NOTES ON A NATIVE. Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas Fern

Transcription

1 N OVEMBER 2014 BCMASTERGARDENERS.WEEBLY.COM news A PUBLICATION OF UME MASTER GARDENERS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY Calendar NOVEMBER 6 Plant collection at Ag Center, 10-1 (raindate November 7) 13 General Meeting, Native Plant training with Sara Tangren, 9: Entry garden workday, Grow It Eat It Preserve It: Apple Butter making workshop, 1-4 at Ag Center DECEMBER 11 General Meeting, Holiday arrangements with our own Pat Parker, 6:30-8:30 p.m. JUNE 4 Annual State Training Day, College Park The Ba ltimore County Exte ns ion Office has a new phone number: (410) NOTES ON A NATIVE KIM BARNES Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas Fern As winter approaches and the leaves on the trees, shrubs, and many other plants begin to turn red, yellow or brown, one of the plants that will remain green in the landscape throughout the winter is the Christmas fern. The fronds have historically been used for Christmas decorations, hence the common name. This native fern is found in moist to dry woodlands and on shady slopes throughout the eastern half of the United States and Canada. Snow and ice will cause the previous season s fronds to be in a flattened clump by the time the new silvery fiddleheads begin emerging in the spring, but they do provide an evergreen presence in the landscape. I recently learned that you don t want to remove the old fronds too soon as that can weaken the plant, but rather wait until the new fronds begin to mature. Christmas fern grows in an asymmetrical clump from a short, creeping rhizome, expanding slowly over time. The fronds are typically one to two feet long, with shiny, deep green, lance-shaped pinnae (the leaflet parts of the frond). The fertile fronds are slightly taller than the sterile ones, with smaller pinnae near the tip of the frond. The undersides of these pinnae are covered with reddish brown spores in late spring or early summer. I have had a few baby Christmas ferns show up in my garden, presumably from spores, but division is another way to propagate them. Polystichum acrostichoides has many good qualities to recommend it, with a key one being that it tolerates a wide range of growing conditions in the landscape. It does not have any serious disease or pest problems, and as with most ferns, is seldom bothered by deer. It adapts well to different soil types, from acidic to almost neutral, preferring medium moisture, but tolerating drought and warm humid conditions. Poorly drained soil is the one thing it does not like, as crown rot can be a problem. It grows in part sun to full shade and is well suited to many areas of the garden. Christmas fern is one of the few native plants that will grow successfully for me in containers, and it even survived last winter!

2 NORMAN S PATCH 43 NORMAN COHEN P utting the Ga rde n to Be d The S oil The most important chore in the fall is to amend the soil. The soil test, which is recommended to be performed every three years, is the basis for our decisions about which nutrients need to be added. The soil test determines soil fertility, composition and acidity. The acidity is given in ph units: ph lower than 7 is acidic, greater than 7 is alkaline. Two reported macronutrients that control ph are sulfur and calcium. However, the ph of turf and ericaceous (or lime-hating) plants is taken yearly to determine if ph needs to be adjusted. This can be accomplished with a purchased ph meter, although it is not as accurate as laboratory methodology. The ph scale is logarithmic, the difference of one unit is a factor of ten; the difference of 4 units is a factor of 10,000! The ph should be maintained around 6.8 for good lawn care. When the ph is determined by a laboratory, the application rate in pounds of calcium per 1000 square feet is given. My garden contains quite a few ericaceous plants: Leucothoe axiliaris and L. fontanesiana, commonly called Doghobble; Rhododendron sp., deciduous and evergreen; Camilia sp.and Pieris Japonica and, in the Grow It Eat It demonstration garden, the blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum. The ph readings in my garden ran from 6.5 to 5.9, and, in the blueberry patch, 6.3 to 4.9. When the ph is maintained around 4.5, sustainability and flowering with proper exposure are maximized. The analysis on the six-pound bag of sulfur was 30 percent by weight in the form of pelletized free sulfur and gypsum, a hydrate of calcium sulfate. From the broadcast rates, apply 12 pounds per 100 square feet for each one point reduction in soil ph. In heavy clay soils, the application rate is 15 pounds per 100 square feet. When the blueberries were planted in the demo garden, copious amounts of Leaf Gro were added to improve the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the soil. The area of each plant is 2.25 square feet with nine plants in the blueberry bed. Dividing 2.25 by 100, then multiplying by 12 equals 0.24 pounds of soil acidifier to lower the ph one unit or approximately 0.5 pounds for two units. Sulfur and calcium are in a solid form that must be converted into ionic forms, which are soluble, in order to react with water to adjust the ph. These chemical processes take months, especially the conversion of sulfur, which is microbial as well as weather dependent. The ph will be rechecked in the spring and repeated again in order to obtain the desired acidity. The fall is the time of year to amend the perennial-shrub borders, vegetable beds and lawn with compost of course, my favorite is Leaf Gro. Compost is not fertilizer, but does contain one to two percent nitrogen and potassium. I ll come clean, I do not do much for lawn maintenance. However, the addition of a quarter inch of compost, approximately, a half a yard per thousand square feet will have as much effect as fertilizing with in the fall. If you haven t yet read the new Maryland State laws for fertilizing your lawn, please do so. For shrubs, the blueberries included, and perennials, the mulch is moved to the side, ph taken and adjusted, if required, an inch of compost added, one inch from the stem out to one foot and the mulch returned one inch from the stem. Since I do not need to add nitrogen in the fall and my soil test showed high levels of phosphorous and potassium, I did not add fertilizer. If bulbs or garlic are planted, a bulb fertilizer or bone meal is added to the soil. As long as the soil is not frozen...start amending! The Grow It Eat It garden, under the leadership of Debbie McKearney and Tiffany Bowers, finished up the 2014 season with resounding success. The consistent work of the committee throughout the season... planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, and repeating... resulted in year-to-date PAGE 2 total of pounds of which 671 pounds were donated. October added pounds of which were donated to area food pantries and kitchens, not just Cockeysville. We re trying to spread the wealth throughout the county where our GIEI volunteers live or work. Entry ga rde n fa ll workda y Please come out to help on Saturday, November 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We will be extending the berms to connect to the arbor. BALTIMORE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS

3 P o llin a to r G a rd e n S e pte mbe r Note s LINDA MYERS The Pollinator Garden, under the direction of Jack Leonard, is the most recent addition to our Demonstration Garden. I walked through the garden in September and noted the following. Bed 3 is full of glorious color and furious insect activity. The smooth asters (Symphiotrichum laeve) have butterflies, small bees, honeybees and bumblebees. Pyracantha muticum (clustered mountain mint), in the container, has little insect activity now that the tiny blooms are almost gone, but it was full of tiny native bees and flies at the height of its bloom period a few weeks ago. Wish we had the space to let it grow in the garden soil, but it is a bit of a thug. The Asclepius tuberosa (butterfly weed) is totally finished blooming; lots of seedpods. We saw scads of monarch larvae on it earlier. Where do they go to pupate, I wonder? The Boltonia asteroides Snowbank (false aster) is in full bloom what a cloud of white! As for insects: tiny, tiny flies, a bigger fly that I m not familiar with, and a small brown butterfly with that odd wing arrangement that Barbara Gruver tells me is a skipper. The cardinal vine (Ipomoea x multifida), pollinated by hummingbirds, is still blooming, but I didn t see a hummingbird today, or any noticeable insects on it. It looks so much nicer this year growing on the sturdy support that Paul Dorsey installed. In Bed 4, the African blue basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum x) is covered with honeybees; you can hear them buzzing as you walk into the garden through our new entry arbor (also courtesy of Paul D.). The zinnias have many butterflies, including the yellow clouded sulfur, a golden-brown fritillary (either the great spangled or the variegated), and that funny little skipper. Although we feature native perennials in the garden, we will always leave room for the single-blossom zinnias for their cheery, unflagging bloom habit and the constant insect activity they attract. Salvia farinacia, the annual salvia, is very floriferous and has huge carpenter bees and some smaller bumblebees. On the Conoclinium coelestinum (hardy ageratum) I see a kind of beetle. This longblooming, freely-seeding perennial attracts many pollinators. The annual milkweed (Asclepius curvassica) still has a few blooms hosting a small native bee or fly. I see one milkweed larva on it. Its seedpods are starting to split open, so there will be more of this tropical next year unless we decide to remove it from the garden. There is some controversy on whether this is a good plant for monarchs in this zone. The pretty yellow and orange blooms recommend it, and monarchs love it, but does its late blooming interrupt their migration? The annual white sweet alyssum (Lobelia maritime) is blooming beautifully and it seems to have a few small native bees or flies on it it would have had more earlier in the season but got a late start. The Solidago rugosa Fireworks (goldenrod, also in Bed 3) is at the peak of bloom and has honeybees, native bees, wasps, beetles, and a small golden-spotted butterfly it s really busy. In fact, it rivals the African blue basil for activity, and has more kinds of insects on it. Plus, it is a stunner with its narrow sprays of bloom shooting in all directions. The New England asters (Symphiotrichum novae-angliae) in this bed are finishing up their bloom. The Lobelia syphilitica (great blue lobelia) is nearly finished blooming, but there are still a few honeybees and bumblebees checking it out. The honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens) on the arbor is starting to vine and climb it should bloom next spring. The Amelanchier x grandiflora Autumn Brilliance (serviceberry) is nearly denuded. We need to get a jump on the oak sawfly next year, if that is what it was we will consult with Norman Cohen on this. There are still monarch butterflies fluttering about the entire garden, probably enjoying the nectar. Are they still laying eggs? If so, let s hope it is not too late in the season for the larvae to hatch and complete their appropriate growth stages. We have much to learn about pollinators and the plants that support their life cycles. If you would like to join the Pollen Nation to help us learn and grow, please contact Jack Leonard, Linda Myers or Judy Ciofalo. See the first half of the pollinator garden notes in the October issue of Budding News. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION...SOLUTIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY PAGE 3

4 Plant collection hunt The next Ag Center plant collection activity will take place on November 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fee is $5. Maryland botanist Charlie Davis and MG Judy Fulton will first lead an interesting hunt finding and collecting plant specimens. Participants can expect to learn a lot about the plant species we see and how they look in the fall. Afterwards, we will press the specimens so that they can be identified and included in an inventory of what grows at the Ag Center. This activity, sponsored by Baltimore County Master Gardeners in conjunction with the Natural History Society of Maryland, is part of a much larger project: an inventory of the plant species growing throughout the seasons of the year and in the varied habitats at the Baltimore County property (e.g., fields, woods, stream banks and strips bordering paths). Species of trees and shrubs, grasses, sedges, and herbaceous plants will all be included in the inventory. You can use these as either advanced training or volunteer hours. Find full descriptions and sign up by clicking on the events listed on the calendar at HELP WANTED Or how to get your volunteer hours Hours are due the end of December. If you are looking for a new MG volunteer activity, please consider the following openings: Demo Garden Committee Chair: Last year after four years of service, Heather Wight wanted to step down as chair of the Demonstration Garden Committee... yet she s still in charge a year later. She s willing to lend her support to one or two MGs who wish to take on the exciting and transformative Demo Garden chairmanship. Iris Garden Caretaker: Work with Carol Warner of Draycott Gardens to tend the small, but beautiful iris garden. Maintenance involves mostly weeding (two or three times a year) and planting new rhizomes (once a year). When the iris bloom, visitors to the Ag Center are delighted to see such rare and wonderful iris species. Its mailbox offers important information for anyone who wants to add deer resistant plants to their garden. Contact: MG Coordinator Anna Glenn Courtyard Caregiver: Help maintain the shade plant garden that rims the entrance to the Ag Center. There is always an opportunity to add more shade plants and propagate the ones that are growing there. This garden helps smooth the hard edges of the building and welcomes the hundreds of Baltimore County residents who use the facility. Contact: Pam Spencer Demo Garden Entrance and Allee: This area is looking for an adopter who can pledge a few days per growing season to keep it looking clean and attractive. Contact: Heather Wight Grow It Eat It: The very productive vegetable garden needs plot leaders and eventually a new garden leader. Contact: Tiffany Bowers Don t want to obligate yourself to one garden? Weed Weed Weed. Please stop by and pull a weed or two. There are always weeds to pull and you can stop by anytime weekday or weekend to work on these gardens. You can also pot some volunteer plants to nurse until our next plant sale. No need to call ahead. Communication: Writers, editors, graphic artists, and photographers are needed if the newsletter is to continue. Contact: Natalie Hamilton Work from home typing contact information from MG Plant Sale Raffle entries, using Excel or Word tables. The Lecture Series and Plant Sale are always looking for leaders. Contact: Nancy Lewis Thinking about joining a new committee? Please contact committee chairs (complete list on Weebly site) to find out more and be added to their membership list. Your help is always appreciated and needed. NOVEMBER G ENERAL MEETING November 13th, 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. S pe cia l Na tive P la nt Tra ining with UME s S a ra Ta ngre n NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT AND BYLAWS VOTING FIRST. INFORMATION ABOUT ALL MG ADVANCED TRAINING CLASSES MAY BE FOUND AT: UMD.EDU/MG/ADVANC ED-TRAINING PAGE 4 BALTIMORE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS

5 General Meeting, Nove mbe r 1 3 th UME s Sara Tangren will be coming to our November 13th meeting to present her workshop Native Plant Essentials: Part 2. Over 70 Baltimore County Master Gardeners have signed up for this event so it is sure to be exciting and a great opportunity for us to learn more about this topic! If you haven t registered yet for this event, you can still do so through the Sign-up Genius located on our Weebly homepage: We want to have enough material on hand. Please do your best to complete the Native Plants Essential online class. You might want to take this course even if you ve had the in-person course, because there are many differences. The course may take more than five hours to complete, but you can do it in sections and in your own time and free of charge. Here s the link for now (may be changing in the future): native-plant-essentials-online-class. Also, remember that we will be voting to accept our bylaws prior to the presentation so arrive by 9:30 a.m. Be sure to review the bylaws in advance and bring your questions or concerns. Anna Glenn ed them to the general membership on October 14th for initial review. De a n We i vis its De mo Ga rde n On October 17th, Dr. Cheng-I Wei, Dean of UMD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, visited the Ag Center to join in the 100th anniversary celebrations of Extension. While visiting, he was able to meet with some of our Baltimore County Master Gardeners and learn about the great work we are doing here educating the residents of our county. Dean Wei remembered visiting the garden in its early stages and was impressed to see how much it has grown in such a short period of time. He was particularly interested in the Grow It Eat It garden and didn t hesitate to get his hands dirty investigating the potatoes that are just about ready to be harvested. Dean Wei with his potatoes Dean Wei with MG Linda Myers Teachers Night Out on the Fa rm On Thursday, October 16, the Maryland Agricultural Resource Council hosted their second Annual Teacher s Night Out on the Farm, an open house and resource fair for teachers in Baltimore and surrounding counties interested in learning more about incorporating agricultural education into their classrooms. More than 130 teachers registered for the event and were able to tour the farm and meet with representatives from over 50 different agricultural/environmental organizations, including Baltimore County Master Gardeners! Our Master Gardeners Ernie Ritchey, Sally Stanhope, and Angie Goodman manned a table at the event for three hours, showing teachers how to make a garden in a glove and incorporate this fun and easy lesson into their classroom of any grade. It was a successful evening because many teachers who have never tried incorporating agricultural lessons in their classrooms were able to leave the event with their arms full of curriculum ideas and materials. Anna Glenn will be following up with these teachers in hopes of helping some of them start their very own school gardening program. GIEI Preserve It Works hop On Saturday, November 22 from 1:00 to 4:00pm at the Ag Center, Shauna Henley, Family and Consumer Science Educator, will discuss the types of jellied products that can be made at home, the ingredients needed, the necessary equipment and supplies, and the basic steps of water bath canning. You will spend time in the kitchen preparing and canning your own apple butter. Cost is $35 for the first workshop, $20 for each additional workshop. To register, call the office at (410) then bring your check or cash to class. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION...SOLUTIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY PAGE 5

6 Ha ve you me t your 2014 hours to remain a n a ctive MG? As of October, only 50 percent of our registered Master Gardeners have entered in their 2014 volunteer hours. If you have hours that you have not yet recorded, please make an effort to report these immediately because, come 2015, it will be too late! As a reminder, to remain an active Master Gardener, volunteers must provide 20 hours of service, participate in 10 hours of continuing education requirements, and attend three general membership meetings. If you have not been able to complete your requirements this year, please contact Anna Glenn for ideas on where you can volunteer or get education hours. Additionally, if you have not yet set up an online account to enter your hours, please contact Anna Glenn (amcguck@umd.edu) or Wendy Dilworth (wendydil@umd.edu) for help. We will send you an with a user name and then you will be able to generate your own password and begin entering your hours. If you are having trouble using your account, please don t hesitate to contact the office. There are also instructions on the Weebly website for how to enter online hours. A few changes in th e o ffic e Our coordinator Anna McGucken is now Anna Glenn following her September 27th wedding to Nathan Glenn. She wants to thank everyone for the well wishes and congratulations that Master Gardeners have been sending her way in the past month! Her address will remain amcguck@umd.edu until the university is able to set up a new account. She will notify the Master Gardeners when that occurs. Also, the Baltimore County Extension Office phone number has changed. It is no longer (410) The new number is (410) If you accidentally call the old number, there will be a recording reminding you of the new number. DECEMBER G ENERAL MEETING December 11th, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Holida y a rra nge me nts with our own P a t P a rke r budding Editor: open Designer: Natalie Hamilton Submissions are welcome! Please forward to infobcmg@yahoo.com The Maryland Master Gardener Program was started in 1978 as a means of extending the horticultural and pest management expertise of University of Maryland Extension to the general public. The program is designed to train volunteer horticultural educators for the University of Maryland Extension the principal outreach education unit of the University of Maryland. UME BALTIMORE COUNTY EXTENSION 1114 Shawan Road Cockeysville, MD NEW Phone: (410) Fax: (410) NEW website Anna Glenn, Horticulture Faculty Extension Assistant, amcguck@umd.edu University of Maryland Extension (UME) programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.