What's in this Issue:

#2 Lynne's Backyard Gardening Tips

#3 New Gardening Product of-the-Month

#4 Odd & Strange Gardening News

#5 Great Plant of the Month

#6 Invasive Plant of-the-Month

#7 Garden Pest of-the-Month

#8 Feedback - Anonymous

Master Gardener Program

The Master Gardening Program first started in Washington State in 1972. It was started because the extension agents in that area were overwhelmed by the volume of request for information about gardening.

Dr. David Gibby thought of finding gardeners who would be willing to answer the publics gardening question. He came up with the idea of trading specialized knowledge in horticulture for a commitment to spend a specified number of hours in volunteer work. It has worked incredibly well.

Once trained in the Master Gardener Program you are asked to volunteer up to 50 hours per year in the community (the number of hours may vary in each state). Participants can volunteer in a variety of ways and includes some of the following activities:

• Assisting at the Local Extension Office. • Answering gardening questions over the phone. • Working with 4-H and other youth groups. • Presenting gardening information to groups. • Getting involved in community service activities. • Setting up & staffing horticultural displays.

All Master Gardener activities are coordinated through the Local County Extension Staff.

If you are an experienced gardener and want to become involved in this program, contact the local County Extension office. They will not only inform you on up-coming classes but will let you know the specific requirements for your particular area.

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Poinsettias

Poinsettias are known for the holiday season and have been a tradition for decades. It is a beautiful plant that is originally from South-of-the-Border of the United States. They are native to Mexico, and in nature are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow up to 10 feet tall. Below are a few other Poinsettia Facts:

• The showy part of the poinsettia that most people think are flowers are actually modified leaves called “bracts”. • Contrary to a popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous. • Poinsettias represent more than 80% of the potted plant sales during the holidays. • December 12th is National Poinsettia Day n the Unites States. • 80% of all poinsettias are purchased by women.

History:

The Aztecs cultivated poinsettias in Mexico long before they ever made it to the rest of the world. The Aztec king Montezuma actually had poinsettias brought into what is now Mexico City by caravans because they cannot be grown in the high altitude. Additionally, the sap of poinsettias was used by the Aztecs to control fevers and the leaves (bracts) were used to make a reddish dye.

Poinsettias made it to the United States in the late 1820’s by a United States Ambassador to Mexico named Joel Roberts Poinsett (thus the plants name, Poinsettia). During a trip to Mexico Ambassador Poinsett wandered the countryside looking for new plant species when he found a beautiful shrub with large red flower-leaves. He sent cuttings of this back to his greenhouse in Greenville, South Carolina and the rest is holiday history.

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Ergonomic Garden Tools

One of the rages in all activities involving repetitive motion is ergonomically designed tools & gadgets. The reason for this is for both injury prevention as well as improved functionality.

In terms of injury, there are many repetitive motions in gardening that can contribute to such pains as carpel tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and knee and back injuries. A lot of gardeners are like weekend warriors where you try to fit a lot of work into a weekend and pay the price on Monday with pains in muscles you didn’t even know existed.

There are easier ways to do things such as gardening and one way is to improve the functionality and leverage of your existing tools. When you have a short handled shovel, for example, your leverage point is mostly on your own arms and back. By adding length to the handle you increase the leverage point so the strain is mostly on the tool itself, thus saving your back & arms.

You can do this inexpensively by adding cut pieces of PVC pipe to your shorter tools already hanging around your garage or shed. The easy thing about using PVC piping is that it comes in many diameters to fit any size handle and it is very easy to cut and work with. You can also easily bend it so there are ergonomic curves to help with additional leverage while you work.

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Cow's Udder - Nipple Fruit

This unusual plant has a fruit that upon first glance looks like a balloon inflated to appear like the udder of a cow. It is actually an ornamental fruit that has medicinal properties as well as detergent agents that can be used for washing clothes.

The Cows Udder or Nipple Fruit, is a shrubby perennial that can also be grown as an annual. It is related to the tomato, hardy to around 25 degrees F, and is not too picky about soil requirements. The negative to its uniqueness and beauty it that the fruit is poisonous.

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Winter Heath - Erica Carnea

The secret to Winter Heath’s winter abilities is where it originates from. It is native to the Alps and can even persist and grow under snow conditions. Many winter blooming flowers can be easily frozen, but Winter Heath’s flowers are unharmed by even zero degree temperatures.

In the 1920’s a Scottish women collected cuttings of Winter Heath she found on a walk in the Italian Alps. She succeeded in cultivating the cuttings and today this tough evergreen flower is grown worldwide.

Winter Heath is tough in harsh cold conditions and has long term staying power as well. It can last for years when neglected and can persist for more than 50 years. This plant is also insect resistant and makes great ground cover because it grows 1 foot high and usually will spread up to 3 feet across.

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Japanese Knotweed

• Can grow right through tarmacs and drive ways. • Can grow out of walls and up into homes. • Can overtake fields including parks & recreational areas. • Can overrun & damage archeological sites and graveyards. • Can cost a lot of money to repair damage as well as the cost of trying to control. • Many others…

Japanese Knotweed was introduced from Asia to Europe in the mid-19th century and to the United States in the early 20th century. It is native to Japan, Northern China, Taiwan and Korea. This plant is so invasive that its distribution now covers much of mainland Europe and is in the process of doing so in Canada and the United States as well.

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Spider Mites

They do their damage with tiny piercing mouthparts that remove the contents individual plant cells. It takes a lot of them but with sufficient numbers they can cause the foliage to turn a yellow or bronze cast which will result in the foliage dropping off. In addition to being discolored, if an area is heavily infested the plants may be stunted or killed.

Life Cycles of Spider Mites: Adult female Spider Mites lay eggs on their host plants. After the eggs hatch in several days or weeks, the 1st stage larvae are taking over. After this the larvae molt into nymphal stage with additional legs and then on into adults. Some Spider Mites spend the winter as eggs but the two-spotted & the honey-locust Spider Mite overwinters as adult females. They overwinter in the soil or on host plants including crops or house plants.

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