Planters Punchlines
Men’s Garden Club of Wethersfield
October 2012
Next Meeting - Monday October 22th @ 7:00 p.m.
Our speaker for October 22nd will be Bill Yule of the
Connecticut River Museum in Essex. Bill
will talk about his work at the museum (including emcee of the Eagle Watch boat
tours) and share his hobby – stalking and photographing wild mushrooms.
Mark Your Calendar:
Holiday Party @ the Solomon Welles House on Monday
December 3rd
Compostable
Matter
By Jim Meehan
The best tools are the simplest ones.
This is
especially true for the implements of gardening – an activity that has, at
most, four components – planting, watering, pruning and harvesting – (the last
two of which are optional, or at least not applicable to all situations).
Few devices
are more basic than the shovel – or its Mini-Me clone the trowel. So basic in fact that when I asked the
Internet “what are the parts of a shovel?”, it told me that the answer did not
exist. Who’d of thought I could stump a
network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic,
business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by
a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies with
a simple question about dumb tool that you stick into the ground? Clearly Bill Gates and the other geeks need
to get their hands dirty.
(Speaking of
which – a brief political aside if I may.
Should we really be entrusting the running of our government to anyone
who has never planted their own flower or mowed their own lawn? And not just as a photo-op. I don’t think so.)
My Sunbeam
kitchen timer just interrupted my writing to remind me it was time to move my
yard sprinkler. We are planting a new
lawn to replace the grass that was immolated by the 26 hour-a-day sunburn that
now afflicts the part of our yard once protected from harmful UV rays by three
storm-damaged trees we had removed. The
new seeds need water in order to germinate.
I was hoping to give just enough H2O to make them feel wanted, which I
could easily (and enjoyably) do by schlepping around the area with my trusty
watering cans. Apparently the seeds are
needier than that. So I am forced to use
my hose and sprinkler for daily 25-minute showers.
This admittedly
is more effective. But it’s not really
gardening.
Gardening is
soaking the dehydrated roots of water-loving plants individually, by hand and
on foot, with a watering can. Currently
I have three – two green plastic one and one silver galvanized – that I use on
a regular basis to provide liquid sustenance to the potted annuals that Marsha
created and the two or three perennials that seem distressed by the
inconsistent rain pattern that has afflicted our weather this summer.
I leave the
portable spouted pots on the edge of one of our perennial gardens – the one
closest to our rain barrel and the end of our backyard hose – filled to the top
and ready to go with sun-warmed gallons of what once was called Adam’s ale. It usually takes three pailfuls to make my
regular rounds. But I do not use each
one in sequence and then fill them all later.
Instead I use one, then put it under the opened rain barrel spigot. While pail number 1 is being replenished I
grab pail number 2 and continue my next set of rounds with the goal of
completing them just as number 1 is being topped off. At which point I swap 2 for 1 and head off
for round number 3. (For those who care,
I alternate which container is number 1, etc. so none of them feel neglected.)
After I have
finished the plants feel refreshed and so do I.
That’s not the way I feel when I use my lawn sprinkler.
Anything that
you can do while you are doing something else, you are not really doing.
Pumpkinology 101
http://www.pumpkinfresh.com/facts.htm
Below is an
abundance of fun information about pumpkins; History of the Jack O'Lantern,
Pumpkin Facts, even some World Record Pumpkins, along with some unique pumpkin
photos. Enjoy!
History of the Jack O'Lantern
The Irish
brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack
O'Lantern was not a pumpkin. The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of
years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old
drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and
even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple
tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed
crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the
tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died.
Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses
and let the Devil down.
Many years
later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was
told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable
and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went
down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him
to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about
forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he
could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the
flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed
out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him
whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth
without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack
O'Lantern".
On all
Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and
beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy
Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns.
Did you know that a pumpkin is really a squash?
Yes, it is! It's a
member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers.
Did you know that pumpkins are grown all over the world?
Yes, in fact six of the seven continents can grow
pumpkins! Antarctica is the only
continent that they won't grow in.
Pumpkins even grow in Alaska!
Did you know that the "pumpkin capital" of the
world is Morton, Illinois?
Yes, this self proclaimed pumpkin capital is where you'll
find the home of the Libby corporation's pumpkin industry.
And did you know that the Irish brought this tradition of
pumpkin carving to America?
The tradition originally started with the carving of
turnips. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S., they found pumpkins a plenty and
they were much easier to carve for their ancient holiday.
Pumpkin Fun Facts:
* Pumpkins originated in Central America.
* The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" –
the Greek word for "large melon."
* Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
* Pumpkins are fruit.
* Pumpkin flowers are edible.
* Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack.
* Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies and breads.
* Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.
* Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United
States is available in October.
* The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in
diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36
pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
* In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an
ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
* Colonists sliced off pumpkin tips; removed seeds and
filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and
is the origin of pumpkin pie.
* Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles
and curing snake bites.
* The largest "official" pumpkin ever grown
weighed 1,340 pounds.
* The largest "unofficial" pumpkin ever grown
weighed 1'458 pounds, but was not awarded due to damage.
* The Connecticut field variety is the traditional
American pumpkin.
* Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
* Eighty percent of the pumpkins supply in the United
States is available in October.
* Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried
them and made mats.
* Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm, or
isquotersquash."
* Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and
medicine.
Much debate over what to do with dead leaves
by Susan Harris - http://homesteadgardens.wordpress.com
It all
started when an article called “Leaf it Be!” was distributed via email list to
gardeners around Metro DC. In it, the
author comes to the rescue of dead leaves, saying they’re ”an important part of
the ecosystem, a natural fertilizer.
When did they become our enemy?”
And she’s right – dead leaves, when left in the garden, hold water,
neutralize acid, and slowly release nutrients.
They’re a valuable resource that we can all agree don’t belong in some
landfill.
But figuring
out exactly WHAT to do with dead leaves turns out to be no easy thing. ‘Leaf it Be!” and a bunch of animated email
group responses to it got me interested in the answer(s).
In Borders
and around Trees and Shrubs
More and more
we’re being urged to leave dead leaves in place in the garden, and clearly in
some situations it’s a fine idea. But
not for all, including my own garden with its abundance of mature oaks. Like most everything in nature, it
depends. In this case, you have to ask:
How many
leaves are we talking about?
How kind of
leaves – the big oak leaves that prevent water from penetrating the soil, or
thin elm leaves that don’t smother plants?
And will the leaves be covering a groundcover
you’d rather not kill?
What everyone
DOES agree on is that putting chopped dead leaves in borders and around trees
and shrubs is fine. Actually, it’s
terrific – because chopped leaves do all those great things that leaves do,
without doing any harm. It enjoys all
the benefits we’ve come to know and love in any good organic mulch, which is
what chopped leaves become. For about
chopped-leaf mulch, check the Illinois Extension Service.
On Lawn
Apparently NO
one is suggesting that whole leaves be allowed to sit on and eventually smother
the lawn. (Don’t believe me?) But it’s also true that lots of experts are
now advising chopping up the leaves that drop on lawn - by mowing over them –
and leaving them in place to serve as a source of organic matter for the soil
and some nutrients for the turfgrass.
Chopped leaves are known to increase microbial activity in the
soil.
But wait;
some brand new research proves that chopped leaves not only add organic matter
and nutrients – they suppress weeds!
Anywhere in
the Garden
With all this
discussion of leaves being left in the garden, an email from Ed Brandt to the
email group got everyone’s attention because he’s a big shot in the regional
office of the EPA. He quoted from the
Tick Management Handbook by Kirby Stafford, which repeatedly recommends
removing leaves. It wasn’t clear if that
included chopped leaves, so we need a bit of clarification there, Ed.
On Hard
Surfaces
For obvious
safety purposes, dead leaves should be removed early and often from surfaces
people walk on. And certainly all wood
surfaces benefit from having the leaves removed to prevent rotting.
Making and Using Leaf Mold
By Colleen Vanderlinden, About.com Guide
Leaf mold is
an excellent, free soil amendment. It is easy to make, simple to use, and has a
huge impact on soil health.
What is Leaf
Mold? Leaf mold is the result of letting
leaves sit and decompose over time. It is dark brown to black, has a pleasant
earthy aroma and a crumbly texture, much like compost. In fact, leaf mold is
just that: composted leaves. Instead of adding a bunch of organic matter to a
pile, you just use leaves.
Benefits of
Leaf Mold
You may be
wondering why you shouldn't just make compost. Why bother making a separate
pile just for leaves? The answer is that while compost is wonderful for
improving soil texture and fertility, leaf mold is far superior as a soil
amendment. It doesn't provide much in the way of nutrition, so you will still
need to add compost or other organic fertilizers to increase fertility. Leaf
mold is essentially a soil conditioner. It increases the water retention of
soils. According to some university studies, the addition of leaf mold
increased water retention in soils by over 50%. Leaf mold also improves soil
structure and provides a fantastic habitat for soil life, including earthworms
and beneficial bacteria.
How to Make
Leaf Mold
There are two
popular ways to make leaf mold, and both are ridiculously simple. The one thing
you'll need to keep in mind is that leaf mold doesn't happen overnight. Leaves
are basically all carbon, which takes a lot longer to break down than
nitrogen-rich materials such as grass clippings. The decomposition process for
leaves takes at least six to twelve months. The good news is that it's
basically six to twelve months with very little work on the gardener's part.
The first
method of making leaf mold consists of either piling your leaves in a corner of
the yard or into a wood or wire bin. The pile or bin should be at least three
feet wide and tall. Pile up your leaves, and thoroughly dampen the entire pile.
Let it sit, checking the moisture level occasionally during dry periods and
adding water if necessary.
The second
method of making leaf mold requires a large plastic garbage bag. Fill the bag
with leaves and moisten them. Seal the bag and then cut some holes or slits in
the bag for air flow. Let it sit. Check the bag every month or two for
moisture, and add water if the leaves are dry.
After six
months to a year, you will have finished leaf mold. Impatient? There are a
couple of things you can do to speed up the process:
Before adding
leaves to your pile or bag, run over them a couple of times with your lawn
mower. Smaller pieces will decompose more quickly.
Use a shovel
or garden fork to turn your leaf pile every few weeks. If you are using the
plastic bag method, just turn it over or give it a firm shake. This will
introduce air into the process, which speeds decomposition.
If you are
using the pile or bin method, cover your pile with a plastic tarp. This will
keep the leaves more consistently moist and warm
How to Use
Leaf Mold
Leaf mold has
several uses in the garden. You can dig or till it into garden beds to improve
soil structure and water retention. You can use it as mulch in perennial beds
or vegetable gardens. It's also fabulous in containers, due to its water
retaining abilities.
Leaf mold is
simple, free, and effective. If you're lucky enough to have a tree or two (or
ten) on your property, you've got everything you need to make great garden
soil.
Did You Know? Fun Facts in the Garden
By Toni Leland (http://davesgarden.com)
Fall is here
and quickly on its way out in many parts of the country. Gardens are slipping
gently into winter slumber. What's a gardening nut to do? Enjoy the brief
respite with some fun facts.
DID YOU KNOW?
Dragonflies
can fly up to 20 miles per hour! They
also hover and fly backwards. These insect-devouring hunters should be a
welcome sight in any garden, consuming gnats, midges, beetles, moths, and
mosquitoes. More than 400 dragonfly and damselfly species inhabit North
America.
The average
caterpillar has 4,000 muscles, and 248 in its head alone! Caterpillars are the
larval stage of moths and butterflies in the order Lepidoptera. Over 180,000
species fall into this classification.
Planting
just 3 shade trees around your home can save between $100 and $250 per year in
energy costs! Best choices for aiding inside temperature are deciduous trees,
which shade the house from the sun in summer, but allow the sun to penetrate
during winter. Evergreens are a good choice for blocking cold northern winds.
Ancient
Egyptian laborers ate onions to give them strength while building the pyramids!
The Allium genus is one of the largest
plant genera in the world, with over 1,250 species. Onions are also one of the
oldest vegetables used as a food source. Historical citations list onions as a
leading ingredient for infertility, impotence, headache, hair loss, and in
muscle liniments.
You can tell
the temperature outside by listening to a cricket! Count the number of chirps
in 15 seconds, then add 37. The sum will be the approximation of temperature in
degrees Fahrenheit. The male cricket does most of the singing by rubbing his
wings together, usually to attract a female, but often to sound an alert when
danger is near.
Figs were the
first domesticated crop in the Near East about 11,400 years ago! Archaeologists
found carbonized figs in a village north of ancient Jericho, and compared the
fruits to modern specimens. Through this comparison, they determined that the
fruits had been intentionally propagated. 3
The world's
largest flower measures up to 3 feet across and weighs close to 15 pounds! Rafflesia arnoldii grows in the rainforests
of Indonesia. It is a parasitic plant which uses a host plant to gather water
and nutrients. Though beautiful to behold, the bloom has an odor similar to that
of rotting meat.
The annoying
Asian Lady Beetle is a beneficial insect! Though not welcome inside the house,
these predators consume large quantities of aphids and scale insects, and are
responsible for benefiting the pecan industry by controlling the pecan aphid.
A pair of doves can produce up to 5 or 6
broods a year! Generally, the female lays a clutch of 2 eggs. The nest is never
left unattended; the male sits on the nest from mid-morning until late
afternoon, then the female takes over for the night.
Variegated
Dogwood Most variegated plants are actually mutations! Chlorophyll is the green
pigment needed for photosynthesis. In variegated leaves, the cells that are
genetically unable to produce this pigment appear white; some pigments in the
mutated cells can produce pink or yellow. These interesting and attractive
plants are prized by most gardeners, and highly cultivated by nurseries. A
variegated plant will grow more slowly because of its reduced ability to
produce food energy.
Some plants bloom at night to attract
night-flying pollinators! Ever sit out at dusk and suddenly notice a heavenly
scent on the air? Chances are, you or your neighbors have one or more of the
common night-blooming species such as Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana alata),
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba), or Angel's Trumpet (Datura inoxia). Petunias bloom
during the day, but release their scent at night. August Hosta (Hosta
plantaginea) fills the evening air with heavy perfume, and the Lemon lily
(Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus) and Citron Lily (Hemerocallis citrina) release a
crisp, refreshing scent. Shrubs that are known for night scent are the
Ear-leaved Umbrella Tree (Magnolia fraseri) and Sweet Bay (Magnolia
virginiana).
Horti-Culture
Corner
The fallen
leaves that jewel the ground,
They know the
art of dying,
And leave
with joy their glad gold hearts,
In the
scarlet shadows lying.
The
Incredible String Band – “October Song”
Worm Watch (Part 1)
While other
creatures are winging and swimming south as you read this, underground worm
activity is also at a peak. Surprised? Fall and spring are a worm's favorite
seasons! Dark, cool, and moist. That's how worms like it. Believe it or not,
worms are responsible for eating many of the fallen leaves and debris that
result from autumn season. They hang around because there's good stuff to eat,
and they like the cool temps and moist conditions fall brings.
Strange
Garden Tool of the Month
DiviShovel
Modern Gardening Tools by Jo Sumin
Small space
gardeners – and those who hate toting around a lot of heavy garden tools –
always appreciate compact designs that don’t take up a lot of room. The
DiviShovel 4-in-1 garden tool by Jo Sumin packs two shovels, a hoe and a broom
into one lightweight package that has a shoulder strap for easy carrying.
Worm Watch
Part 2
http://www.learner.org
When
temperatures drop or soils get too warm or dry, worms know what to do. If it
starts getting chilly, many kinds of worms tunnel deep into the soil before it
freezes. Worms "migrate" downward, burrowing deeper to get past the
frost. Sometimes they dig six feet deep! There they stay in their burrows,
prisoners below soil frozen hard as rock and topped by ice and snow. They coil
into a slime-coated ball and go into a sleep-like state called estivation,
which is similar to hibernation for bears. (The mucous, or slime, keeps the
worms from drying out.) Worms will survive in frozen or dry soils by estivation
until conditions improve.
Not all kinds
of earthworms make that downward journey to survive winter. Some kinds of
earthworms lay their eggs in cocoons safe in the soil to hatch when conditions
are right. Then they settle under leaf litter on top of the soil, where
winter's cold makes them freeze and die.
