VCE Articles - Fluvanna Master Gardeners

Jan 14 2008

Educational Opportunities

14 January 2008

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Charlottesville/Albemarle County Office
460 Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
phone: 434.872.4580 fax: 434.872.4578

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The winter season offers us many opportunities for learning and the topic of gardening is no exception. From professional conferences and technical workshops to community classrooms and University outreach, we find a variety of presentations, workshops, short courses, and seminars that can feed our heads. Whatever you desire it is nice to know what is out there so you make your choices.

The Tree Doctor, Dr. Jay Stipes.

Here are some of the upcoming continuing education opportunities of the horticultural variety that I know about. I hope you see something you like and if you know of some others please let me know ([email protected]) so I can pass them on.

The 25th Annual Central Virginia Landscape Management Seminar featuring Rick Darke on Grasses and the Design of Mid-Atlantic Livable Landscapes, Dr. Jay Stipes on Experiences as a Tree Doctor, Nancy Ross Hugo on Remarkable Trees of Virginia and Ridge Schuyler on Collecting Rainwater: Is a Practice of the Past a Wave of the Future? To be held at the Albemarle County Office Building Auditorium, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902 on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information call April Pekary at (540) 894-9228 or check with www.piedmont-landscape.org.

The Ninth Annual Virginia Biological Farming Conference is themed Opportunities In Organic Farming. There are four tracks of presentations concerning opportunities in organic horticulture, organic field crops, organic livestock and marketing. Experienced farmers and scientists will discuss production systems which have proven to be successful. It will be held February 15-16, 2008 at the Sheraton Richmond West Hotel Richmond, VA, for more information check with www.vabf.org or Marilyn Buerkens, Conference Registrar at (540) 291-4333 [email protected].

UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies is offering classes in medicinal herbs, organic gardening, perennial gardening, and a landscape design workshop. You can register online at www.uvaenrichment.info.

The Ivy Creek Natural Area is a great place to hike and there are educational programs offered every month of the year. Check with http://www.ivycreekfoundation.org/calendar.html to their latest offerings.

Piedmont Virginia Community College offers three horticulture classes this spring in Environmental Factors in Plant Growth, Soils, and Plant Pest Management. Check with http://www.pvcc.edu/index.asp for more information.

25th Annual Virginia Vineyards Association's Technical meeting and Trade Show featuring a Petit Verdot workshop conducted by Tony Wolf and Bruce Zoecklein, and includes wine tasting with guest speakers, Virginia Grape Grower of the Year Award, and 25th Anniversary Dinner. This will be held 7-9 February 2008 at the Omni Hotel Charlottesville, for more information check with Kay Thompson at 434-277-9463 and [email protected]

Piedmont Master Gardeners Spring Lecture Series, Thursday Evenings in March, featuring presentations on monarch butterflies, moss gardening, water wise gardening, and landscaping your home. For more information check with www.piedmontmastergardeners.org or 434-872-4580.

Tree Steward Volunteer Training Course featuring classes on everything you every wanted to know about trees but were afraid to ask on Monday mornings in Charlottesville from February 25 to May 14, 2008, For more information please call 434-872-4580.

2008 Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course featuring more than 70 professional speakers presenting 160 Green Industry sessions. This will be held January 27 - February 1, 2008 at The Founders Inn & Spa, Virginia Beach for more information check with www.mahsc.org or call (757) 523-4734.

Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener classes in Fluvanna and Louisa counties beginning in early 2008. Please call your local Extension office for more information.

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For more information about this and other landscape topics contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. The local Virginia Cooperative Extension office numbers are Albemarle 872-4580, Fluvanna 591-1950, Greene 985-5236, Louisa 540-967-3422, and Nelson 263-4035.

Jan 07 2008

New Years Resolutions for Gardeners

07 January 2008

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Charlottesville/Albemarle County Office
460 Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
phone: 434.872.4580 fax: 434.872.4578

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And now the end is near and so we face the final bargain. My friends, Ill say it clear, its time to think about your garden. Youve lived a year thats full. Youve mulched each and evry pathway; but more, much more than this, you dug it your way.

A nutritionist teaching children about fresh vegetables.

But seriously folks, now is a good time to reflect on the many issues and concerns we have and that certainly is our tradition. New Years resolutions are sometimes difficult to keep because they usually require changes in our behaviors and habits. It is also tempting to feel overwhelmed and helpless, to shrug off action with the attitude, I'm only one person, and what can I do?

But even in our own gardens, we can do much to address the problems of our individual lives and those around us. I am sure you will see the rewards are worth the effort. Now is a good time to make a commitment to the New Year with resolutions we will carry through. Here are 10 gardening ideas for you to consider for your list of resolutions for 2008.

Fight inflation. A well-planned garden (30 x 50 ft.), under optimum conditions, can be expected to yield up to $500 in produce (with no taxes to be paid). In addition, gardening is an inexpensive recreational activity that can be shared by the entire family. Landscaping can add 10 percent to 15 percent to the value of your property, and it is an investment that keeps growing.
Improve your family's nutrition. The garden is not only an inflation fighter; it's a source of highly nutritional foods that taste fresher and better when you grow them yourself.
Conserve energy. By properly landscaping, you can reduce your air conditioning bill in the summer and heating bill in the winter. Learn about the use of trees and shrubs to modify your environment.
Reduce pollution. Your landscape can be useful in reducing air and water pollution. But be careful that in caring for your plants, you don't become a chemical polluter. Many homeowners use more chemicals per square foot than farmers do. Look for alternatives.
Protect the environment and those who live around you. Plan your landscape with food and shelter for wildlife, or incorporate wild flowers around your home. Don't take more from the environment than you return to it. If you heat with wood, plant at least as many trees as you cut down, if not on your property then at schools, parks or other public places.
Conserve water. Clear, pure water is a product of a complex system and should not be wasted. Never simply run cold water down the drain, while waiting for it to turn hot. Save it for your houseplants. Investigate the use of trickle irrigation for your garden.
Improve our educational system. Children learn from other sources besides their teachers. Give a child a plant, and teach him or her how to care for it. Or make a larger commitment, and sponsor a 4-H garden project or school garden program.
Improve your community. Make your neighborhood more attractive by working with others. Start with a good-looking, well-kept landscape. If you have no space, plant a geranium or zinnia in a window box or start a community gardening project.
Improve your health. Gardening is great preventative medicine. Not only does it provide physical activity; it also relieves many of the stresses and tensions of modern life.
Show you care. Share your horticultural skills and products with a friend. Then for a greater challenge, share them with a stranger--someone in a nursing home, halfway home, or local hospital--or a disadvantaged neighbor.

Happy New Year!

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Dec 31 2007

Woods & Wildlife

31 December 2007

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Charlottesville/Albemarle County Office
460 Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
phone: 434.872.4580 fax: 434.872.4578

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I hope everyone had at least a little time off this past year to enjoy with family, friends, and the great outdoors. Often we are too busy with our daily lives to take a hike in the woods and/or observe wildlife in our surroundings. Bringing people together for the holidays is a great excuse to go birding or simply take a hike in the woods. Many of us in this area are stewards of a piece of these woods and so this is also a good opportunity for us to observe and understand what changes are taking place and why.

An American Kestrel.

Our forests make a vital contribution to our state and beyond by providing economic, consumer, environmental and aesthetic benefits essential to our quality of life. Because the majority of Virginia's forests are owned by private forest landowners, the collective decisions of forest owners like you will determine the ability of future generations to enjoy these same benefits.

Sustainable forestry consists of those forest practices that meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Specifically, sustainable forestry integrates the regeneration, growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees for useful products while conserving soil, air, and water quality, wildlife and fish habitat, and landscape aesthetic quality.

Examples of sustainable forestry practices include:

minimizing the impact of forest management activities on water quality
tree planting or natural regeneration immediately following a timber harvest
ensuring a non-declining forest land base
maintaining important habitat elements for wildlife species
reducing invasive exotic plant species and pests
protecting special areas and rare habitats

While your objectives for owning forest land may vary over time, sooner or later most landowners decide to harvest timber. Timber harvesting is a powerful forest management tool, but must be used thoughtfully to ensure the sustainability of all your forest resources. It is important that you understand how forest management activities impact the sustainability of your forest and what steps you can take to ensure your goals are met within the context of good forest stewardship.

Managed forests provide an abundance of resources other than timber including wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, alternative income opportunities, and sites with special biologic and historical significance. While some areas of your forest may need to be set aside as special "hands-off" areas, careful planning and active management will allow you to combine many of your goals within the same forest stands.

If you are interested in finding out more about your forestry and wildlife resources please consider attending the 6th Annual Landowner Woods & Wildlife Conference Feb 16, 2008 in Charlottesville. This all day conference is a great place to meet various natural resource professionals, learn something about taking good care of your woodland, and meet other like-minded landowners.

The conference provides a mix of basic, emerging, and traditional forest management sessions including Human Wildlife Conflict, Working with Loggers, Land Conservation Tools, Shortleaf Pine Restoration, Timber Harvesting Effects on Wildlife, and Birds of the Piedmont, to mention a few. The day will appeal to large and small acreage landowners alike.

To learn more about this conference content or registration information, please go to http://info.ag.vt.edu/vce/offices/webinfo/files/Tri-foldBrochure.pdf to download a brochure. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The registration deadline is February 6. If you have any problems with the above link please call or e-mail Sandra Lillard (540)948-6881 [email protected]) to request a brochure be sent to you.

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Dec 24 2007

Mistletoe

24 December 2007

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Charlottesville/Albemarle County Office
460 Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
phone: 434.872.4580 fax: 434.872.4578

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For most of us, our awareness of mistletoe is limited to its use at Christmas time for stealing kisses under and for general decorative purposes. Where does this tradition come from? What is mistletoe? Is there something magical about this plant?

Mistletoe growing in a tree.

Three different families of mistletoe occur throughout the world. Twelve different species (in three genera), all belonging to the Viscaceae family, occur in North America. The most common species in Virginia is Eastern mistletoe, Phoradendron leucarpum, which grows in the Eastern United States as far north as West Virginia. This scientific name, if you are familiar with botanical names, clearly describes an important feature of this plant.

Phoradendron means thief of the tree, and that is exactly what mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant, parasitizing a variety of trees for water and nutrients while providing for its own food needs through photosynthesis. You may find mistletoe on over 100 species including some of our most common trees: sweet gum, hickory, maple, oak, sycamore, and tulip tree. While mistletoe can damage trees, most often it is not a serious pest in our forests or landscapes. However, heavy infestations can certainly shorten the life of a tree. From a practical standpoint, if you have a mistletoe-infected tree, the only way to kill it is to physically remove it. By pruning off the branch it is on, making the cut 1-2 feet below the parasite, you will hopefully get the whole plant. In most cases, this work should be done by a certified arborist for safety and to make sure proper pruning cuts are used.

The spread of Phoradendron leucarpum is one of the most interesting aspects of this plant. Ripe berries are tasty treats to several common birds including robins, thrushes, bluebirds, and cedar waxwings. After one of these critters eats a number of berries, the seed passes through the digestive tract unscathed and even retaining a sticky covering of hair like threads which work great for sticking to a branch. Seeds may also get stuck on a branch when a bird, who recently dined on mistletoe berries, wipes its beak on a branch or twig.

As unromantic as this may be, this is how a mistletoe plant gets its start. The seed, packed in dung, takes root on thin barked branches. Actually, it does not take root like soil-supported plants, but sends a primary haustorium, or a root-like attachment that penetrates and obtains food from the host to get beneath the bark. Once through the bark, the tree first layer of defense, cortical strands set up just under the bark in a branch like pattern to send out sinkers which tap into the trees plumbing to ensure plenty of water and nutrients for itself.

After about a year of the seed taking root the visible part of the plant will only be a few millimeters long. After it is well established, it can grow several centimeters per year. These aerial shoots could theoretically grow to be hundreds of years old, but are usually only a few years old before being broken off by snow or ice or killed back by freezing. However, this does not kill the plant. It simply sprouts back with a multitude of shoots. It is from these shoots that berries grow which birds then eat unless it is harvested for the holidays.

With their green shiny thick leaves and white or red berries, mistletoe is poplar holiday decor. Of course, it is much more than garland; it is mystery and romance! The history and beliefs about mistletoe go back to the Norse and Druids. The Norse held that if men in battle meet under mistletoe, they had to stop fighting, kiss and make-up. While we do not usually look to meet our enemies under mistletoe today, it seems a reasonable origin.

We can credit the English with starting the kissing tradition as we know it. The proper way to use mistletoe is to wait under it for a suspecting (or unsuspecting) guest and steal a kiss. After the kiss, remove one berry. When the berries are all gone, the kissing is over.

The Druids, on the other hand, believed it held magical and healing powers. Among other properties, it was thought to promote fertility and ward off evil. While today we know the berries are actually quite poisonous if eaten, mistletoe is being explored and in some cases used as an alternative medicine.

Aside from its use in some creams and shampoos, mistletoe is also thought to have some cancer treating potential. According to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, mistletoe extract stimulates the immune system, induces programmed cell death and offers some protection from potential carcinogens in laboratory and animal studies. Medicinal use of mistletoe is not approved for use in the United States but clinical trials are ongoing.

So as the English say, there you have it. Happy Holidays from Virginia Cooperative Extension!

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Dec 04 2007

Conserving Energy with Landscaping

4 December 2007

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Charlottesville/Albemarle County Office
460 Stagecoach Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
phone: 434.872.4580 fax: 434.872.4578

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So far we have been enjoying relatively mild weather this winter but colder days lay ahead. Along with the cold comes the expense of heating our homes. Well-placed plantings can significantly alter the microclimate around a home, resulting in a more comfortable environment and significant savings in heating and cooling costs over time.

Windbreak trees.

Winter winds increase the rate of air exchange between the interior and exterior of a house, lowering the interior temperature and thereby increasing the heating demand. In a windy site, a windbreak planting (also called a shelterbelt) can account for up to a 50-percent wind reduction and up to a 25-percent reduction in heating fuel consumption. A windbreak is a single or multiple rows of trees or shrubs in a linear configuration.

The goal of a windbreak is to reduce wind speed. Living windbreaks will reduce wind speeds for a distance 30 times the height of the windbreak. However, the maximum zone of wind reductions occurs at 5 to 7 times the height of the windbreak. A wind barrier that permits 50 to 60 percent wind penetration (as in the case of evergreen trees) is more effective than a solid barrier (such as a fence) because it provides a larger area of protection on the leeward side. Evergreen trees (conifers or broadleaf evergreens) are very effective in reducing wind speed. Shrubs next to a house can also reduce wind speed. Dense evergreen shrubs planted about 5 feet from a house will create an area of dead-air space. This dead-air space decreases heat loss from the house walls.

For maximum effectiveness, windbreaks should be oriented perpendicular to the direction of prevailing winter winds. In Virginia this is usually the northwest side of the area to be protected. The windbreak should be longer than the area to be protected. Wherever space permits, an extension on the east side will help, too. Generally, savings from windbreaks increase as the protected perimeter of a house increases; however, even a few well-placed trees make a difference.

Choose a relatively fast-growing, dense conifer or broadleaf evergreen species with stiff branches that will mature at a height about 1.5 times the height of the house. The species should retain branches low to the ground at maturity.

Most pines lose their lower branches with age, thus, they will serve as an effective windbreak for about 20 years. For a long-term windbreak, select species that keep their lower branches such as spruces, firs, arborvitae, and eastern red cedar. In the event your windbreak trees lose their lower branches, you can plant a row of dense evergreen shrubs at the base of the trees.

Norway, white, and Colorado blue spruce are among the best windbreak trees; blue spruce usually provides the most protection, but is slower-growing than the others. Consult your local Extension agent or garden center personnel to determine which conifers and broadleaf evergreens are suited to your area.

In regard to the number of rows of trees, the effectiveness of a windbreak generally increases with each added row, up to five rows. With dense trees such as spruce, two rows are usually the most cost-effective. The distance between rows depends on the mature height of the tree species. More northerly tree rows will cast shade onto trees of adjacent row(s) to the south. Since most conifers only tolerate a small amount of shade, your rows should be far enough apart to avoid the shading phenomenon.

In regards to the spacing between trees, it will, in part, depend on the mature width of the tree species. Trees can be planted at a distance less than their mature width to decrease the time to form a solid barrier. Spacing also depends on how quickly you desire the plants to grow together. Deciding how close to place plants is a compromise between planting plants at a close spacing (having plants grow together quickly) versus the cost of buying more plants which will be required for close spacing. Conversely, a wider spacing will take longer to fill in, but you will be buying fewer plants and spending less money.

Soil preparation prior to planting should include testing the soil and applying nutrients and lime as recommended. Tilling will be necessary for compacted soils. Early spring is a good time to plant windbreak trees, as it allows plants to grow roots into the surrounding soil before the first winter.

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