anita Harris, Hunt County Master Gardener.

It’s easy to see why bluebirds are among the most treasured and beloved backyard visitors.  With their brilliant colors, musical voices and gentle habits who wouldn’t want to entice these beauties into their backyard?  These harbingers of spring always bring a welcome case of the “blues”.

Not only are bluebirds endearing symbols of happiness, peace and hope, they also play a vital environmental role.  With a diet consisting mostly of insects, bluebirds help control harmful pests and reduce the need for pesticides in the environment. No other species of birds can be viewed as closely and intimately as bluebirds with their entire life cycle observable in 45 days.

More bluebirds winter in East Texas than anywhere else in the United States,   and Wills Point Texas has been designated the Bluebird Capital of Texas.   Each April the popular Bluebird Festival is held there.  Did you know birding is the #1 sport in America with some 53 million birders?

It is much easier to attract bluebirds to your backyard than one might think.  Here are my top 8 tips to help you “bring on the blues”:

Timing:    Boxes should be out by the first week of February.   Blues   build nests, lay eggs and raise young from late February to mid September.  They often mate for life, and return to the same nesting area each year.

Location:        The ideal habitat would be an open, or semi-open wide expanse of chemical-free lawn close to a water source.

Food :   Much to the delight of gardeners,  bluebirds devour large masses of crickets, snails and grasshoppers.  In winter berries and some fruit are added to their diet.   Sumac, cedar berries and mistletoe are locally available   nutrition sources.  Mealworms can also be provided both as a supplement during hard times and a treat.

Housing:    As cavity nesters, bluebirds will readily move into a birdhouse on the edge of a field or open lawn.   Ready- made bluebird boxes can be purchased for less than $15 at local discount stores.  For do-it-yourselfers, the Texas Bluebird Society website provides box designs with detailed mounting instructions.   Remember all nest boxes should have a door that easily opens for monitoring.

Monitor:     If you put up a nest box, you should monitor it. What exactly is monitoring? On a regular basis, you peek inside a nest box – or you watch the activity around the box to see how its residents are doing.    Regular monitoring is critical for backyard boxes because of the risk of house sparrows claiming the bluebird boxes or interfering with their nesting.

Water:    Bluebirds regularly use birdbaths to drink and bathe.  If the water is moving and splashing you’re more likely to entice them.

Control:   Sparrows and barn swallows may try to nest in the bluebird boxes.  If this happens, remove their nests and cover the opening with duct tape and leave it on 3-4 days then remove it. Bluebirds usually return within a few days and begin nest building.

Protect:    Cats kill millions of songbirds each year, so be vigilant and keep cats indoors to protect newly fledged nestlings that are especially vulnerable.

Hosting bluebirds to your yard offers the homeowner a unique opportunity – the ultimate hands-on, up-close-and-personal experience in wildlife conservation.   There is no better way for your children to explore the delights of the natural world and learn about its intricacies than to teach them to care for their bluebird charges.  Good luck and go get the blues!

Poison Oak and Ivy

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Poison Oak and Ivy by June Morgan

It happens every spring. An enthusiastic gardener bent on cleaning out weeds and vines overtaking the shrubbery and fences ends up with a noxious itching and blistering rash which makes him miserable for days, even weeks. The likely culprit is one or both of the plant pests, poison ivy and poison oak which deliver the stick-to-the-skin resin urushiol.

The best defenses are identification and prevention. The appearances of poison oak and ivy have several things in common, one being the tell-tale three leaves on a woody stalk. However, leaves of the oak vine occasionally have 5, 7, or even 9 leaflets. They strongly resemble oak leaves with toothed or deeply lobed edges. In the fall, they will turn red/orange and in the Spring white-green flowers appear which turn to round fruits in summer. The fruits of the ivy vine are grapelike clusters of tiny white seeds with an off-white or pale yellow rind and the leaf edges are smooth or slightly toothed. Needless to say, birds eat these fruits and seeds, compounding the problem of control. Leaves of the same variety often present differing appearances according to their geographical area, so it is wise to find pictures of the poison vines and their non-poisonous relatives.

A hiker roaming through the woods can easily find himself walking through a knee deep patch of these pests as well as brushing against a large tree hosting an ivy vine as thick as one’s arm.  Hand removal of the vines must be done very carefully with lots of skin protection and deep digging. In addition to plastic gloves and cloth coverings, a protective cream(Ivy Block) and a skin oil remover (Tecnu) is available at many drug stores. Once exposure is known, within 5 minutes pour a mild solvent such as rubbing alcohol over the area, then wash with plenty of cold water. Dogs, shoes, and tools must also be decontaminated to keep from spreading the oil. Both the stumps and leaves can be sprayed with one or a combination of several chemicals: glysophate (Roundup, etc.), triclopyr(Spectracide], or 2-4-D and dicamba. Read the directions carefully in order to apply at the correct times and amounts.

The dermatitis caused by the oleoresins of the vines can be quite serious. The misery can cause loss of work, sleeplessness and in some cases, hospitalization. Besides an anaphalactic shock reaction, extreme pain and possible fatality can occur when inhaling the smoke of burning vines. DO NOT EVER BURN THE POISON VINES!

Old and standard treatments for uroshiol dermatitis usually consist of calamine lotion and oatmeal baths, but the victim often wants something stronger. Steroids by injection or cream or a jewelweed preparation will probably give faster relief.  The fluid from the blisters will not cause a spread of the rash, but any remaining resin on the skin or involved objects can do so.

REMINDER: Identify, protect, remove, and never burn!

Arbors and Trellises

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Arbors and Trellises by PJ LaRue Smith

Winter months need not keep the gardener from the garden, particularly during such mild days as we have had lately.  Arbors and trellises, for example, are excellent projects to complete during this time of year.

For clarification within this article, an arbor is a structure that one can walk through, sit within, etc.  While it can be attached to a building or some other structure, it typically stands alone within a garden.  Plants grow up and over the arbor, creating a special place of solitude and retreat – rather like a little room within the garden.  (Gazebos are similar, but instead of open lattice, wire, or wood overhead – as in the case of an arbor, there is a closed roof overhead.)  Arbors can be constructed from trees, saplings, large branches, cattle panels, lattice, brick, stone, or any combination of these.

A trellis, by comparison, is any open-weave structure that suspends a sprawling or vining plant above the ground.  Trellises can be as simple as a series of eye-screws and wires arranged in a suitable pattern on the side of a building; a fence along a property line; or even a group of branches gathered at the top and set in the center of a garden.

In planning the location of an arbor or trellis, it is important to view the garden as if it were a structure – much like one’s home.  A home has a roof, walls, floors, and rooms that are designed for a specific use.  Each of these, in turn, are constructed and covered with materials that are best suited for that area’s use.  One would not build a wall that blocked a hallway, or obstructed the view of a particularly pleasing part of the home.  The same is true for locating an arbor or trellis. Stand back, look at the garden, think about logistics, perspectives, manageability, and how it will look, not just today, or next year, but five or ten years down the road.  This is especially important for more permanent structures that will be planted with vines that can grow to large proportions.

As mentioned above, an arbor can be designed like a small room, however, it is typically used in the garden as a type of hallway, often leading one into an open garden area different than the one at the opposite end.  If an arbor is wide enough, benches can be place within the structure for quiet places of rest.  Arbors that span small distances, such as those that contain gates, are viewed more as “doorways” into other areas.

If arbors are akin to door/hallways, then trellises can be viewed as living “walls” within the garden.  Trellises used as a standalone focus can be likened to a kitchen island or a large table – keeping in mind that like these a walkway will be needed around it.

Material selection should take into consideration how much time one is willing to devote to maintenance.  In the home, doorways and hallways see a great deal of traffic, and walls are subject to much abuse.  The different materials used to create these parts require some sort of covering to protect it from the ravages of daily living.  This is also true of outdoor structures, which take a beating from wind, heat, cold, moisture, insects, animals, plant tension/weight, and UV.  Chose materials for your arbors and trellises as you would the home – select only those that will stand up well to these stressors and are easy to maintain.

Soil type and structure should also be considered so that the structure is stable, in the same manner that these two aspects are considered when the foundation of the home is planned.

Many books and online resources are available to get your creative juices flowing on structure shape and type.  Visit various local gardens to see examples of what holds up well in this area.  Places, such as the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, demonstrate the creative use of various materials in a natural setting.  Explore, create, and enjoy!

The Role of the Master Gardener

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The Role of the Master Gardener by June Morgan

The Hunt County Master Gardeners are volunteers under the administration of the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service who have completed classroom training and accumulated 50 volunteer and 12 continuing education hours the first year.  Recertification  requires 12 volunteer and 6 continuing education hours yearly. In addition, specialty certification training is offered through the Extension Service.

The Master Gardener Association’s main purpose is to educate its members and the public in good horticultural practices in accord with the objective results of scientific research.  To this end, the Master Gardener is expected to take part in as many of the services as possible.  One of the more public efforts of the Hunt County Master Gardeners can be seen in the design and maintenance of the Heritage Garden in downtown on Washington Street.  Seasonal plantings of flowers, shrubs, and vegetables make the garden one of Greenville’s delights. Due to the funding from the 2011 Follies, an outdoor learning center at the Washington Street site will be dedicated in early 2013. This open-air structure was planned and executed by Master Gardeners for horticultural education.

The many outreach programs of Master Gardeners include a speaker’s bureau which provides educational talks to clubs and other organizations as well as weekly gardening articles in the Greenville Herald Banner.  The Art of Gardening Series held at the Greenville Civic Center on scheduled Thursday evenings has free programs open to the public.  Periodic plant swaps at Market Square, a booth at the Hunt County Fair and representation at state conventions keep the members busy. In recent years our Hunt County gardeners have brought home top awards for Association, Newsletter, and Educational Program and second place in Mass Media. In addition, phone inquiries to the Extension Office are answered weekly by volunteers.

Occasionally, Master Gardeners are called upon to design a planting such as an entrance to a home development. Maintenance and labor are left to the home association. In 2012, as a thank you to the Follies and the public, the Association held, instead of its traditional Spring Garden Tour, an all-day free visit to ten of our own Master Gardeners’ yards.This event was enthusiastically received. Plans are already in place for the usual 2013 Spring Tour.

Master Gardeners also know how to have fun. The Christmas Social, the camaraderie at meetings and the support and advice among the members all make a cohesive bunch of plant lovers who offer their expertise to each other and the community. Applications are taken every two years for the 66 hours of instruction in botany, soil science, entomology, plant pathology, turf grass, etc. Anyone wanting to join this group should call the Texas Agrilife Extension Office at 903-455-9885 for information about the next training, scheduled for the fall of 2013.

Maintaining a Compost Pile

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Maintaining a Compost Pile by Kai Kunnapas.

So you started your compost pile and you are wondering what to do next?

The decomposition process is accomplished by micro and macro-organisms and they are sensitive to the levels of moisture, oxygen and temperature in the pile.

Of the microorganisms, aerobic bacteria are the most important decomposers. They oxidize organic material, excreting important plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and magnesium into the pile.  Their rapid and efficient work will consume oxygen and heat up the pile.

To keep the beneficial aerobic bacteria at work, you must turn your compost pile to keep the heat below 160 degrees F and to make oxygen available to these industrious organisms. If the inside of the pile is way too hot to the touch, it is time to turn….move the pile out of its bin and reload it into the bin.

 

Ideally moisture is added thru rainfall but during extended dry periods, supplemental watering with a water hose is necessary. You want the pile to be moist to the touch, not wet; if you squeeze a handful of the material and water runs thru your fingers…it is too wet. This is important because too much water will displace oxygen! Turn the pile to allow it to dry out.

The moisture and oxygen availability is directly related to the particle sizes in the pile. If your pile has too many fine particles (grass clippings, pine needles, sawdust) the porosity of the pile is reduced, resulting in less water and oxygen.  Your pile will be slimy and have an unpleasant odor due to anaerobic activity. Add some coarse material such as twigs as you turn the pile.

The size of your pile is also important in the decomposition process as it will help the pile heat up. A pile that is 3 CF (3’x3’x3”) is sufficient and will be easy to handle. Once the pile starts decomposing you may want to stop adding new material. This is the easiest way to be sure your compost will be fully finished at the end of 90-120 days. If you have more organic material…simply start another pile and let the process begin again!

Happy Composting!