November 4,
2014 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
 |
| Barberry in fall color. |
It’s a gray and gloomy day but we could have worse. We could be digging out from a big snowstorm
as many people farther south and on the East Coast are doing. Yesterday was pretty mild and I finally dug
up my dahlias and glads. I think my
garden chores are about done for the year, although I was just notified that my back ordered bulbs have been shipped.
Looking out my office window I see a house finch is hiding
under the roof of the bird feeder to escape the wind and drizzle. He’s not eating just sitting there. He's been there for hours but he seems perky enough. He may be watching me through the window. My parakeets are in that window and I think he sees them too. I think the robins have finally flown south
and maybe the turkey vultures too.
Yesterday I saw a flock of seagulls in a farm field, did you know that
the herring gull may soon become an endangered species?
At 11:30 pm last night the sugar beet trucks were still
rumbling by the house. I guess they were
trying to finish harvest before rain came or maybe to beat other farmers to the
storage lots. Harvest of corn is
progressing too, it’s a busy time.
November almanac
This month’s full moon occurs on November 6, it’s called the
full beaver or full frost moon. In
earlier times beaver traps were set about this time and of course a large part
of the country has now received killing frosts.
Both topaz and citrine are considered to be birthstones for
November. November's birth flower is the chrysanthemum. It’s National Adoption month, Native American
Heritage Month, Peanut Butter Lovers month, American Diabetes
Month, National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, and
Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
November 11th is Veterans day, the 13th is Sadie
Hawkins Day, World Diabetes Day is Friday, November 14, World Toilet Day, whatever that means, is
Wednesday, November 19th , November 27th is Thanksgiving. The 28th is a busy day, Abe Lincoln
and Robert E Lees birthdays, and American Indian Heritage day. Of course it’s also Black Friday this year
which is an actual holiday in 28 states.
Save the date
Something unusual is happening next year. A world class garden show is coming to Belle
Isle, Detroit next year. Called the
World Cup of Gardening it will be held June 16-21, 2015 on Belle Isle. Some of the world’s top gardeners will be constructing
display gardens in the type of competition that is found at the Chelsea Garden
show and the Philadelphia Garden show. You may want to save the date and plan
to attend.
There are numerous educational seminars planned, a big
garden marketplace with international vendors, entertainment and top quality
food. It all sounds wonderful and I hope
it can be pulled off successfully in a city not known for promoting gardening
or horticulture. You’ll need a state
Recreation Passport to get on the Island, buy that when you renew your driver’s
license or plates, and I am sure there
will be a hefty admission fee.
Thirty years ago, when I lived closer to Detroit and
conditions there hadn’t declined as badly as they are now I went at least once
a year to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle. The old greenhouses were a marvel and there
was a nice nature center and a small zoo that were also nice. Despite its somewhat seedy appearance even
back then Belle Isle had natural beauty.
My family has old ties to the island and I always enjoyed going there.
But I quit going when you had to drive past thugs lounging around and piles of
garbage. People were getting robbed and cars stolen from the parking lots. The last time I went there were glass panels
missing in some of the greenhouses and some of the planted areas looked sadly
neglected.
I was very happy this year when the state parks and
recreation department took over the running and care of Belle Isle. A group had taken over supporting the
Conservatory several years ago and they supposedly made great strides in
restoring that particular part of the island.
But to get to the Conservatory you still had to drive through dangerous
and dirty areas. The state is getting
that cleaned up now and this World Cup of Gardening event will make them clean
and polish it even faster. I’m sure it
will turn out to be a great garden event.
Hopefully it will become an annual event.
If you want to get a peek at Belle Isle early the
Conservatory, an aquarium, nature zoo and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum are
open weekends and admission is free with your Recreation Passport. There is a
new self-guided tour of the historical and natural beauty sites on the island
also.
Herbal medication contamination
If you use herbal medications that you buy at health stores
or other places better beware. Some could make you sick, rather than help you. Several recent research studies have focused
on contaminants in herbal products, which are a largely unregulated area in the
US. One study found that 59% of the
products had plant species not identified on the label in them. But of greater importance was that some 43%
of herbal samples tested in one study were contaminated with toxic molds, some
of which could cause serious health problems.
Researchers have also found samples of herbal products with
prescription medications added to them, some of which had been banned or
withdrawn from the market. They’ve also
found hair, soil, animal and insect parts, fecal matter, paint chips and
assorted other goodies. Because the herbal medication market is booming and
lucrative, all kinds of concoctions produced under all kinds of conditions can
be found on the market. The World Health
Organization is calling for standards for herbal products and more stringent
regulations and testing of herbal products, calling them a serious threat to
human health.
If you like to use herbal medications the safest thing would
be to grow or collect them yourself.
Good things from walnuts
There has been lots of health research involving the use of
walnuts lately and walnuts are emerging as a new superfood. Researchers at Yale-Griffin
Prevention Research Center in Connecticut fed a group of obese patients with
risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease 46 grams of unroasted
English walnuts every day. They could
eat the walnuts as a snack or incorporate them into a meal. After 8 weeks the group that ate walnuts was
compared to a group of similar people who didn’t eat walnuts. The walnut eaters had better fasting glucose
levels, better blood lipid levels and lower blood pressure than those that didn’t
eat walnuts.
 |
| Walnuts in the hull. |
Another recent research paper published examined the effect
walnuts had on Alzheimer’s disease. The Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory
at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental
Disabilities (IBR), fed mice the human equivalent of 1-1.5 ounces a day of
walnuts. They found the brains of the
mice were protected from oxidative stress and inflammation that leads to
formation of amyloid plagues that cause the symptoms of Alzheimer’s
disease. Mice with brain damage showed an
improvement in memory, less anxiety and improved learning skills when fed
walnuts.
Researchers believe it’s the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
content of walnuts that causes the benefit.
Someday that nutrient may be available as a supplement but as it has often been proven there may be
other compounds in walnuts that contribute to the healthy effect they have. It’s not hard to include an ounce or two of
walnuts in the daily diet. It may be
well worth it if it prevents Alzheimer’s.
Growing tree nuts
We know there are many benefits to eating all kinds of nuts. And what better way to get those nuts than
growing them yourself? If you are the gardener that wants to experience it all
or you want a shade tree that does double duty, then you may want to plant a
nut tree. Nut trees are not difficult to
grow, although you will have to be patient while waiting for that first
harvest.
Almonds
Almonds are native to the Middle East and grow well only in
similar climates here, notably the central area of California, which is the
largest almond producing area of the world.
Almonds must have hot summers with cooler winters but no sub-zero
temperatures. Almonds are related to
peaches and while the tree may grow anywhere where winters are mild, they
seldom have “nuts” outside of warmer areas of the southwest.
Bitter almonds tend to have pink flowers and sweet almonds
white. As a flowering tree almonds can
be quite attractive. Almond leaves are
oval with a serrated edge. The tree
grows to about 30 feet high. Almonds
need to have at least two varieties present for pollination to occur, which is
done by bees. Almonds are not true
nuts. After pollination the flowers
produce a leathery, grayish fruit which ripens in late fall and splits open,-revealing
the pit or “nut”.
Pecans, Hickories
Pecans and hickories are related and can be interbred. The
crosses of pecans and hickories called “Hicans”. There are pecan trees hardy to
zone 5 but often the trees do not produce nuts in zone 5 or the nuts do not
properly ripen before a freeze. One
nursery working to produce pecans hardy in the Midwest is Oikos Tree Crops http://www.oikostreecrops.com. Pecans
do not do well above zone 9 either.
Pecans are large trees, up to 75 foot tall.
Pecans are self-pollinating but produce bigger and earlier
crops if two different varieties are planted. They are wind pollinated so the
trees must be within 200 feet of each other.
Pecans have compound leaves with a long oval shape. The nuts are covered
with a green husk which splits open when ripe to reveal the brown pecan shell,
often striped with black.
There are many varieties of pecans that are developed for
various areas of the country. Some are
grafted trees. Pecans begin to bear within 5 to 12 years of planting depending
on the variety and age when planted.
Hickories are hardier than pecans and grow farther north, at
least to zone 5. Hickory nuts are
seldom seen in stores so if you enjoy them you will probably have to grow them
yourself. There are hickories that have
sweeter and bigger nuts offered by specialty nurseries. The trees are slow growing and don’t begin to
bear for about 15 years.
Walnuts
Black Walnuts, English Walnuts, Butternuts and Heartnuts are
all related. These nut trees are not
recommended for small yards because they
produce a substance called juglone in their roots which inhibits the growth of
many other plants. They are also very
messy with the hulls of the nuts staining patios and driveways. That being said they are fine for the far
edges of a large yard or wilder areas.
Black walnuts have timber that is highly prized for
woodworking but the Black Walnut tree growing in the yard will probably not
yield much of a profit. Lumber trees
must be grown in a certain way to be valuable.
Black Walnuts have incredibly hard shells, which must removed from a
messy, thick green husk that will stain anything it touches with a long lasting
brownish color, including your
hands. The meats are small but very
tasty.
Black Walnuts have compound leaves. They grow quickly if they like the location
and can bear as early as ten years. They
can form huge trees up to 100 foot high. They are hardy from zone 4 to 9.
English Walnuts are less cold hardy, zone 5-8, than Black
Walnuts but the nuts have thinner shells and larger nut meats with a milder
walnut flavor. Some grafted varieties
are available.
Japanese walnuts are called Heartnuts because of the shape
of the nuts. They are hardy from zones
5-8. Leaves are similar to other walnuts
but up to three feet long. They grow
quickly and can begin to bear at five years.
They form a small tree up to about 25 foot high. The nuts also have a thick hull and shell but
are very sweet.
Butternuts are very similar to Black Walnuts and will grow
from zone 3-7. They are large, up to
50 foot in height, relatively fast growing, but may take 15 -20 years to bear
nuts.
Hazelnuts, Filberts
Hazelnuts and filberts are essentially the same thing. The name depends on what country you are
in. There are native hazelnuts in both Europe
and North America. These nuts grow as small trees or as shrubs depending on the
conditions and pruning. They are wind
pollinated and need two or more plants to set nuts.
 |
| American Chestnut- en.wikipedia.org |
Hazelnuts are prone to blight diseases and some areas have
problems with one strain of blight while others have problems with another. Look
for blight resistant varieties grown locally.
Hazelnuts spread by suckering and soon form thickets of trees or
shrubs. They are cold hardy to at least
zone 5 but nut production is often diminished from late frosts.
Chestnuts
American Chestnuts used to provide tasty nuts throughout
much of the east but they were wiped out by a chestnut blight. Chinese Chestnuts can be grown in the United
States in zones 4-8. They are very
ornamental trees with clusters of pretty flowers in the spring and make nice
shade trees. They are self-pollinating
but planting two will give you a better crop.
A few American Chestnuts survived the blight and these were used to make
hybrid trees resistant to blight which are sometimes offered on the market. A commercial chestnut crop is slowly being
developed in the US.
This weeks weed - Staghorn Sumac,
Staghorn Sumac, (sometimes spelled sumach)- Rhus typhina - is a prominent sight in the
fields and woodland edges in the fall.
It has brilliant red leaves and red furry seed heads that light up the
fall landscape. Staghorn Sumac is sometimes
used as an ornamental plant for just these reasons. It is a North American native plant and has
several closely related “cousins” including Poison Sumac, which is found in
swampy areas and has white berries.
Staghorn Sumach is not poisonous.
 |
| Staghorn Sumac |
Staghorn sumac usually grows in sunny, dry places. It forms a small shrub up to 20 feet in
height if conditions are good. It is
usually found in patches as it spreads by rhizomes as well as by seed. It can be quite aggressive in spreading and
will take over large patches of land if allowed.
Staghorn sumac leaves are compound, with 9-13 leaflets and
are arranged along the stem in an alternate pattern. Each leaflet is long with serrated edges. The
leaves turn brilliant red in the early fall.
Leaf stems and twigs are covered with small hairs. The flowers of
Staghorn Sumac usually go unnoticed but the dark red, cone shaped clusters of
seeds that form on the ends of branches attract a lot of attention. Each hard seed is covered by fine red hairs,
giving the cluster a furry look. Staghorn Sumac seed heads persist long after
the leaves drop off, even through winter if the birds don’t eat them.
Native Americans and early European settlers used the sumacs
in a variety of ways. The berries were brewed into tea, which is said to have a
lemony taste. Oil can be extracted from
the seeds which will thicken into a tallow-like substance that can be
burned. Sumacs were used in tanning and
dyeing and in a number of herbal medicinal concoctions.
*****************
"This is the treacherous month when autumn days
With summer's voice come bearing summer's gifts.
Beguiled, the pale down-trodden aster lifts
Her head and blooms again. The soft, warm haze
Makes moist once more the sere and dusty ways,
And, creeping through where dead leaves lie in drifts,
The violet returns. Snow noiseless sifts
Ere night, an icy shroud, which morning's rays
Wildly shine upon and slowly melt,
Too late to bid the violet live again.
The treachery, at last, too late, is plain;
Bare are the places where the sweet flowers dwelt.
What joy sufficient hath November felt?
What profit from the violet's day of pain?"
- Helen Hunt Jackson,
Autumn Sonnet
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information
Butternut
woollyworm: A unique summer pest of walnuts
Butternut woollyworms, a type of sawfly not often found in
Michigan, have been attacking walnuts in southern Michigan. Control measures
may not be necessary this late in the season.
Posted
on October 31, 2014 by Bob Bricault, Michigan State University Extension
In late August 2014, I walked into my office to find a bag
full of walnut leaves. Nothing unusual about that; I often get walnut leaves
brought into the office throughout the summer that are damaged by fungal
diseases, fall webworms or maybe a petiole borer. Inside the bag feeding on the
walnut leaves were strange larvae covered in a thick, white mat that reminded
me of knotted-up wool. Nature really is amazing! Thirty years working in
forestry and horticulture and I had never seen this creature attacking walnuts.
Working with Michigan State University Extension is very humbling at times,
there is always something new to see and learn.
Though I had never seen this pest on walnuts, I had seen a
similar insect attacking dogwood leaves, called a dogwood sawfly. The sawflies
I have seen feeding on the dogwood leaves are also woolly white larvae that
resemble a caterpillar, but sawflies are different since they do not turn into
a moth or butterfly. The adult sawfly is a small, wasp-like insect that does
not sting. The name sawfly comes from their unique saw-like ovipositor, a
tube-like projection which the female uses to lay eggs into plant tissue.
Sawflies that are common in Michigan include the pine sawfly and the
mountain-ash sawfly. The larvae of sawflies feed in groups in close proximity
to each other, stripping foliage as they move through the tree.
So following the “looks like a duck, quacks like a duck”
principle, I checked my reference books and the Internet for a sawfly that
feeds on walnuts and found the culprit. The mystery insect is a butternut
woollyworm, Eriocampa juglandis, a type of sawfly that is found across the
Northeastern United States and Southern Canada. So it is not a new pest of
walnut and it is presumed to feed throughout the range where walnuts grow, also
feeding on butternut and hickories.
For the butternut woollyworm, adult sawflies emerge from the
soil in spring to mate and lay their eggs. The female cuts small slits into the
midribs on the upper surface of walnut leaflets and deposits her eggs into the
slits. Eggs hatch in about one week and larvae begin to feed on the underside
of the leaves. At first, the small larvae chew small holes between veins, but
as they grow into larger larvae they will consume entire leaflets leaving
behind only the larger veins and midrib.
Newly hatched larvae do not have the white covering, but it
quickly develops. Through the summer, the larvae grow to about 2 centimeters in
length. After each molt, the whitish, wool-like substance is left behind with
the shed skin. It is believed that the whitish covering helps to disguise the
insect from predators. Fully grown larvae drop to the ground where they survive
the winter in cocoons in the soil. Within the cocoon the larvae change into
adult sawflies that emerge in the spring to start the cycle again.
So how common is the butternut woollyworm in Michigan? I
contacted MSU Diagnostic Services to see if it was frequently seen. Though
walnuts and butternuts are commonly found in Michigan, this pest is not often
found. Since it was found feeding in late summer, it would not be as big of a
concern as the leaves had most of the summer to produce sugars for future
energy needs of the tree.
 |
| Butternut woollyworm. Credit Lacy L.Hyche, Bugwood.org |
Will it be back next year in larger numbers? Maybe, but it
is unlikely that it will be a problem that will impact the health of the tree.
A study from Auburn University found that heavy infestations of butternut
woollyworm did not result in tree mortality in Alabama and populations
fluctuated greatly over time. I would believe the same would be true here.
Since very few references mention this insect in Michigan, I
will be more intent on watching for it next summer to see if it follows the
same pattern of fluctuating populations as it did in Alabama. Though this pest
at first glance appeared to be a serious problem by stripping foliage from
trees, a smart gardener always identifies the problem before making any
pesticide applications. In the case of the butternut woollyworm and other
late-season pests in the landscape, it may not be necessary to use control
measures.
This article was published by Michigan State University
Extension.
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Master Gardeners if you belong to an association that
approves your hours please check with that association before assuming a class
or work day will count as credit.
Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or
share? Post them here by emailing me.
I have several free roosters, bantam and full sized if anyone
is interested. Young, healthy. 3 month old muscovy mostly black ducklings
for sale $5. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
MSU offered a variety of on line
seminars for those who were interested in beginning farming topics of various
types. Some of those are now available
free to watch at the address below. Gardeners
may be interested in topics like organic pest control. Get the list of topics and links here.
New-Holiday
Indoor or Outdoor Greens Arrangement Workshop, Sat, November 15, At Telly's: 10am
Troy, and 1pm, Pontiac
Create
indoor table decor, a hand-crafted gift, or an outdoor arrangement. Bring
clippers. $5, plus cost of materials Register: 248-689-8735.
Gardening on the Road- November 10, 2014, 4:30 - 7 p.m. Eastern Michigan
Fairgrounds, 195 Midway St., Imlay City, MI
A class for those interested in:
Picking the best varieties
to select for your home garden
When a vegetables is ready
to harvest
Getting answers to your
gardening questions
Growing your own greens,
root vegetables and squash
Pumpkins and their
kin—winter squash
How to store and cook your
produce
Watching cooking demos for
easy to prepare dishes
Tasting samples of delicious
new dishes
Learn great composting
techniques, stabilize soil pH, keep moisture and air in soil and provide
nutrients. Set up bins, hot, warm and cold composting methods and worm
composting
Cost: $20 Online registration due by Nov. 6. Call for
more information at 810-989-6935,
810-667-0341
Presented by the Master Gardeners
of St. Clair and Lapeer Counties. Visit the Gardening on the Road registration
page for more information.
Composting
with Red Worms, November 6, 2014, 6:30 - 8 p.m. MSU
Extension Office, 21885 Dunham Rd., Clinton Twp., MI
Macomb MSU Extension is presenting “Composting with Red
Worms” on Thursday, November 6, 2014 at the Macomb MSU Extension Office, 21885
Dunham Rd., Clinton Twp., 48036 (Use Entrance E at the rear of the building).
Join us from 6:30-8 p.m. for a free presentation on worm composting. Learn how
to use worms to compost your food scraps. Master Composter volunteer Sarah
DeDonatis will cover everything from the type of worms to use to the
construction, care and maintenance of the worm bins.
Contact: Mary Gerstenberger, gerste10@anr.msu.edu,
586-469-6085
Please register in advance by calling 586-469-6440.
Skeleton
Trees, Sunday, November 30, 2:00 pm, Seven Ponds Nature Center 3854 Crawford Rd,
Dryden, Phone:(810) 796-3200
Now that most of the trees are bare let’s see if we can
figure out which tree is which during this nature walk. $3
admission for non-members.
Cottage
to Commercial: Ingredients for a successful food business- Several locations
and dates
Michigan State University Extension and MSU Product Center
Educators will conduct four food business planning classes September through
November in Berrien, Muskegon, Ingham and Kent County, Michigan locations.
The two-hour session addresses basic food processing,
regulatory requirements, business development resources, and related topics.
The program targets individuals who are interested in starting a licensed,
commercial food business.
The Kent County session is scheduled for 10 a.m. - 12
p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014 at Kent County MSU Extension 775 Ball Ave. N.E.,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The fee is $20 per person, and registration is
available online through Nov. 4, 2014.
The MSU Product Center helps aspiring entrepreneurs and
existing businesses to develop and launch new product and service ideas into food,
agriculture, bioenergy and natural resources markets. A statewide network of
Innovation Counselors is available to counsel individuals interested in
starting related business ventures. Last year the MSU Product Center assisted
647 clients with business planning.
Those who are unable to attend one of the offerings are
invited to request counseling with a field- based MSU Product Center innovation
counselor at www.productcenter.msu.edu , or by phone at 517-432-8750 This
article was published by Michigan State University Extension.
Grow
it! Cook it! Eat it! Workshop, Nov. 12. MSU
Extension Ingham County Lansing Office and MSU Extension – Livingston County
Learn how to grow, store and prepare a variety of fresh
vegetables by attending one or all of these mid-Michigan workshops.
Posted
on August 12, 2014 by Diane Brown, Michigan State University Extension
Home vegetable gardening is once again popular. In
addition to vegetables you grow yourself, a bounty of beautiful produce awaits
at farmer’s markets and from community supported agriculture (CSAs). But do you
know the best varieties to select for your home garden? Do you know how to tell
when a vegetable is ready to harvest, or what to look for at the market? How to
store them? How to cook them? Get answers to these questions and more during a
series of three Grow it! Cook it! Eat it! workshops from Michigan State
University Extension designed to help you make the most of fresh garden
vegetables. Cost: $20 for one session/$50 for all three.
Nov. 12, 2014, 6-8 p.m. Pumpkins and Their Kin – winter
squash and pumpkins Location: MSU Extension Ingham County Lansing Office, 5303
S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48911
Register online for these exciting workshops, and save
$10 over individual workshop pricing when you register early for all three
events. Contact the Ingham County MSU Extension office at 517-676-7207 for more
information.
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do
reserve the right to publish what I want.
Once again the
opinions in this newsletter are mine and I do not represent any organization or
business. I do not make any income from this newsletter. I write this because I
love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research
each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture. It’s a
hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to receive
these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive
these emails have them send their email address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
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