See the post about the veggie garden progress to see the wood chip pile at the beginning.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
See how the wood chip pile has shrunk.
See the post about the veggie garden progress to see the wood chip pile at the beginning.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Weekly Garden Newsletter, May 28, 2013 -
May 28, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly
Garden Newsletter
These weekly garden notes are
written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions
expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other
individual, group or organizations opinions.
Hi Gardeners
A much needed rain is falling outside my window. It’s preceding a warm front and everyone
should keep an eye on the sky and an ear on the weather radio later today as
the upper atmosphere is unsettled and turbulent and we could have severe
weather. While I don’t want storms I am
glad for the warmer weather and rain. I
had frost here 3 nights in a row this weekend.
I should have remembered my own advice about frost around the full moon
in May and I would not have had so many things to cover every night. Despite my
covering them I did notice some damage to the tops of my tomato plants, but I
think they will be fine.
I overdid it a bit on my own planting and gardening this weekend. I have my arthritis really acting up and I am
glad to be sitting inside today writing and letting it rain. I was on a quest to plant something everyday
in May and I have managed that except for two rainy and cold days – and maybe
today. This being my first garden
season of retirement I have some very ambitious garden projects going on. I planted annual flowers yesterday and moved
my started dahlias and begonias outside and this rainy day will be lovely for
them to get established.
I am pleased to say that the huge pile of wood chips we had
has been reduced to a few garden cart loads, which are being saved for the
mulching of one of my garden beds once I get it weeded. There is now a huge circle of bare ground
where the pile of woodchips was, and we are going to have to re-seed the grass
there it looks like. My husband Steve
has made it his quest to get the wood chip pile moved and he did a great job,
we have newly mulched garden paths and beds everywhere. And he did this from his wheelchair, one muck
tub load at a time, which makes it even more impressive.
I have corn sprouting and this rain should help the
germination rate. Two of my favorite
invasive plants are in bloom, Dames Rocket and Autumn Olive. I love the smell of Autumn Olive in bloom and
the bees are very fond of it too. The
shrubs by the pond were literally humming.
It is an aggressively spreading plant but I do see some merit in
it. The Dames Rocket came in a package
of wildflower seeds about 15 years ago.
I let a few plants mature to seed pods every summer so that it re-seeds
because I like it. Each year I get a
varying amount of it, this year the plants are sparse.
The hollyhocks are also few in number this year, but the
Larkspur is having a banner year. I
weeded out fistfuls of the feathery plants from my big flower bed, leaving a
few here and there. The comfrey,
another invasive plant, is also blooming to the delight of the bees. I have far fewer plants of that due to an aggressive
campaign to limit it last year. I let
some grow in front of the propane tank and in a few other odd spots for the
bees. That’s probably a mistake because it
will seed all over but I didn’t want to take it all away from the bees.
 |
| Star of Bethlehem, another weed in bloom. |
Also in bloom are the redtwig dogwoods, ground ivy, columbine,
coral bells, lily of the valley, Jacob’s Ladder, iris, trumpet honeysuckle,
alliums and sweet woodruff, which is
about 3 weeks later than its normal bloom time.
Fruit tree damage
I examined my fruit trees again yesterday. The cherries have a lot of fruit set but some
of that may drop after the cold weather, according to the MSU Fruit report. I can’t really tell about my apples yet,
there are still a few blooms on the trees, and it’s too early to say how many
apples will develop. I only noticed a
few plums developing.
Bob Tritten in his Southeastern fruit report for MSU notes
that there is a large loss of pears and peaches and he thinks maybe a 50-60 % reduction
in apple set but that we can still have a good crop of apples. I had noticed my
own strawberries blooming on rather sparse looking plants and I read that Bob
is also noticing a lack of foliage on many strawberry farms. He recommends nitrogen fertilization for the
strawberries so that’s on my agenda.
Costa Rican Skullcap
One of the new to me flowers I picked up this spring was
Costa Rican or Scarlet Skull Cap,( Scutellaria costaricana). This plant has a short shrub form, with clusters
of upward facing tubular flowers in scarlet, orange and yellow, each with a
contrasting color on the flower “lip” and some with contrasting throat color. The flowers are held above the evergreen
foliage, most unusual and intriguing.
The flowers are said to be attractive to bees and hummingbirds. It’s a tender perennial; they have been
offered as houseplants in some catalogs for a while now new varieties are being
promoted as container plants for outside. They are for sunny or mostly sunny locations
but must be kept moist. I have seen some
reports that it prefers acidic soil. These skullcaps are said to bloom all summer.
I planted mine in an old, as in antique, cinder block that
had wide, long holes that I had placed next to my new veggie garden gate. I planted a red and an orange skullcap along
with a “Firecracker” (Cuphea) plant in
the block. For those who haven’t seen
the plant I will post pictures on my garden blog page soon. I picked up the plants at Campbell’s
Greenhouse in North Branch.
There is a North American skullcap that is used in herbal
remedies as a mild sedative. It has blue
or purple flowers and grows in moist wooded areas. There are also Chinese skullcaps that are
used in a wide array of Chinese medicines.
I don’t know if the Costa Rican Skullcap has any medicinal
properties. All Skullcaps are members of
the mint family.
Australians win Chelsea garden show
The Olympics of gardening were held last week and an
Australian team is jubilant over their victory.
Landscape designer Philip Johnson and an Australian team of gardeners won
the best of show trophy after nine years of trying. The team worked for 14 hours a day for 18 days
to build a stone gorge, complete with waterfalls and Australian flora as their
exhibit. Ten exhibits get awards but
there is one best of show award that is the most coveted. His
garden may not have won but Prince Harry’s garden exhibit got a lot of
attention after his royal grandparents showed up to see it. It featured a pattern of hearts and crowns
said to memorialize his mother, Princess Diana.
Each year in Chelsea, England, one of the world’s largest
and most prestigious garden event is held on 11 acres of the Royal Hospital
Chelsea grounds in west London. There
are 550 exhibits from around the world and this year was the 100th
anniversary of the event. Attendance is
limited to 157,000 visitors and it takes a crew of 800 people about 15 months
to prepare the event. No tickets are
sold at the gate; they must be purchased in advance. Most people wear garden party attire to the
event. Children under 5 are not allowed.
This year a flower of the century was picked by popular vote
and it was awarded to the hardy geranium 'Rozanne’, which was introduced at the
show in 2000. The geranium was found
growing in 1989 in a corner of the garden of Rozanne and Donald Waterer in the village of Klive, Somerset UK. ‘Rozanne’ was taller, hardier and had larger
flowers than most hardy geraniums and may have been a natural hybrid. It’s pretty blue-violet flowers may be in
your garden as it’s a popular perennial.
Can lemons repel
ticks?
It’s long been known that animals that live where citrus fruits
grow often rub the fruit and leaves over their bodies. Researchers speculated that the citrus either
repelled or killed insect pests. Scientists
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Smithsonian Conservation
Biology Institute (SCBI) at the National Zoological Park in Front Royal, Va
decided to test the theory.
The scientists broke down the juice and rind from lemons
into some 20 different chemicals which they tested on mosquitoes and ticks to
see if they repelled or killed them. To
make a long story short they found at least 10 chemical components of lemon
either repelled or killed ticks and that there was some degree of repellence
for mosquitoes, although it wasn’t as strong as the tick reaction.
Scientists also tested millipedes, which some birds are
known to hold and rub over themselves.
They found that millipedes contain three benzoquinone chemicals (similar
to cyanide) that repel ticks and mosquitoes.
So if you are going for a stroll in the tall weeds it might be
worthwhile to rub lemons and millipedes on your legs
.
The benefits of ginger
It’s always good to hear of natural remedies that can help
our health. Recently researchers at
Columbia University found that ginger compounds can help asthma patients. Purified ginger components and isoproterenol (
a common asthma medication), were significantly better at relaxing bronchial
spasms and allowing patients to breathe easier than just the medication alone.
Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School
found that 2 grams of ginger root supplement reduced colon inflammation. And the same amount of supplement was found to
reduce muscle pain caused by exercise by 25% by the University of Georgia. In a study by the University of Rochester
Medical Center ginger capsules given with conventional anti-nausea medications reduced
the nausea of chemotherapy patients by 40% more than just the conventional
medications. Ginger has long been used
to cure a stomach ache and nausea but now we have “scientific” proof it works.
Do we need another
tomato that survives shipping?
A few weeks ago I talked about new purple tomatoes that were
developed with snapdragon genes. The
purple color increased the anthocyanins, healthy pigments, in tomatoes. Now those genes are being manipulated to
produce a tomato that will be more flavorful after shipping long distances. Scientists
are really excited that the purple genes may also have conveyed some advantages
in “keeping quality”.
Now tomatoes were pretty healthy foods even before being
manipulated. And I have never found a
tomato in a grocery store that tasted as good as those grown in a garden,
ripened in the sun and having traveled only a short distance. Even the tomatoes ripened in Canadian
greenhouses or grown locally using hydroponics indoors are a distance second to
garden ripened tomatoes.
I don’t see any reason that tomatoes should be grown far
away and transported to a store near you and I don’t see why we are wasting
scientific research dollars trying to make one that ships better. If you are my age you remember that “hothouse”
tomatoes were only available in limited quantities in winter, usually around
holidays in the grocery store. They were
expensive, and no one really expected them to taste like home grown tomatoes. Now people expect to walk into a supermarket
any time of the year and find tomatoes at a price they can easily afford. They really don’t know what to expect of the
flavor, because supermarket tomatoes are all many people know.
Part of America’s food problem and environmental problems is
that we expect to have what we want to eat at any time of the year. That results in tomatoes being grown in
places such as California and South America using scarce resources such as
water and being shipped thousands of miles, using fossil fuel energy and
polluting the environment. Not only do
the tomatoes have to stand up to shipping, which they don’t do well if they are
soft and juicy, but they must have shelf life, that is sit around for a while,
before rotting. They are not as nutritious
as tomatoes that ripen naturally on the vine.
There are nuances of flavor and texture that are only achieved when the
sun produces the sugars and acids in a fully ripened tomato growing on a
healthy vine.
Tomatoes should be grown locally and consumed in season. You
can store fresh, naturally ripened tomatoes at their peak by canning them or
making sauce or juice and freezing it and you will lose little of the flavor
and nutrition of the tomato. That’s not
true when you pick a tomato in a distant place while it’s still green and ship
it hundreds of miles, and then ripen it with ethylene gas. Or you chose a tomato in a supermarket that
looks red but is still hard and immature.
 |
| Planting a Tigerella tomato plant. |
We should stop spending money on developing tomatoes that
can stand shipping and have a long shelf life
and instead spend it on educating people that some food is better if its
eaten locally and in season. It’s better
for the environment and for us. Put the
research dollars into developing tomatoes that can ripen locally in hoop houses
in colder weather under less light. Or into
developing disease resistant tomatoes that homeowners can easily grow without
chemicals.
If you don’t have the place or time to grow your own
tomatoes buy them in season from a local grower. If you want tomatoes out of season can them
yourself or buy US grown and canned tomatoes.
Commercially canned tomatoes usually have few additives- unless you want
them- and they are nutritionally superior to shipped tomatoes, always from vine
ripened fruit at peak quality. There
are some environmental concerns still with packaging and shipping the canned
product but it’s a better option than shipping the green fruit and developing
farming enterprises to service far away
markets.
So get yourself some tomato plants this week and plant them.
Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Weekly Garden Newsletter May 21, 2013
May 21, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly
Garden Newsletter
These weekly garden notes are
written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions
expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other
individual, group or organizations opinions.
Hi Gardeners
 |
| Allium in bloom. |
It was 90 degrees yesterday, last Monday we had freezing
temperatures, by the end of the week temperatures should be back down to chilly
range, what a roller coaster ride. Keep
an eye on the sky and an ear on your weather radio today and tomorrow as this
wild weather can stir up some mean storms.
We do need some rain; I got only trace amounts here overnight. My sweet corn is all planted; it just needs
rain to grow.
My hanging basket of fuchsia was blown down last night
and it was barely wet. I left it down on
the ground until this weather is over and watered it well. You may want to take yours down; the wind can
be very destructive to hanging baskets.
If you only received a tiny bit of rain like I did make sure to water
those hanging baskets well, the wind and heat will suck them dead in no
time. Even a modest rain may not wet a
full hanging basket enough; the foliage and flowers shed the water off unto the
ground instead of into the pot.
Make sure to keep all transplants watered well until we
get some good soaking rain. This heat is
very hard on the newly planted. My
grandfather always made little newspaper hats for each tomato transplant, and
he planted 2-3 dozen each year. The hat
gave them a little shade and helped them through the transition from indoors to
outside. I used brown mailing type paper
I saved from a shipping box to cover my plants this week. If your transplants wilt, try to shade them
for a few days and keep them well watered.
Yes, my tomatoes are planted, (although I am still
looking for a certain variety.) The lilacs are at full bloom, which generally
means it’s safe to plant the tender things outside. I am holding off on the dahlias and on putting
out the houseplants. Be a little
watchful of the weather reports this weekend, I see some nights with lows down
to 40 or lower predicted and that could mean some light frost.
The verdict is still out on whether there was extensive
damage to the fruit crop from last week’s freezing temperatures. MSU fruit experts say even a 50% loss will be
tolerable, because the trees were so loaded with blossoms this year. I see some minor loss on my own apples, but
overall it doesn’t look too bad. Grape
shoots may have been damaged by the cold, but the plants should recover. Some strawberry crops were lost. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that no more
freeze/frost events occur.
Eastern Tent caterpillar nests are being seen here and
there, although around me it doesn’t seem to be a heavy year. These pests can cause some cosmetic damage
but rarely warrant chemical sprays. The
best way to get rid of them is with a hose; spray them out of the tree. Or if you can reach them pull off the web and
crush the worms.
Things are rapidly coming into bloom because of the
heat. I have late tulips and alliums in
bloom and my pink knock out rose is blooming.
In the woods the hawthorn is blooming quite nicely. The mulberry is blooming, although its bloom
isn’t pretty like other fruit. The ground
is purple with the blooms of ground ivy and violets, then accented with the
sprays of yellow rocket. The lilacs are
gorgeous this spring, but they won’t be around much longer in this heat.
I have planted some of my containers, I found some very
pretty pink and white variegated verbena, which I planted with pink and white
Argyranthemums. The Argyranthemum needs a good common name. These plants are actually tender perennials, which
this frugal gardener is going to try and overwinter inside this year. They are an example of a plant that you didn’t
see much even a few years ago. There are
many new plants on the market. It’s a
good year to explore some of them.
The
impatiens problem
 |
| Impatiens Downy Mildew |
Thirty years ago, believe it or not, impatiens were
pretty new as bedding plants. People
were just so happy to have a good annual plant for shady areas. When I was running the garden shop at Kmart
we often sold out of them and people would be waiting for them as we took them
off the truck. Until recently impatiens
sold for more than other annual bedding plants.
It’s a shame that impatiens are no longer a good choice
for gardeners to use as a bedding plant.
In the last few years a fungal disease, impatiens downy mildew reared
its ugly head and last year the disease made it to Michigan. I have seen a few impatiens plants here and
there this spring but most greenhouses were smart enough not to stock them this
year. They want their clients to be
happy with their purchases and they want to keep the disease out of their
greenhouses.
Downy mildew will kill impatiens plants in a week or so. If you had it last year it’s in your soil and
will be for years to come. You need to
find a substitute for impatiens that suits your conditions. I have a link to my article that will give
you more information about impatiens downy mildew and a picture under more
information below.
It’s important to say that New Guinea Impatiens are resistant
to downy mildew and should be ok to plant.
Their higher cost doesn’t make them a good bedding plant sub
though. There are also a few hybrid
impatiens that are resistant on the market but they are scarce and
expensive.
If you find bedding impatiens somewhere that aren’t
already infected- the disease often starts in the greenhouse, you didn’t have
the disease last year and you spray the plants faithfully every week or so with
a fungicide from the day you plant them to fall frost, you might keep them
growing. The cost of the fungicide would
probably be more than the plants.
 |
| Polka dot plant |
It’s better to pass on any bedding impatiens you may come
upon and choose another bedding plant.
Shade choices are somewhat limited, wax begonias, tuberous begonias, the
various begonia hybrids, coleus, caladiums, torenia could work. Polka dot plants will give color in shade or
sun. Fuchsia comes in upright varieties
but is a bit expensive for bedding. The more sun you have the greater your
choices will be. The newer variety of
snapdragons may be just right for partly sunny areas and salvias work good in
partial shade also. Lobelia, abutilon,
and heliotrope will also work in partial shade.
Plant
some sweet alyssum to control aphids
We talked about companion planting just last week and I
ran across this interesting research involving sweet alyssum this week. Researchers were looking for something to
help control wooly apple aphids in apple orchards and an organic solution was
ideal since many insecticides that control aphids are being phased out or
banned or the insects are becoming immune to them.
Research done at Washington State University found that
planting sweet alyssum among apple trees attracted large numbers of predatory
insects and spiders especially hoverflies, ( remember that “trick” question on
the Master Gardener exam anyone?)
Hoverflies love to munch on aphids.
To their surprise researchers found the aphid population was greatly
reduced in just one week.
Beneficial insects that prey on aphids and pollinators
are greatly attracted to sweet alyssum. These
insects often eat some nectar along with their “meat” and sweet alyssum has
that to share. It’s the hoverfly larvae that eat aphids, the adults feed on
nectar. The researchers found helpful insects and spiders were on the sweet
alyssum plants almost immediately.
I am thinking that sweet alyssum might be helpful in any
area where aphids become a problem and you don’t want to use chemical sprays. Roses, for example, often have aphid problems.
Just plant some sweet alyssum in full
bloom near affected plants and draw the good guys to the rescue. Since it may be hard to find later in the
year you may want to buy some and plant it in pots that can be moved near aphid
affected plants when needed. Or plant it
through the garden as a helpful preventative.
What
is "Hugelkultur”?
Hugelkultur is actually an ancient way of making raised
beds that is again becoming popular with European gardeners and which has now
spread to the US. It involves turning
piles of brush and wood scrap into gardens by layering on lots of compost,
manure and soil, right on top of the brush.
The piles are often 3-5 feet high and are planted with
vegetables and flowers. Eventually the
brush breaks down and it’s a good way to hasten decomposition of woody material
while giving garden plants a boost. Raised
beds are generally warmer and drain better and can be easier to work on.
I am a raised bed gardener but to me hugelkultur looks
like a lot of work and a lot of problems. What about the critters who live in
brush piles? I have planted things like
pumpkins and gourds at the edges of brush piles and let them cover it. My current huge brush piles are in the shade
however, and wouldn’t be great for gardening.
Why
Asian Lady Bugs are so successful
Everyone knows that Asian Lady bugs far outnumber native
Lady bugs in the environment wherever they exist. They are a problem in the US as well as
Europe because they invade homes in huge numbers and may contaminate fruit
crops, especially grapes, making things like cider and wine taste bad. There has been a lot of controversy as to why
the Asian Lady beetle is so successful over the years.
Recently researchers have discovered that the Asian Lady
Beetle carries a tiny parasite in its hemolymph, the fluid a lady bug secretes
when annoyed or threatened. The Asian Lady
beetle is immune to the parasite, but other native lady beetles die when
infected with the parasite. It’s common
for lady beetles to eat each other, when Asian Lady beetles eat other lady
beetles they thrive, but native species that eat the Asian lady beetle
die. It is also believed that the
parasite can be transferred to native lady bugs in other ways.
The parasite is not harmful to humans but it does produce a protein in
the Asian Lady beetles hemolymph called harmonine which interests scientists
studying immune system responses and could be an immune system booster.
Crazy
Ants
Fire ants have caused much grief for southern gardeners
since they worked their way up from South America many years ago. Now a new invading ant is taking over fire
ant territory, and since it may survive cooler weather better than fire ants,
might become a problem for northern gardeners if it is carried north. This ant, Nylanderia fulva, is also called
Rasberry Crazy ant (named for the discoverer, not the fruit, hence the
spelling) but the official common name is Tawny Crazy ant. It too comes from South America. It’s a non-descript, reddish brown medium
sized ant.
They get the name Crazy ant because of the huge erratic
colonies they build up; often the Crazy Ant population in an area will be 100
times more than all other ant species combined.
They also seem to move erratically in their search for food. They eat
anything, including other ants, and eliminate all competing species, even fire
ants. The worst thing about them is that
unlike fire ants they invade homes, often in the thousands, and are very hard
to control. They often damage electrical
systems and equipment by eating components or shorting them out.
The key to keeping them from spreading north is to watch
for ants hitchhiking in things like potted plants, camping equipment and RV’s. These ants do not fly at any stage of their
life so their spread is solely by foot travel or hitchhiking. Be very careful with nursery plants you receive
from the south, particularly those from Texas and Florida. While they may have been inspected, there’s
always a chance a crazy ant could slip through. And if you visit the south please be very
careful not to bring ants back with you.
Potato
famine re-visited
All those plant geeks who carefully dry and preserve
specimens have done us a favor or at least helped enlighten us about an old
problem. Scientists using new gene
sequencing techniques were able to take specimens in herbariums (plant museums)
that were from potatoes infected with late blight during the Irish potato
famine and sequence the genome of the blight.
There are many strains of Phytophthora, the fungus that
causes late blight. The researchers were
able to determine that the strain that caused the Irish potato famine in the
1840’s was a unique one, which they named HERB-1. It’s gone from our fields now
and hopefully will not reappear.
Potato blight probably was carried to Europe in the 16th
century from the Toluca Valley, Mexico.
It took many years for the deadly strain that caused massive changes in
Ireland’s population to evolve. Over a
million people died of starvation because of their dependence on potatoes as a
food source, and around a million people migrated out of Ireland during the
blight years. Ireland’s population has
never recovered to pre-blight numbers.
 |
| Late blight on tomatoes |
Late blight is still a problem, both for tomatoes and
potatoes, as gardeners know, and scientists worry that another extremely
virulent strain will evolve similar to the Herb-1 strain. While
millions may not starve if this occurs it will severely affect the
economy. It’s important that gardeners
help farmers by controlling late blight and reporting any cases that seem to be
late blight to your local USDA office. I
would say report it to the Extension office but in most Extension offices now
all you would get is a blank stare and maybe a phone number to a hotline
staffed by volunteers.
Do
your garden gloves contain lead and your garden hose phylates?
Recent research from a Michigan based non-profit that
investigates harmful chemicals in household items is being widely publicized in
the media during the opening to the garden season.
The Ecology Center has publicized the results of tests on garden
products on its website http://www.healthystuff.org/
The report states that some garden gloves tested contained
lead and phylates and that garden hoses could deliver a toxic soup of lead,
phylates and other chemicals when water was left in the hoses in the sun. (Phylates are chemicals that are from
plastics, especially PVC’s and are known to be carcinogenic.)
Certainly drinking water from such hoses might be
hazardous but I’m not sure how hazardous the garden gloves would be unless you
have a habit of sucking on them. It could be that some chemicals would be
absorbed through your sweaty hands. The
gloves that were tested were those that had “rubber” coatings or those small
grip dots and I do like my Mudd gloves, which are “rubber” coated on the palm.
Chemicals in hoses are more serious. I would never drink from a garden hose after
reading this. I’m a bit worried about
watering my animals from them. The less expensive PVC, vinyl or plastic hoses
all give off phylates. Brass nozzles
leach lead into hoses- of course plastic nozzles leach other chemicals. Whether watering your food plants with these
hoses is a problem remains to be seen.
The report recommends that hoses be allowed to run for
several minutes to flush out chemicals before using on food plants or filling
pet dishes. It suggests that people
switch to “food grade” or “drinking water” grade hoses, which are made from
safe substances. They are more expensive
than regular hoses and you will probably have to look for them in the sporting
goods or RV supply section of the store rather than the garden shop. I would also avoid brass nozzles or other
fittings. Things that are supposed to
be copper often contain lead also.
 |
| Heliotrope could be used in place of impatiens in partly sunny areas. |
Beware of crazy ants and hugelkultur
Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent
More Information
Impatiens Downy Mildew
Read the
examiner article by Kim Willis
Almost every gardener
has grown impatiens in a shady or semi-shady spot in the garden. Impatiens is
known for long lasting color in the garden or in containers and until recently
had few insect and disease problems. Recently however a new disease for
impatiens, downy mildew, is causing concern for growers and gardeners alike.
Some parts of the country are not affected yet, but the disease has been found
in Michigan, in fact it is becoming a problem in many areas.
Impatiens downy mildew, Plasmopara obducens, is a fungal disease that prefers cool, moist conditions.
Heavy dews and high humidity favor its spread. It can spread by windborne
fungal spores or by contact.
Read more about the symptoms and what to do at this article:
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Garden Newsletter May 14, 2013
May 14, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly
Garden Newsletter
These weekly garden notes are
written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions
expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other
individual, group or organizations opinions.
Hi Gardeners
What a difference a day or so can make in Michigan! I sat at my mom’s house Sunday and watched
sleet and snow mixed with rain falling. As
I drove down to her house I chuckled at everyone out mowing with winter coats
on. It’s just hard to believe we had
this weather on May 12th. That was the only day so far in May I haven’t
planted something outside.
I went outside to a morning that was cloudy and damp but the
wind was from the south and I could smell the change coming. We should have decent temperatures the rest
of the week. I put my hand into a
chicken nest this morning looking for eggs and found a newborn kitten. I guess momma cat though the extra warmth of
the hens was needed. She (the cat)
popped back into the nest a few minutes later. We’ll see how that little scenario plays out.
 |
| Apple at full bloom. |
The temperatures Sunday night fell into the 20’s and that
may have impacted our fruit trees again this year, although I think less
drastically than last year. We had just a few hours of about 28 degree
weather. According to MSU charts that
should translate to about a 10% kill rate of fruit tree blossoms, those half
open, open and just dropped. My own
apples were in various stages of opening from just beginning to open to full
bloom. My pears, cherries, plums and
peaches were at full bloom to blossom drop.
Since the trees are loaded with flowers this year a 10% reduction may
actually be helpful, thinning out the crop.
But only time will tell us what damage was actually done.
The lilacs were just starting to bloom too and I am a bit
worried that they may just stop at that stage and turn brown after the
cold. I am waiting for the warmer
weather today and tomorrow to see if they fully open. As I came home from my parent’s house Sunday
I saw many people out covering up plants with sheets but the problem is that
when temperatures go into the 20’s covering tender plants just isn’t
enough. Someone I know, who shall remain
nameless, decided that the warm temperatures last week meant she could put her
houseplants outside- big mistake.
Tropical plants don’t do well outside when the temps drop below 40 at
night, much less below freezing. Don’t
put out the houseplants until early June, when hopefully, we will have no
really cold nights.
Frost protection
Undoubtedly we will have more nights this month when frost
may happen. Some annual plants can withstand a light
frost and others will come through a frost if you cover them. Marigolds, petunias, snapdragons, salvia,
zinnias, tuberous begonias and geraniums can be protected by throwing a sheet
or other cover over them if frost threatens.
Other plants like coleus, New Zealand Impatiens, fuchsia, rex begonias,
tropical succulents and accent plants are best brought inside, if
possible. Even an unheated porch or
garage would be better protection.
When you do cover plants don’t use plastic, if it will touch
the foliage or flowers. The cold will
transfer right through it where it touches. Use cloth, old sheets work, or even paper
draped on plants. (If it is suspended so it doesn’t touch the plants plastic is
ok. ) Empty flower pots, buckets, baskets,
boxes, plastic pop bottles with the tops cut off or milk jugs with the bottom
cut out can be used to cover individual plants.
It won’t hurt to have the leaves touch the plastic of bottles or jugs
and holes in the top of overturned flower pots are ok too. You can also buy woven row cover fabric to
cover plants.
Uncover any plants as soon as the sun comes up. Heat builds up quickly, especially under
plastic covered plants. The heat can
kill your plants as quickly as the cold.
If the day is cold and cloudy covers can be left on.
Don’t worry about established perennial plants in frosty
conditions. Sometimes they will experience
mild leaf die back but will generally recover.
If we should get many more nights below freezing – let’s hope not- some
perennials like hosta’s might look
pretty bad. But looking ahead at the
weather I don’t think we need to worry.
On the other hand if you have just transplanted new perennials into the
garden that have been in a greenhouse, you may want to cover them on frosty
nights to avoid leaf or flower damage.
Frost can happen anytime we have clear nights with no wind
when temperatures fall below 35 degrees or so.
Keep an eye on the weather this time of the year. I cover all tender plants on a clear, still
evening when temps are supposed to be below 40 degrees. The weather predictions can’t be exact on
temperatures and better safe than sorry.
Also remember that cloudy skies can clear overnight and allow frost to
happen so pay attention to weather forecasts.
 |
| Fuchsia, beautiful but very tender . |
If you are like me when you visit a greenhouse or (even the
grocery store) this time of year you are likely to buy plants, even though you
know it’s a risk to plant them outside.
You may want to keep those tender plants on a rolling cart, as I do, and
roll them out in the sun in the day and inside a garage, barn or shed at
night. Plants need a bit of time to accommodate to conditions
outside a greenhouse anyway. If it is
warm, sunny and windy you may want to bring them out for few hours then put
them back inside or move them into a place out of the wind and direct sun. Remember
that plants in cell packs and small pots will dry out rapidly in wind and sun
and may need watering several times a day.
Basil and peppers-
exploring companion planting
A new study exploring plant communication found that basil
planted close to pepper helps pepper seeds germinate and the plants grow faster
than peppers without nearby basil.
Conventional understanding of companion planting has always been that
either plants emit beneficial chemicals into the soil that help one another,
they transfer nitrogen from the air to the soil, or that they repel pests to
create that symbiotic relationship. But
when scientists kept the soil of basil and peppers separate and excluded pests
they found that basil near peppers still helped the peppers grow better.
Researchers say this nurturing encouragement comes from “nanomechanical
oscillations from inside the cell” (
sweet whispering?) . They also found
that fennel is a “bad neighbor” causing
many plants to grow poorly. ( Whispers
death threats?)
Here are some companion plantings that are often
suggested. We do know that some plants
do repel insects and some do fix nitrogen in the soil but there may be whispering
that we have missed too. Plant basil with
tomatoes as well as peppers. Plant thyme
with cabbage. Plant lettuce and spinach
with peas, ( I do this all the time).
Grow radishes and nasturtiums with cucumbers. Plant horseradish in potato rows. Plant beans and corn together.
People are often told to plant marigolds in the garden to
deter nematodes ( small wormlike creatures) in the soil. However research has shown that only the
African marigolds closest to the wild varieties have any protective benefit and
that is small. Since soil nematodes aren’t
a frequent home gardener problem anyway plant marigolds in the garden because
they are pretty. All flowers attract pollinators
so adding flowers to the vegetable garden can be helpful.
Saving the frogs by
destroying buckthorn
.jpg) |
| Save the frogs. |
Frogs and other amphibians and reptiles, are rapidly
declining in all parts of the world.
Frogs and toads in the garden are extremely beneficial, gobbling up
hundreds of harmful insects and serenading us with song. The tadpole babies of frogs and toads are an
important part of the aquatic food chain.
An insidious frog virus that has spread across the world and loss of
habitat are part of the reason for the decline but research has identified
another frog threat. Research done at
the Lincoln Park Zoo and Northern Illinois University has shown that European
Buckthorn, an invasive plant in the Midwest and through 2/3 of the country also
contributes to frog decline.
European Buckthorn has a chemical, emodin, in all parts of
the plant, roots, leaves, stems, which disrupt frog reproduction when the
plants grow near ponds where frogs breed.
Levels of emodin are highest at the point when the buckthorn starts
leafing out, which is just about the time frogs breed in the Midwest. Emodin in the water prevents frog eggs from
hatching. Researchers studied Western
Chorus frogs, a tree frog common in the Midwest, and they also used African
Clawed frogs as part of the study. The
emodin killed the embryos of both species and researchers believe that all frog
species are affected.
European Buckthorn, (Rhamnus cathartica), can be an
attractive ornamental and many garden catalogs offer it to gardeners. It is a small tree-large shrub with glossy
rounded green leaves, and if you scratch the bark its yellow underneath and the
heartwood is orange. The flowers are
inconspicuous greenish white but the black fruit they produce are somewhat
attractive and loved by birds. There are
some variegated leaf varieties.
However Buckthorn spreads rapidly into the wild just as
Autumn Olive and Russian Olive have and can take over vast areas of land. Like those plants buckthorn out competes
native shrubs and becomes a dominant plant in some areas. Wildlife experts have been warning people for
many years not to plant it, but the practice continues. It is not quite as extensive in coverage in
Michigan as in other Midwestern states but the amount of buckthorn found in
Michigan is rapidly growing.
And buckthorn doesn’t just affect frogs. Research by Texas Tech University and the Illinois
Natural History Survey documented that predators such as coyotes and raccoons
can prey more easily on native bird eggs and nestlings such as robins when
nests are built in buckthorn compared to nests built in native shrubs or trees. The only good thing about it is that deer
seem to avoid areas where it grows thickly, no one knows why yet, but it’s probable
that because coyotes like it ( and they prey on fawns) and because deer don’t
like its taste that they avoid areas with lots of buckthorn.
Don’t plant Buckthorn and when you find it growing on your
property destroy it.
Grapes - good for
your heart
Research results published this month from the University of
Michigan found that grape consumption can be beneficial in treating high blood
pressure and heart failure. The grapes influence
gene activities and metabolism in a way that improves the levels of
glutathione, the most abundant cellular antioxidant in the heart. Grapes prevented heart muscle enlargement and
fibrosis, and improved the diastolic function of the heart. The researchers said that whole grapes should
be consumed to get the effect as there are many components to the “ grape
effect” some of which aren’t identified and can’t be put into supplement form.
In other grape news researchers found that consuming grapes
helped reduce liver, kidney and abdominal fat , and reduced metabolic syndrome,
which often leads to diabetes. Grape
consumption also increased markers of antioxidant defense, particularly in the
liver and kidneys. Once again you need
to consume grapes, or fresh grape juice, to get these benefits. What a great reason to plant grapes this
year.
Cheap cinnamon could
be harmful
If you are tempted to buy the cheap cinnamon at the dollar
store to save money, think again.
Cheaper brands of cinnamon, the spice we all like, contains high levels
of coumarin, a compound that can cause
liver damage in some people. That’s because
cheap cinnamon comes from cassia bark, unlike true cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon
which is expensive and contains very little coumarin.
The new fad of trying to swallow dry cinnamon and produce disgusting
YouTube videos might be more harmful than just choking on it; it could produce permanent
liver damage. And if you tend to consume
lots of cinnamon, in flavored coffee for example, make sure you buy the good
stuff.
Become a citizen
scientist
I think that there is a little scientist in every gardener,
we like to see what happens when we plant things, how they grow, how we can use
them and so forth. Most gardeners are
also curious about nature. Citizen
science is a term for a new type of science data collection that is made possible
through new technology, where regular people like you and I help researchers
collect information about things and share the information on line.
There are several science projects on-going where
citizen scientists are being recruited to help.
One is a study of phenology, the interconnection of plant life stages
with other events in nature, such as the emergence of certain insects. BUDBURST is an ongoing attempt to catalog
when things blooms, change color, get leaves etc. across the world. You can visit the site at http://budburst.org/
and just browse the maps and information on each
plant species or you can sign up to be a citizen scientist and actually record
information on plants in your area on the site to share with everyone. There are many levels of involvement to
choose from, from casual, occasional observations to being a regular contributor
to science.
I have signed up to record one species and as I get
time I’ll sign up to do more. There are
dozens of species to choose from, and you can even add ones not on the
list. It’s a really interesting site,
take a look. There are other citizen
science projects you can get involved in too.
Try
http://www.greatsunflower.org/ which focuses on pollinators or https://www.usanpn.org/natures_notebook which is another site recording the occurrence
of natural events like bloom time.
Time for plant
bargains
While local garden shops are just getting into their
full season online garden stores are beginning to go into clearance mode. It gets hard to hold and ship such things as
dormant plants and bulbs as the season progresses and all of the major and not
so major on line garden stores are offering lots of bargain prices. Shipping is fast anymore
and you can have those bargain plants in a matter of days. The selection may be getting limited but the
prices are good. You’ll be amazed at the
prices you can get this time of year.
Try these places; http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/specials http://www.starkbros.com/products/berry-plants
Or search your favorite online garden retailer for
bargains. Note: I am not advertising for these companies and
I don’t get anything for listing them here.
It’s May, plant something every day!
Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Progress of the vegetable garden in pictures
 |
| April 15, getting started, back fence up |
 |
| April 30, potatoes planted in net covered bed, some beds filled. |
 |
| May 7, beds filled, most of the paths mulched. |
In the tubes by the lattice fence are honeyberries and a goji berry plant. There is a blackberry plant there too.
 |
| Mulch pile at the beginning |
 |
| Mulch pile May 7, more to go! |
Look at the bush behind the pile to see how much we moved. Next is putting up a fence to keep out chickens and cats.
Garden newsletter May 7, 2013
May 7, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly
Garden Newsletter
These weekly garden notes are
written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions
expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other
individual, group or organizations opinions.
Hi Gardeners
It’s a beautiful day out there. I love this weather, it’s just perfect and we so
deserve it. The flowering trees were so
beautiful in Lapeer this weekend, all the magnolias and cherries and the
Bradford pears. My redbud is just
starting to open; the sour cherry is blooming, and the flowering quince. Along the roads and woods the trout lilies
and bloodroot are blooming. Hensbit or
deadnettle is coloring the grass edges purple along with the violets. The bees are feasting on dandelions. I have tulips, daffodils, forget- me-nots, bleeding
hearts, grape hyacinths, violas, azaleas, and my clove currant blooming in the
garden.
I love the clove currant, it’s a native plant and I had a
huge bush it below my bedroom window when I lived in Pontiac. I brought a piece of it to my new garden here
although it didn’t “take” and I had to get another start of it some years later
from my mother, who had started a plant of it by her house. I now have a good sized plant.
 |
| Clove currant. |
The clove currant is covered in tiny yellow flowers in
spring about the time forsythia blooms although the clove currant flowers smell
delightful and perfume the spring air far from the plant. If you have male and female plants the
flowers turn into black, edible berries. It has lightly lobed pretty leaves,
and makes a rangy shrub about 6 feet high, but you can prune it into a more
desirable shape and it responds well.
The only bad thing about it is that it is an alternate host for white
pine blister rust. It is a native plant
however so I allow it to grow even though we have many white pine.
I saw the orioles this week, but I have yet to see
hummingbirds. I have their feeder
waiting and it’s only a matter of time I hope.
The birds and frogs are singing quite happily, I hear my tree frogs all
around the house. A baby crow or two are
making their weird calls from the woods.
They sound like a combination of a human baby and a cat crying. I snuck up on one to see what was making the
noise one year because I was worried something was hurt in the woods. Now I know the what the noise means, it’s a
begging baby crow.
Don’t be too quick to plant the tomatoes and put out the
hanging baskets. A cold front is due
this weekend, and there will probably be a heavy frost or even a freeze this
weekend. Let’s hope that will be the end
of that kind of weather. However the
moon is full on the 18th and it’s been my experience that until we
pass the full moon in May there can still be frost. Sometimes after that too, the end of May is a
surer bet for planting the tender plants.
It’s
May, plant something every day.
That’s my May motto, and so far I have planted something
each day. There is plenty that you can plant now. Almost all perennials can be planted. Potatoes, onions, beets, cabbage, chard,
lettuce, spinach, peas, carrots can all be planted before the last frost. Later in the month we can get the early sweet
corn, beans, even tomatoes, peppers and melons planted. As far as the annuals, geraniums, marigolds
and petunias may be planted mid-May if you are willing to cover them if a hard
frost threatens. But wait until late May
to plant things like begonias, coleus and impatiens.
If you like green onions buy a bag of onion sets and plug
them in where later crops are not using the room right now. I have tucked some around my new Saskatoon plantings
as I know the bushes won’t be very big until later in the season, when I will
have pulled the onions. The sets will
also make larger onions for cooking if left in the ground until fall. Any time you have nothing to plant in May
pull out the onion set bag and plug in a few.
The seeds of many annual (and perennial) flower plants
can also be planted now, because it takes 10 days or more for most of them to germinate.
By that time it will be mid-May and most things will not have problems with
light frost after that. Try sowing
marigolds, zinnias, calendula, cosmos, snapdragons, Bachelors Buttons, and
sunflowers about mid-May. Don’t plant
dahlias, cannas, and callas outside until later in the month, but it’s good to
start them inside in pots right away if you haven’t done that. Glads can be planted outside beginning in
mid-May. Plant small bunches of them 2
weeks apart so they don’t all bloom at once.
Make it your goal this May to plant something every day. If your yard and garden get full do some
guerilla gardening and “bomb” a vacant lot with flower seeds. Or help out at a public garden, school
planting or senior citizens garden.
The
lovely and useful dandelion
Did you know that the dandelion is not a native
plant? They were brought here by early
European colonists as an herbal plant and escaped to live happily ever
after. I personally like to see the lawn
lit up with golden flowers. I think more
people would tolerate dandelions “naturalized” in the lawn if they didn’t turn
into those white fluff balls of seed.
The bees appreciate dandelions too. They are an important source of nectar and
pollen in early spring, and get bee colonies off to a good start. Birds like the seeds of dandelions even though
they are small. Some farm animals don’t
care for dandelion foliage as it’s rather bitter and the plants are often left
to flower in pastures to the delight of the bees. However my canaries love dandelion leaves.
Dandelions are interesting plants. The leaves are grooved and arranged to funnel
water to the roots and the root itself is a long sturdy taproot capable of
storing water so the plant survives drought well. The dandelion begins flowering when the day
length is slightly below 12 hours, stops flowering when the day gets to its
longest point and then begin flowering again in autumn when the day length is
about 12 hours again.
Dandelion flowers are actually masses of small flowers
bundled together and these flowers do not need pollination to set seed,
although they appreciate and reward bees for helping with pollination. Dandelion flowers close at night and when rain
is coming. The dandelion seed floats
away on a tuff of fluff to start new colonies.
Dandelions are perennial and if you dig down beneath the snow you can
find the leaves still green in winter.
All parts of the dandelion are used in herbal remedies or
for food. Young dandelion leaves are used for salads and
are grown for that purpose to include in “green mixes.” The buds of dandelions and even open flowers
can be used in salads also. The young
greens are cooked like spinach, although they are best mixed with other greens
as they are bitter when cooked.
Dried dandelion leaves are used as a tea to aid
digestion. Dried dandelion leaves, dried
nettles and yellow dock are turned into an herbal beer once popular in Canada. The leaves are high in calcium, boron, and
silicone and modern herbals suggest them to aid in treating osteoporosis.
 |
| Dandelion |
Dandelion flowers are used to make dandelion wine. Fresh flowers are picked and fermented with
sugar and yeast, usually flavored with a little lemon and orange to make a wine
that is said to taste good and provide you with lots of vitamins and minerals. Dandelion flowers contain high levels of lecithin
and choline, two substances modern herbalists use for treating Alzheimer’s and
other brain disorders.
Dandelion roots are dried and ground and used in a number
of medicinal ways. They are a mild diuretic
and laxative and are said to help the liver.
The dried roots are also used as a coffee substitute. The chopped, boiled and mashed roots are an
old remedy for sore breasts and mastitis.
When you pick a dandelion flower the stem leaks a milky
sap. That sap is an old remedy for warts
and other skin conditions. As you can
see a lawn full of dandelions is like a giant herb and vegetable garden rolled
into one! Of course when you pick
dandelion parts for eating and herbal use pick them from areas that have not
been sprayed with pesticides.
May
Almanac
In May the full moon is appropriately named the flower
moon. The moon is new on the 9th
, full on the 18th. There
are two sets of notable days in May folklore. The first is Chilly Saints days, named
for the Saints Mameritus, Pancras, and Gervais.
The days are the 11th ,12th and 13th and
it is said that these days will be cold and frosty. It sure looks like that may be the case this
May.
The second set of days is the Ember days, which I have
discussed before. May Ember days are the
22nd , 24th and 25th. On the 22nd the weather predicts the weather for June, the
24th predicts July weather and the 25th August weather.
If you plant by the moon good days to plant above ground
crops are the 13-14, and 23-24. Below
ground crops are best planted on the 31st ( and 4-5 which have passed). Best days to control pests and weeds are 6-7 –
better get out there with your weed killers tonight. Best days to mow to retard growth are said to
be the 25-31st. ( Don’t wait
that long to mow.)
The month May is derived from the name of the Greek
goddess Maia, associated with fertility.
The May birthstone is the emerald and the May flower is the lily of the
valley. Its National Salad month, National
Egg month and National Date your Mate month.
May is National Skin Cancer Awareness month and it’s also
Zombie Awareness Month. The first Saturday in May is Kentucky Derby
Day. The second Sunday in May is Mother’s
Day,( that’s this Sunday). Armed Forces
day is the third Saturday of May and Memorial Day is the last Monday in May,
the 27th this year. May is
Asian Pacific American month.
Today is World Laughter Day, laugh out loud and sing
praises for the day!
 |
| Dead nettle or hensbit, a common May weed. |
Kim
Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent
More Information
USDA Press Release – A Report on Honeybee Health
WASHINGTON,
May 2, 2013-The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a comprehensive scientific
report on honey bee health. The report states that there are multiple factors
playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease,
genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.
"There
is an important link between the health of American agriculture and the health
of our honeybees for our country's long term agricultural productivity,"
said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "The forces impacting
honeybee health are complex and USDA, our research partners, and key
stakeholders will be engaged in addressing this challenge."
"The
decline in honey bee health is a complex problem caused by a combination of
stressors, and at EPA we are committed to continuing our work with USDA,
researchers, beekeepers, growers and the public to address this
challenge," said Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe. "The report
we've released today is the product of unprecedented collaboration, and our
work in concert must continue. As the report makes clear, we've made
significant progress, but there is still much work to be done to protect the
honey bee population."
In
October 2012, a National Stakeholders Conference on Honey Bee Health, led by
federal researchers and managers, along with Pennsylvania State University, was
convened to synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding the primary
factors that scientists believe have the greatest impact on managed bee health.
Key findings include:
Parasites and Disease Present Risks to Honey Bees:
· The parasitic Varroa mite is recognized as the
major factor underlying colony loss in the U.S. and other countries. There is
widespread resistance to the chemicals beekeepers use to control mites within
the hive. New virus species have been found in the U.S. and several of these
have been associated with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
Increased Genetic Diversity is Needed:
· U.S. honeybee colonies need increased genetic diversity.
Genetic variation improves bees thermoregulation (the ability to keep body
temperature steady even if the surrounding environment is different), disease
resistance and worker productivity.
· Honey bee breeding should emphasize traits
such as hygienic behavior that confer improved resistance to Varroa mites and
diseases (such as American foulbrood).
Poor Nutrition Among Honey Bee Colonies:
· Nutrition has a major impact on individual bee
and colony longevity. A nutrition-poor diet can make bees more susceptible to
harm from disease and parasites. Bees need better forage and a variety of
plants to support colony health.
· Federal and state partners should consider
actions affecting land management to maximize available nutritional forage to
promote and enhance good bee health and to protect bees by keeping them away
from pesticide-treated fields.
There is a Need for Improved Collaboration and Information
Sharing:
· Best Management Practices associated with bees
and pesticide use, exist, but are not widely or systematically followed by
members of the crop-producing industry. There is a need for informed and
coordinated communication between growers and beekeepers and effective
collaboration between stakeholders on practices to protect bees from
pesticides.
· Beekeepers emphasized the need for accurate
and timely bee kill incident reporting, monitoring, and enforcement.
Additional Research is Needed to Determine Risks Presented by
Pesticides:
· The most pressing pesticide research questions
relate to determining actual pesticide exposures and effects of pesticides to
bees in the field and the potential for impacts on bee health and productivity
of whole honey bee colonies.
Those
involved in developing the report include USDA's Office of Pest Management
Policy (OPMP), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Agricultural
Research Services (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as well as the EPA and
Pennsylvania State University. The report will provide important input to the
Colony Collapse Disorder Steering Committee, led by the USDA, EPA and the
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
An
estimated one-third of all food and beverages are made possible by pollination,
mainly by honey bees. In the United States, pollination contributes to crop
production worth $20-30 billion in agricultural production annually. A decline
in managed bee colonies puts great pressure on the sectors of agriculture
reliant on commercial pollination services. This is evident from reports of
shortages of bees available for the pollination of many crops.
The
Colony Collapse Steering Committee was formed in response to a sudden and
widespread disappearance of adult honey bees from beehives, which first
occurred in 2006. The Committee will consider the report's recommendations and
update the CCD Action Plan which will outline major priorities to be addressed
in the next 5-10 years and serve as a reference document for policy makers,
legislators and the public and will help coordinate the federal strategy in
response to honey bee losses.
To
view the report, which represents the consensus of the scientific community
studying honey bees, please visit: http://www.usda.gov/documents/ReportHoneyBeeHealth.pdf