JCMGF Enews 2014-Sept-8

Master Gardener Enews 2014 September

Download Master Gardener Enews 2014-Sept-8

September 2014 JC Master Gardener Enews

September 8, 2014

 

Greetings to Everyone,   

I hope the end of the summer gardening season is going well for you. We have quite a bit of information to share this month.  Take your pick of activities and join in wherever you can.

 

JCMGF MEETING / “ALL ABOUT GARLIC”   Thursday, September 11; 3-5pm

We will resume our JCMGF meetings on September 11, at 3:00, at the Tri-Area Community Center. Our presenter is Rita Dinger, an eleven-year Clallam County MG veteran. She will discuss care, harvesting and varieties of garlic. Rita will explain how and when to harvest, how to cure and clean cured bulbs, and optimum storage conditions. She also will demonstrate how to plant next year’s crop. Rita has grown more than 40 strains of garlic, including many gourmet varieties that are not available in the grocery store. She will suggest which types are easiest to grow and which are more challenging but more edible.

We have one volunteer bringing snacks for this date. Let’s get two more people to chip in. Please email if you can help out. October and November snack providers are needed as well. Bring fun raffle items too!

Location: Tri-Area Community Center; Chimacum

MG Hours: 1 hour/education; 1 hour/program support

 

SEND IN INFO FOR THE BLOG PLEASE!

Are you willing to share pictures of your latest garden experience? How about a recipe? Pruning tips? Go to the MG Foundation blog https://jcmgf.org/mg2/blog/ and start sharing.  blog@jcmgf.org is the email to use to submit information if you don’t want to sign in.

 

2015 YARD AND GARDEN SERIES IS ALREADY WELL DEVELOPED    Six Saturdays, starting January 10

Nancesca S, Roger M, and Barbara S, are well into the planning of our 2015 Yard and Garden Series. They are already booking speakers and have secured the venue (Port Townsend Community Center). Stay tuned for more information.

MG Hours: All hours are counted as program support (There will be plenty of hours available to volunteer for this series)

 

PLANT CLINIC AT WSU    Every Monday, March 3 through September 29; 1-4pm

We have four more plant clinics left at the WSU office. We are looking for one more clinician for September 29. Feel free to sign up for any of the four dates though, especially if you need more hours.

Location: WSU Extension Office (380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend; Madrone Room)

MG Hours: 3/plant clinic (3 hours for each week you participate)

 

PLANT CLINIC AT CHIMACUM FARMERS MARKET   2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, through the season, 10-2

Mike M, Ali D, and Lys B will be staffing the plant clinic table at the Chimacum Farmers Market again this month (the 2nd and 4th Sundays). If this location is closer to you and you want to join in, let me know and I’ll put you in the schedule. They have a great time here since there’s so much activity and so many repeat visitors.

Location: Chimacum Farmers Market, Chimacum

MG Hours: 4/plant clinic (4 hours for each week you participate)

 

RAISING WORMS AND THEIR BENEFICIAL EFFECTS   Tuesday, September 9; 7-9pm

Jefferson County MG, Linda Pfafman, will lecture on vermiculture and vermicomposting. The focus will be on the benefits and management of raising Red Wigglers and other worms.

Location: Commissioner’s Chambers County Court Building, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles

MG Hours: 2 hours/education

 

FREE SCREENING OF SEEDS OF TIME   Friday, September 12; 7pm

Join the folks at the WSU Mt Vernon Research Center for a free screening of the new documentary, Seeds of Time. It’s about the seed preservation cave in Norway known as the Doomsday Vault. The Emmy and Oscar-nominated director Sandy Mcleod (Stop Making Sense) and subject of the film, Cary Fowler, will both be flying in from New York for the showing.

From the website:  “A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food. Gene banks of the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation inspired rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are already affecting farmers globally. But Fowler’s journey, and our own, is just beginning: From Rome to Russia and, finally, a remote island under the Arctic Circle, Fowler’s passionate and personal journey may hold the key to saving the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.”

Please come if you can, and pass the word to anyone else who might be interested.

Location: WSU Mt Vernon Research Center, 16650 State Route 536, Mt Vernon, WA

MG Hours: 1 hour/education

 

 “APHIDS TO ZUCCHINI” BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURES    Third Monday of each month, March 17 through November 17; 12-1pm (next one is September 15)

Our September WSU Master Gardener educational lecture series subject is “Growing Kiwi on the Olympic Peninsula”.

The “Port Townsend Kiwi Man”, Dennis Schultz, will be discussing kiwi varieties, care, feeding, pruning and harvesting. Dennis has been selling kiwis every fall at a number of Seattle farmers markets since 1997. His kiwi plants are a Siberian variety of fruit with smooth, green edible skins. They are well suited to our climate.

We welcome MGs and the general public to come learn how to grow and care for kiwis. Questions and sharing personal kiwi growing advice are encouraged throughout the lecture. Bring your lunch and have fun learning.

Location – WSU Extension Office, 380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend

MG Hours: 1/education

 

SEED SAVING  PRESENTATION   Saturday, September 20; 11-12:30

The North Olympic Library is putting on its Second Annual Skill Share Fair – a free community expo at the Port Angeles Main Library for learning and teaching practical, handy skills that help foster a more resilient and sustainable community. Other garden related topics (later in the day) are rain garden installation and composting. Sounds like it’s well worth the drive! For more information, see  http://www.nols.org/events/port-angeles.html .

 

MG SUMMER PICNIC   

The summer picnic was great this year! We had a nice turnout and very yummy food. Thanks to Ann K., the raffle was a fun addition. Of course, Candice G. won most of the items again! That’s ok though, because we like to see how excited she gets when she wins plants!!

 

2015 SECRET GARDEN TOUR AND PLANT SALE DATE IS SET   Saturday, June 21

Please set Saturday, June 21 aside to assist in our biggest fundraiser of the year. The tour and the plant sale will take place on the same date. Look out for more information next month.

MG Hours: all hours count as program support

 

MG/4H AFTER SCHOOL UPDATE

Nita W. and Sharon G. have reported that the 4H/MG afterschool program is over. It was a fun project for the kids and they feel that the kids were pleased with themselves and their gardening results.

The pictures below were taken after the children harvested the produce in their square foot gardening project. The instructors and the kids celebrated with a salad course at the garden for nine adults and eight children!

 

JEFFERSON COUNTY FARM TOUR   Sunday, September 14

No volunteers needed, but please put this on your calendar as a fun event to attend. Every year Farm Tour draws thousands of visitors eager to experience a working farm and connect with local farmers. See http://jefferson.wsu.edu/agriculture/farm-tour/ for locations and more details.

MG Hours: do not count

 

FALL ORCHARDING WORSHOP    Friday, September 19

Cutting edge information in a dynamic 1-day workshop featuring a team of experienced professionals led by expert Western Washington Orchardist/Pomologist Gary Moulton.

Dr. Ines Hanrahan of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and Dr. Jay Pscheidt of Oregon State University will address the practical aspects of fall orcharding, as well as current trends. For more information please visit www.agbizcenter.org

Location: Skagit Valley Gardens, 18923 Johnson Rd, Mt. Vernon, WA 98273

MG Hours: All hours count as continuing education

 

ARE YOU SHORT ON EDUCATION HOURS? DON’T FORGET THERE ARE WEBINARS TO LISTEN TO    Dates below, but archived webinars can be watched anytime, anywhere

 

October 4 – All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series: Alien Invasions, Zombies Under Foot, and Billions of Decapitated Fire Ants at Learn.extension.org/events/1374

November 8 – All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series: Where Have All the Honey Bees Gone? Hope for the Future at Learn.extension.org/events/1375

For a list of all “eXtension” webinars, see https://www.extension.org/pages/70120/all-bugs-good-and-bad-2014-webinar-series

 Location: in your pajamas, on your couch

MG Hours: all hours count as continuing education

 

ANOTHER REMINDER FOR THE MG ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS WORKSHOP   Friday,October 10, 8:30-4:30

David Deardorff is coming to Skagit County for a Master Gardener Advanced Diagnostics workshop, Friday, October 10, 2014, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, at WSU-NWREC, Sakuma Auditorium, 16650 Washington 536, Mt Vernon WA 98273. For more information, a place to ask questions about the event, and to order tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com, and look for “What’s Wrong with My Plant”.

MG Hours: all hours count as continuing education

 

MG FOUNDATION BOARD MEETINGS    First Thursday of each month, 3-5pm

The Jefferson County MG Foundation welcomes attendance at the monthly Foundation Board meetings.

Location: WSU Extension Office, 380 Jefferson St., Port Townsend (The date and location have changed for October. The date is October 2 at 6pm, and the location is Fiesta Jalisco in Port Hadlock).

MG Hours: Program support hours for Board members, intern member, and state rep

 

IMPORTANT WEBINAR DATE TO REMEMBER   Wednesday, November 12; 10am

Please remember that gardening.wsu.edu is to be the first resource Master Gardeners use when helping clients. This is the only WSU gardening website that contains up-to-date and peer reviewed information. The webinar training on the new website will is highly recommended.

MG Hours: 1 hour/education

 

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT 2015 MASTER GARDENER TRAINING

2015 MG Training is starting March 4th and will run for 12 weeks. Candice G. and Bob G. will be heading up the training, with help from many of you as guest lecturers.

 

PEST SIGHTINGS:

From Dave Pehling / Snohomish County:

The first fall webworm sightings in Snohomish County have been reported to us. Since these caterpillars are feeding on foliage that is just going to drop off soon anyway, we seldom recommend anything other than pruning off infested branches or physically removing the webs/nests. For information, see the WSU Hort Sense entry at http://pep.wsu.edu/hortsense/scripts/query/displayProblem.asp?tableName=Insect&categoryID=13&problemID=6020

Fall webworm can also be an orchard pest.  There is a great page at http://jenny.tfrec.wsu.edu/opm/displayspecies.php?pn=590 on the subject.

 

From Todd Murray / Skamania County:

In Skamania and Klickitat counties, we are having small outbreaks of Pacific Tent Caterpillars, Malacosoma constrictum.  This critter is common on oaks and the reports are describing entire 40′ trees tented.  I have heard from other folks like Sharon Collman and Debbie Burris, that Western Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma cakufornicum is also outbreatking in some locations.

 

When making recommendations, some things to consider are:

-NO FIRE! Fire is never a good pest management tool.  Historically a few people hurt trying to burn tents along with a few burnt down houses.

-Hand remove caterpillars in their tents in the evening – this is done with a sturdy leather glove and a steady tug along the branch to squish everyone inside the tent.

-Don’t worry!  Healthy trees will bounce back just fine and not suffer any health issues from defoliation in the long term.  Small, newly planted trees can be harmed but those are good candidates for physical removal of the caterpillars.

-Insecticide recommendations are on HortSense but often unnecessary.

-Avoid “Revenge Spraying”  When damage is often noticed, the caterpillars are large and close to being finished with feeding. These caterpillars will wander to find a place to pupate, making them more obvious.  Spraying late when the caterpillars are large does not help the tree’s health in any way, since the damage is already done.

 

KUDOS THIS MONTH GO TO:

Susan A. forher spirited and educational “Saving Seeds” brown bag lecture.

Mike M. for letting all the MGs invade his property again for the annual picnic. He’s always such a wonderful host.

Roger M, Nancesca, and Barbara S for getting the Y&G Lecture Series off to a good start

Susan C. for advising the Y&G committee

Ken C. and Jacque B. for manning the WSU table at the JC Fair. It was cold, windy and slow that night, so they deserve a big thanks!

Christina L. again for all her had work researching and writing the MG articles for the PT Leader. She’s very talented and super generous with this long time commitment!

Vicky C. for all the foundation web site changes

Ann K, Candice G, Lorna R, Lys B, Diane T. for jumping in to make up a very promising Secret Garden Tour committee

Paula S. for assisting with our MG Foundation Blog – https://jcmgf.org/mg2/blog/

Mike M, Jacque B, Ali, Sarah F, Honey N, Lys B, Mary Anne D, and Ken C, and Paula S for their expertise at plant clinic this past month. The plant clinicians this year have been superb and very reliable!

Kathy B, Ali D, Ann K and Candice G for heading up the Friends of the Foundation Committee

Nancy V. for her continued help with the gardening projects at Habitat for Humanity

 

And, thank you to EVERYONE for being part of our program!

ps – As of today, 2,655 hours were recorded in our Master Gardener Volunteer Database for 2014.  If you haven’t recorded all of your hours for 2014 (or any months in 2013), please do so in order to get the credit. The link to enter hours is http://ext.wsu.edu/volunteers/logon.aspx

 

Here’s a helpful tool to use if you forgot how to use the database – file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Volunteer%20Reporting%20(1).pdf

 

 

Jill Bacchieri
Master Gardener Coordinator
WSU Jefferson County Extension
380 Jefferson St.
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360 379-5610 ext 210

mastergardenerjefferson@gmail.com

http://jefferson.wsu.edu/gardening 

 

 

 

WSU Extension employment and programs are available to all without discrimination.