Cover photo by Emily Schiller, MG 2008
for more fantastic flora photos, see Emily's blog:
MG Foundation President's Message
Linda Burshia Battle, MG Foundation President
March is certainly going out like a lamb. The sunny weather has been such a joy. All of the lovely moisture has made this another beautiful Whatcom County spring, absolutely lush with blooms and blossoms.
Work is starting in the gardens at Hovander and the Roeder home. Community garden volunteers are also stirring. This is spring! Gardeners love the planning phase of what to plant and where, how to improve the soil, and nurturing the starts; but the actualization part is the most fulfilling. The cool soil invites us and reminds us of what our gardens will become. We pull weeds, transplant, mulch, prune and trim, all with the vision of the unfolding beauty as the season progresses.
The new class helped make planting day a success. Another reminder that the annual plant sale is just around the corner. Another year to look forward to and be involved with in any or all of the gardens and opportunities available to Whatcom County Master Gardeners. Dig in! There are lots of opportunities to challenge and enrich you.
Enjoy these sunny days in the gardens.
Work is starting in the gardens at Hovander and the Roeder home. Community garden volunteers are also stirring. This is spring! Gardeners love the planning phase of what to plant and where, how to improve the soil, and nurturing the starts; but the actualization part is the most fulfilling. The cool soil invites us and reminds us of what our gardens will become. We pull weeds, transplant, mulch, prune and trim, all with the vision of the unfolding beauty as the season progresses.
The new class helped make planting day a success. Another reminder that the annual plant sale is just around the corner. Another year to look forward to and be involved with in any or all of the gardens and opportunities available to Whatcom County Master Gardeners. Dig in! There are lots of opportunities to challenge and enrich you.
Enjoy these sunny days in the gardens.
Linda Burshia Battle
From The Clinic Desk
JEFF DODSON, MG 2014
Hello Everyone from the Clinic Desk,
As what may prove for some of you to be a frightening look into Jeff Dodson’s brain….while thinking about writing this article for the April edition, a song popped into my head, “I’m no fool, no siree, I’m gonna live to be a hundred and three….” That’s right, Jiminy Cricket. Naturally, this put me in mind of insects aaaaaannnnddd…..
The other day I got into a discussion at the clinic with one of your fellow Master Gardeners regarding keying an insect that a client brought in from one of their rhododendrons. As with plants, identifying insects can be a daunting endeavor. Fortunately, there are some qualities to insects that make it easier and I am prepared to pass them along to you!
Unlike plants, insects do not respond readily or greatly in their physical appearances to environmental and physiological influences. Therefore, the internet makes it possible to identify unknown insects by using your powers of observation. All you need are some terms to put into your “Search.”
(1) As usual, start with what you have in front of you and what you know about it. You know if what you see is a beetle, a butterfly, an ant, a dragonfly…..PERFECT! If it is a beetle (as it was in this case), you are halfway there. Note from the editor: Study our in-house collection to get a feel for the different insect orders (e.g., beetles, bugs, flies, butterflies and moths, etc.)
(2) Any information the client has provided, such as what sort of plant the beetle was found upon, can be useful too. You already know the locale it was found (Whatcom County, Washington) and that is a very important bit of information.
(3) In our example, we entered “beetle rhododendron washington” in our search box, but instead of going to the “Web” we clicked on “Images”. What appeared on the screen was an array of pictures that fit our search criteria. By matching the photos to our sample and then clicking on the “Visit Page” feature, we were able to zero in on our sample, read about the insect, then rapidly and accurately identify the insect as a black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus). No, I did not know the black vine weevil’s scientific name before this search, but include it here as a matter of form so that there can be no confusion as to what insect we are talking about – a good practice to follow when identifying plants, animals and insects for our clients and each other. Note from the editor: An excellent resource for insect photos is BugGuide.net - they even have an ID request feature.
(4) Some of the clues used to positively identify this bug as a weevil (it has a “snout” and its antennae have crooks or “elbows” in them) were stored in our memory banks to be used again in the future. All insect groups have these sorts of identifying characteristics.
Our gardens and other surroundings are terrific sources of material to learn from in clinic. In the case of insects, capture in a jar or closable baggie and bring in some that you are curious about. I will be happy to walk you through the procedure. Or, try the above method out at home and let me know what you think of it.
Best regards to all,
Jeff
Resources
BugGuidehttp://bugguide.net/
WSU Hortsense: Common Invertebrates
http://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/Search/MainMenuWithFactSheet.aspx?CategoryId=13
The Case of the Malformed Malus
Digger Spade, MG Plant Detective
The client came in early in February with a picture of the apple tree in the garden of the house he had just moved into. The house was built in the early 1900s and the tree looked as though it had been planted around the same time, so probably around 100 years old. The previous owner had clearly been doing some pruning because the water sprouts were quite small. If they had been left alone for a few years they would have been ten feet long and two or three inches in diameter. The client wanted to know how he should look after this new but ancient acquisition.
Since the tree was still dormant it was an excellent time to start pruning. The first order of business was to remove all of the vertical new-ish looking growth (the water sprouts). If there were any toward the ends of the main branches that were either growing at angle toward the perimeter of the tree, he might keep one per branch and train it this year toward the horizontal. That will tend to force the development of fruiting spores and renewal opportunities. Next remove any crossing branches and thin out crowded limbs, even older ones, so that there is good air circulation and easy access to the tree. The tree will respond to these ministrations by vigorously producing new water sprouts and those can be pulled off (not cut) in July and August so that next winter there should be little need for pruning a lot of vertical growth. We gave the client links to a couple of sites that give more information on restoring and maintaining old apple trees, and one on apple disease and insect problems.
Since the client didn’t know if the tree was susceptible to scab or cankers (we couldn’t see any in the pictures) or had problems with coddling moth or apple maggot, we suggested that he consider a dormant oil spray when the first sign of bud break appeared and to start fungicide applications when the first green was showing.
Most trees of this vintage are standards and are genetically programmed to be twenty to thirty feet high. Convincing them to grow horizontally, say ten feet or less, requires constant maintenance. If he finds this year that he has disease or serious insect problems, he should consider pruning at ground level and enjoy some of the highest calorie firewood available.
These days homeowners can choose apple trees with tree heights that don’t exceed their reach and that are resistant to scab. But caring for trees with maggot or coddling moth problems requires dedication usual for a commercial grower.
D. Spade and Associates
Resources
Pruninghttp://ext100.wsu.edu/maritimefruit/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2015/01/EB0937-PruningWeb.pdf
Spray Schedule for Apples
http://ext100.wsu.edu/spokane/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2015/05/C041-Spray-Schedule-for-Apples-15docx.pdf
Calendar of Events
Free and Open to the Public
Foundation Events
Contact Barb Schickler (barbaraschickler2@gmail.com) or Kathleen Bander (kbwm@camano.net) with ideas about future presenters, subjects for presentations, or possible field trips.
Monthly Plant ID Study Group
Bring a plant to discuss (something you like or do not recognize; domestic or native; blooming or not) or simply participate in the plant identification process. Friends, family and the public are welcome. MG education hours are earned. There is free internet. Coffee and snacks are available in the store. Spring is rapidly progressing and soon we will plan outdoor ID outings, but for now we will meet indoors for study! Further questions can be directed to Karen Gilliam (384-4562, jkgilliam@gmail.com) or Louise Granger (592-5316, rutroad@gmail.com).
April 28
Plant ID Study Group
Thursday, 9 - 11 am, Community Food Co-op, 315 Westerly Rd., Bellingham, in the upstairs meeting room
May 7
Master Gardener Plant Sale
Saturday, 9 am - 2 pm, Hovander Homestead Park
May 13
Foundation Tour of Local Gardens
May 21
Lynden Library Workshop Series: Tomatoes
Saturday, 1 - 2 pm, Lynden Library
Learn the best tips of growing tomatoes in the Pacific Northwest
June 9
Foundation Field Trip to Extension Research Station
June 11
Lynden Library Workshop Series: Berries
Saturday, 1 - 2 pm, Lynden Library
Food crops that you can savor
June 17
Foundation Event: Tour of Local Gardens
July 14
Foundation Event: Field trip to Canada
August 11
Foundation Event: Hovander Picnic
September 8
Foundation Presentation: Putting Your Garden to Bed
7:30 - 9 pm, WSUE Extension Office, 1000 N Forest St Suite, Bellingham
Presenter: Marcie, Garden Spot Nursery
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