Farmers' Markets Now Open - Gardener News

Gardener NewsGardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities

June, 2012 GARDENERNEWS.COM No. 110

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Fresh fruits and vegetables are getting closer to your front door. The number of community farmers markets in the Garden State has reached 154.

These markets bring healthy food from local farms to families and households across the state and beyond.

Farmers’ markets are one of the oldest forms of direct marketing by small farmers.

In a farmers’ market, a group of farmers sell their products once or twice a week at a designated public place like a park or parking lot. Some farmers markets have live entertainment. Shopping at a farmers’ market is a great way to meet local farmers and get fresh, flavorful produce.

Farmers’ markets allow you to have access to locally grown, Jersey Fresh farm produce, enable farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate shopper loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce.

Farmers’ markets also help farmers stay in business as well as preserve natural resources.

Some markets are carefully managed, with strict rules for pricing, quality and vendor selection. Others are much more relaxed in their vendor criteria. While the usual emphasis is on locally-grown and/or produced foods, some farmers markets allow co-ops and purveyors, or allow farmers to purchase some products to resell.

If you are looking for a local farmers market in the Garden State, please visit www.jerseyfresh.nj.gov.

By Tom CastronovoExecutive Editor

Farmers’ Markets Now Open

Tom Castronovo/PhotoSussex County Farmers proudly display their bounty on May 12, the opening day of the Sussex County Farmers Market in Augusta, Sussex County, New Jersey.

Gardener News2 June, 2012 Gardener News2 G a r d e n C e n t e r d i r e C t o r y

Who says conifers only come in green?

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Gardener News June, 2012 3Gardener News

Pesticides KillThe “Silver” pesticide flag legislation has been hanging out in the Legislature for several years

now. Each legislative session it passes favorably in the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, which is chaired by Senator Bob Smith. Now, in the 215th Legislative Session, it is Senate Bill 755. Senator Nicholas P. Scutari is the bill’s primary sponsor.

On May 17, 2012, I am pleased to tell you that S-755 reported favorably again in the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. A big Gardener News thank you goes out to all the committee members.

In the 214th Legislative Session, the “Silver” pesticide flag legislation, when it was S-1503, made it all the way to a full Senate vote thanks to Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney. I am glad to tell you that it also passed in a full Senate voting session.

I am hoping that Senator Sweeney is able to post it again soon for a full Senate vote.Once again, Assemblymen John F. McKeon and Upendra J. Chivukula are the primary sponsors

of the Silver Pesticide Flag Bill in the 215th Legislative Session. It is Assembly Bill 2791. The bill was A-4158 in the 214th Legislative Session.

These two great believers in public health and safety were able to have A-4158 posted in the Assembly’s Environment and Solid Waste Committee on December 15, 2011. The bill was heard by Assembly members John F. McKeon, Albert Coutinho, Peter J. Barnes, III, Denise M. Coyle, and Charles Mainor. They all voted yes. With five favorable votes, the bill moved forward to the full Assembly for a vote. I was told it never made it to a full Assembly voting session because of a timing issue.

I am now hoping that Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee Chair L. Grace Spencer posts it in her committee. And it easily passes like last year.

These two bills require every commercial pesticide applicator to use uniform silver flags to mark areas on which pesticides have been applied. The flags used must be silver in color; be a uniform size and type; provide information in English and Spanish; and stay in place for a minimum of 72 hours after the pesticide application.

In addition, the bills would prohibit the use of silver flags to mark anything likely to be confused with a pesticide application. The exclusive color requirement is intended to distinguish pesticide flags from, among other things, those used for invisible dog fences, underground utility lines, septic tanks and underground piping.

The bills also direct the Commissioner of the Department Environmental Protection to promulgate rules and regulations effectuating these requirements.

If both of these bills pass in both houses, they move to Governor Christie’s desk for his signature.If you haven’t been following these “Silver Pesticide Flag” updates, I will try and sum it up in

a nutshell.In my younger days, I was an active volunteer with the Warren Township Rescue Squad, the

Washington Valley Volunteer Fire Company and the Liberty Corner Fire Company. I have always believed that protecting someone’s health, life and property should be a top priority.

During my 20-plus year career as a landscape professional, I saw a need to protect the public from potential pesticide exposure.

Studies have found that pesticide exposure occurs through inhalation, ingestion and dermal absorption. Children play at the bus stop. Studies have also found that dogs exposed to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens can double their chance of developing canine lymphoma and may increase the risk of bladder cancer in certain breeds by four to seven times. Pets eat grass, sniff the dirt, lick their feet and coat, drink from puddles on the ground, and chase wet balls that are rolled across the grass while playing fetch.

This silver flag legislation will definitely make it easier to identify an area treated with pesticides from a safe distance. Furthermore, a pesticide mark-out color would NOT be the same color already assigned to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the American Public Works Association. Red = ELECTRIC; Yellow = GAS, OIL, STEAM; Orange = COMMUNICATION, CATV; Green = SEWER: and White = PROPOSED EXCAVATION. There will be no cause for confusion. A silver-colored flag will make it clear and unequivocal that a pesticide has been applied. I have been told that there is NO additional charge for printing silver-colored flags from one of the largest flag manufactures in the country.

Protecting the public’s health and safety is a top priority. I am so glad that our elected legislators are behind this important pesticide application warning system. They are truly serving all of us in the interest of protecting our health and well-being!

A silver flag in the lawn will protect you, me, our pets, our children, our friends and our neighbors from being exposed to pesticides.

I hope that time permits both of these bills make it to Governor Christie’s desk this year for his signature.

As always, I hope you find the information in the Gardener News informative and enjoyable.Until next time…Keep the “garden” in the Garden State. -Tom

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening and landscaping communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

Around The GardenBy Tom Castronovo

Gardener News

Robert BelleckWater Garden Specialist

Shrubs, Vegetable Plants, Scotts Grass Seed & Fertilizer,

Mulch & Pottery

GladlyAccepting

SNAPEBT Cards

Gardener News4 June, 2012

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the newsDwight Schulz, best known for his roles as Captain “Howling Mad” Murdock on the 1980s action show The A-Team, and as Lieutenant Reginald Barclay in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the film Star Trek: First Contact, looks over the May Gardener News while visiting the great Garden State.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

I recently went on a vacation cruise to the Western Caribbean. The trip was fantastic and certainly included first time and unforgettable adventures of zip lining in and over the tropical rain forest of Belize and cave tubing. While these experiences are now memories, I discovered something even more amazing. I was living in the moment, while just “being” in a place of communion and harmony and feeling a sense of belonging in the world, and that I was part of something far greater than me.

I am convinced that our most important of sense is the sense of “being” and one of the greatest points of impact that horticultural therapy can achieve. If nothing else, I hope this article generates and stimulates thoughtful reflection, the value of HT and that it can make possible escape to the reality of the garden and meaningful and endless connections and successes for anyone.

In previous articles I have written about the five senses of smell, taste, sight,

hearing and touch. Each of these senses gives us clues as to how we can interpret our environment.

They instinctively warn us of danger, tell us when we are approaching food, shelter, and beauty. This is of course the basic information we need for our physical existence. These senses also help us to appreciate and understand the world around us. In addition, these senses make it possible to experience emotions of pleasure, joy, sorrow and pain and like a well-oiled machine work best when they can work in cooperation with each other. To see, feel and smell a flower is far more rewarding than looking at a picture of one.

Horticultural Therapists work daily around the

country to bring individuals who are denied the use of one or more of the five senses, the connection of “being.” According to author Hank Bruce, in his book “Gardens for the Senses,” sensory limitations can be compensated for by nature and plants. We become connected to something beyond us with opportunity for new perspectives and awareness waiting to be discovered. I have a theory that people who have never experienced a limitation are trapped in everyday life, tricked in their minds of thinking they are happy at times, but in the deepest part of their “being” they know something is lacking and therefore, they are unfulfilled. I also have a theory that people who are suffering and

living with limitations of senses comprised, who are working with a Horticultural Therapist, have experienced “being,” connection and fulfillment even if it is temporary.

It takes special training for a horticultural therapist to help a client, or participant to experience “being” and connecting them to the seasonal rhythms and life cycles of nature and the days of yesterday with meaning for today and hope for tomorrow. Bruce writes that the “beauty in the garden is not the perfect plant, but the dynamics of life happening right there, before our eyes. The joy isn’t in a blue ribbon, it’s the sprouting of a seed, the unfolding of a leaf, the promise of a flower, the flavor of the harvest.”

We can all profit from a therapy program and garden setting that allows us to experience a sense of “being” as participants going at our own pace, permitting ourselves the opportunity to accept the connections we are experiencing without judgment, without fear and the desire to control. We can compost our problems and cultivate “being” in balance, and in harmony with the moment that nature brings, endlessly and abundantly.

Horticultural TherapyBy Laura DePrado

Specialist

Editor’s Note: Laura DePrado, HT, is the owner of Final Touch Plantscaping, LLC; 2011 Somerset County Board of Agriculture Thomas Everett Continuing Education Memorial Scholarship; Laura has a Horticultural Therapy Certificate Rutgers University, BS Journalism; is a Certified Rutgers NJAES Master Gardener of Somerset County; member of American Horticultural Therapy Association, Mid Atlantic Horticultural Therapy Network, and the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association.

The Benefit of HT on the Sense of “Being”

Gardener News June, 2012 5

When you’re shopping for JERSEY GROWN nursery stock, you know the trees, shrubs, plants and �owers are checked for quality, disease, are pest free, and accustomed to the Garden State’s climate and soil conditions.

jerseygrown.nj.gov

GovernorChris Christie

Secretary of AgricultureDouglas H. Fisher

Support NJ Agriculture

JERSEY GROWN

Nursery Stock

JERSEY GROWN Sun�ower Birdseed

JERSEY GROWN

Firewood

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WoodBirdhouses &Bird Feeders


Bamboo Garden Gloves— A new style of lightweight, comfortable, durable gloves with a breathable knit liner. The nitrile palm coating gives a good grip feature. Machine washable--made from bamboo plants. Bellingham Glove Company

Straw Bed Gardening— This book describes a innovative solution to easy vegetable gardening. The straw bale begins to decay as the plants grow and it becomes a compost medium. The result is minimal maintenance and maxium

production. A fun idea that I think I’ll give a try this year…seems like a fun project for kids too! Joel Karsten.

Iron Tone– A slow released (2-1-3) fertilizer that derives from organic poultry manure. This turns the yellow leaves on plants deep green. It is fast acting and non-staining and great for lawns, veggies, trees and shrubs. Espomia

Garden-All Terrain Kneepads—Be easy on your knees when weeding and planting with these handy kneepads. They are made with honeycomb gel that hugs the knee so that it stays securely in place. They weigh less than traditional kneepads and keep pressure away from delicate bones making them very comfortable. www.kneepads.com

Pot Shots—These small plant food nuggets make it easy to fertilize hanging baskets, window boxes and containers for up to 9 full months. They are very simple to apply and are made of the time released plant food Osmocote®. Scotts-Sierra Horticultural Products

Garden Frog—Just about everyone that enjoys gardening loves the happy face of a frog mingled with the flowers. This adorable guy is made of resin composite and stands 14” tall. Transpac

Garden ShoppingBy Leslie BarlowGarden Educator

Editor’s Note: Leslie Barlow is co-owner of Barlow Flower Farm in Sea Girt, NJ, one of the largest retail growers in NJ since 1983. She has appeared on News 12 NJ and has been a guest speaker at local garden clubs. She is a Certified Staging Professional™ with a specialty in Curb Appeal. She has been gardening for many years and is always at trade shows hunting for useful accessories for the home garden. For product information she can be reached at [email protected] or through the website: www.barlowflowerfarm.com

We often talk about homes in terms of curb appeal and there is even a television show on HGTV called “Curb Appeal.” But what does curb appeal really mean and why is it so important in the landscape.

If we go to Merriam-Webster online, we find that they accurately define the term as, “the visual attractiveness of a house as seen from the street.” That works. They also credit the first use of the term in 1975, which is pretty ironic considering the fact that some of the most hideous homes were built in the ’70s.

From a realtor’s perspective, the most important criteria after “location, location, location” is the curb appeal of a home. Without it, potential buyers will drive right by and never even go inside to see the professionally designed “dream kitchen,” stunning master bedroom suite or breathtaking views. In other words, the curb appeal of your home can dramatically affect the value and sales potential of your home.

Those of you who plan on selling your home and others just want to dramatically improve the visual attractiveness of your home as seen from the street,

here is a very simple and cost effective solution.Rip everything out.

That’s right. The easiest thing to do and the best bang for your buck is to literally rip out and remove all of the foundation plantings in front of your home. Not the shade trees or ornamentals, although they probably could use some significant pruning and feeding, I’m talking about those overgrown taxus (yews) that are blocking your windows, scraping your arms and legs as you negotiate your way to the front door or just look as pathetic as a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree that has been trimmed into a ball or cube.

Or maybe the front of your house features the all-in-one, shade tolerant “rhody-zalea-dromeda” or the classic southernly exposed “alberta-

boxood-iper.” You know exactly what I’m talking about. The plantings in front of your house that have been so poorly cared for that the only choice for you or your landscape maintenance contractor is to trim all of the shrubs into one giant uni-shrub.

Then there are the rest of you who think that you’ve solved the problem of the overgrown foundation planting because you keep the shrubs separated by exactly 2 inches, perfectly flat on two sides and high on the top, reminiscent of the chimney-like hairstyles of the late ’80s.

No matter which “pruning” style you’ve been using for the last 15 to 20 years, the bottom line is that the plants have to go. No ifs ands or buts about it. And don’t even think about transplanting these “Franken-

shrubs” somewhere else on the property, hoping that you can nurse them back to health. Just say good-bye, pull the plug, put them out of the neighborhood’s misery and send them to through the wood chipper in the sky. It’s OK. It’s just their time.

Once they are gone, two things are going to happen to you, one right after the other. The first is that you are going to freak out a little bit and wonder why you did something so drastic because now the house looks completely naked. Don’t worry though. In a few minutes, after you take a few deep breaths and step back from your “stump-scape” and down to the street, you will realize something incredible.

Your anxiety is going to be replaced with excitement because your house actually looks so much better. I’m

guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of $10K to $20K better. Without all of the deformed foundation plantings that have been slowly devouring your home year after year, you can now see the windows and shutters again, front steps and brick walkway, along with all of the architectural details that you never knew that you had. A euphoric feeling will come across you as you say to yourself, “Wow, we really have a nice home, I’m so glad that we listened to that Jody guy in the Gardener News.”

Editors Note: Jody Shilan is the owner of Jody Shilan Designs in Wyckoff, where he provides landscape design and consulting services for homeowners and landscape contractors. He earned his bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from Cook College, Rutgers University and his masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Currently, he is President of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). He can be reached at 201-783-2844 or [email protected].

Such a Deal on Curb Appeal

Creating Outdoor SpacesBy Jody Shilan, MLALandscape Designer


Crabbing, swimming, boating, fishing, surfing, sunbathing, biking, water skiing, paddle boarding, body boarding, body surfing, personal water crafting, wake boarding, skim boarding, boardwalk rides, eating, drinking or just plain relaxing.

These are but a few of the amazing things our beautiful state affords us the luxury of doing, and right now it is prime time. Prime time to be outside enjoying the surf, sun, sand, boardwalks, etc.. Due to the ridiculous price of gas, coming to the beach for a few days, or more, has become a lot more feasible than heading to some far off destination with the family. With all of the activities, or just lying around, why not?

One of the greatest things is the diversity of some of our different beach towns up and down the Jersey coast. I love to take drives into other beach towns just to check out the restaurants, architecture, shops and whatever else they have to offer. Being able to speak about and help to promote the Jersey shore over the last few years has been great. It helps me to realize just how lucky we are to live here. Aside from writing about our shore area, I always like to mention our farmlands, the farmers and the importance

of buying Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as the Jersey Grown program, which focuses on the different types of plants, flowers, shrubs and trees that are grown in our state. I’m always super excited this time of year because of all the great things going on all over the state.

Lest we forget, the terrific, award-winning vineyards within the state as well. Sure, I know, most of you are saying Jersey wine? Can that be good? The answer is YES. I have tried many, and while not all were to my liking, I have enjoyed a growing number of these wines over the last few years. So if you don’t see them at your local bottle shop, ask about and put in a request for a few different bottles and give them a try. In three months, it will be time for the annual Jersey Fresh wine dinner at the Claw. This has definitely become my favorite wine dinner to do. Just a few of

the things we’ve had over the last two years are Jersey-made cheeses, wines, produce, seafood and even meats. This event sells out quickly, so check out the web site or call the restaurant for reservations if you’re interested. It usually takes place toward the end of September and early October.

All right, now for the grilling recipe I’ve been promising. This is a great marinade for chicken, pork or even steaks. It’s real simple and flavorful and the ingredients are pretty easy to come by. This can be served with some coconut rice or a nice salad of baby lettuce, such as arugula that has been dressed lightly with salt and pepper, a little olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime. I’m going to use chicken legs with the thighs attached for this recipe, but you can easily use breasts or chicken wings. Good luck, have fun and get yourself to the beach!

Southeast Asian-stylegrilled chicken

(serves 2 for dinner)2 chicken legs with thighs

attached2 Tbsp. soy sauce1/2 bunch cilantro, stems

OK, roughly chopped1/2 bunch mint, leaves only,

roughly chopped1/2 Tbsp. seasoned rice wine

vinegar1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root,

peeled and rough chopped1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, rough

choppedJuice of 1 lime1 Tbsp. vegetable oil*optional- 1 Tbsp. fresh hot

pepper, such as Thai bird chile or jalapeñoMethod-

-place all ingredients, except chicken legs, in a blender or food processor until blended to a smooth paste-like consistency

-place chicken in a large

ZipLoc bag and pour in marinade, seal bag; try to get most of the air out and shake chicken around gently to coat with marinade, and place in large bowl for at least 1 hour or preferably up to 6 hours

-heat grill to a medium high heat

-remove chicken from marinade, reserve marinade for basting, wiping away the excess marinade from chicken

-make sure grill is brushed clean and lightly oiled

-place chicken on grill and turn down heat

-cook chicken until cooked through, turning from time to time

-toward the end of cooking, baste chicken liberally with the leftover marinade and let cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Discard the rest of the marinade after basting final time.

-chicken should be slightly browned with nice grill marks!

From the DeepBy Craig KorbExecutive Chef

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. For more information visitwww.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

Greetings from the Jersey Shore!

Gardener News June, 2012 9New Jersey is the most

densely populated state in the nation and has a great demand for flowers, trees, shrubs and plants to beautify the landscapes of homes and businesses. For decades, horticulture has been a lucrative field in the state, with the value of those crops competing with and exceeding many larger states.

The state ranked 8th in the nation with $347.6 million in gross sales of horticulture crops and 11th in the nation for total number of operations, which totaled 623. Specifically for floriculture, New Jersey ranked 8th in the nation for expanded wholesale value of those crops at $177.9 million dollars.

Breaking it down even further, New Jersey was 4th in the nation in sales of cut flowers, 5th for potted herbaceous perennial plants and 6th for nursery stock.

Clearly, New Jersey’s growers are doing it right. Throughout the state, we find one after the other premier nurserymen, shining in the national spotlight. One of those is a true innovator, creating the first line of ever-blooming daylilies, as well as developing improved performance daylilies. We also have a huge grower of starter plants for the industry, specializing in plugs and rooted cuttings. And another has one of

the most extensive collections of tree and herbaceous peonies in the Northeast, featuring 50,000 peony plants with more than 250 distinct cultivars. Many of the sought-after varieties come from Garden State growers.

There is a large New Jersey presence among exhibitors each March at the Philadelphia International Flower Show, the nation’s largest indoor flower show. In fact, a New Jersey orchid grower’s display was one of the major highlights of this year’s event. According to show organizers, the show features “the country’s premier landscape designers and florists.”

New Jersey also is also host to several of its own top-notch flower and garden shows where consumers can see the wide variety of specialties offered by our growers. These include the New Jersey Flower and Garden Show, which takes place every February at the New Jersey

Convention Center in Edison, and the Springfest Garden Show, which takes place every March at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. Both attract thousands of visitors each year.

Attending those shows can give people ideas of what they would like to see when landscaping their yards, but every consumer lives close to an expert who can help them achieve success in their garden. Which plants work best with our climate? Which plants attract wildlife, such as butterflies and hummingbirds? Which plants repel unwanted wildlife? What’s the fashion in floral this year? The best place to get these answers is the local nursery or garden center.

The answers people need might also come from publications such as the Gardener News with guest columnists who are tops in their field. There is

always an abundant amount of knowledge they impart every month, specific to New Jersey, that can make home gardens beautiful.

Another source of knowledge comes from the county Rutgers Agricultural Extension offices. They offer soil testing, so people can get the right balance for what they’re planting. There are many different fact sheets and videos to help learn more about what and how to plant and tend for gardens. They offer expertise from their Master Gardeners. And for those who wish to learn more about gardening, there are courses to take. To find the nearest Extension office, visit http://njaes.rutgers.edu/county/.

And, don’t forget the hundreds of garden clubs around the state who welcome new members and inquiries. Visit the Garden Club of New Jersey’s website at www.

gardenclubofnewjersey.com.The New Jersey Department

of Agriculture’s Jersey Grown website, www.jerseygrown.nj.gov, has a large amount of resources, including a list of growers who are certified Jersey Grown, indicating their stock is accustomed to the region’s growing conditions and is pest- and disease-free. Be sure to ask for Jersey Grown when visiting local garden centers or nurseries.

With this unbelievable home team pool of talent right at our fingertips, I urge everyone to take advantage of the many opportunities to learn about gardening, become more knowledgeable about the best plants for our climate, and enjoy the beauty that can be created right in your own yards.

NJ Dept. of AgricultureBy Douglas H. Fisher

Secretary of Agriculture

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture. He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction. He can be reached at 609.292.3976. For more info, please visit: http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture

New Jersey’s Got Talent – Premier Nursery Operations and Growers

This year we all enjoyed the mild winter and lack of snowfall compared to most winters. It was one of the mildest winters on record. The warm days brought us all out early to explore our yards, parks and perhaps the beach! Will your early-spring picnic be disrupted by ants, fleas and ticks?

Be aware of the life cycle of the particular insect you are trying to control for best results. Usually, insect activity is pretty consistent in regions over a long period of time. Annual bug activity is spurred by both air and soil temperatures as the calendar year rolls along. There are some levels of insect populations that made it through this mild winter that usually may not survive extreme cold temperatures. Temperatures need to reach a certain level of consecutive degree days for development to occur. Over the years, Mother Nature (The wizard!) has offered unpredictable weather patterns. Remember about 10 years ago when storms in the Carolinas deposited millions of army worms in

many northeastern states? Unfortunately, many insects learn to adapt and survive many different weather patterns.

Insects survive cold winters in a hibernation-type state, slowing down their metabolism and respiration. Warmer weather temperatures may force insects out of this dormancy state in search of food and water. This winter and spring weather has also been very dry due to the lack of snowfall and rain, so sometimes access to water may not be as prominent. This situation may reduce some bug populations. Early insect activity may use up stored fats they need to survive until the spring. Without access to food, these insects could

starve to death before food becomes available. The warmer temperatures can also bring on a healthier crop of beneficial insects which keep the unwanted insect pests at bay. Perhaps you will not notice a great increase of certain insect populations in your area. As you can see, many factors can affect the bug population in both a positive and negative count.

Grubs and other soil insects may not be as affected by a wide range of temperatures since they tend to over-winter many inches in the soil. The months from May through August are a good time to control grubs since they are working their way to the soil surface during these times to lay eggs. If you have had a

history of grub activity in your lawn, monitor a few different areas by digging in landscape beds and lawn areas to see if grubs are present. Areas with a lot of birds digging may indicate grubs and other insects in the ground. Apply a proper treatment following all label directions.

Here are some tips to help reduce insect populations in your yard. Keep decorative mulches away from the house foundation at least 12 inches. Be sure to seal cracks along the bottom of your home, windows and doors. Eliminate sources of moisture and standing water and trim branches and plants back from the house. A band treatment around the perimeter of the home with a properly labeled

insect spray or granules will reduce populations invading your home.

Summer also announces the arrival of ticks. Keep your lawn mowed along wooded borders and treat pets with the proper tick control if ticks are prominent in your area. Consider the use of repellents on your clothing when you are in your yard. Ticks, flees, ants and chinch bugs are relatively easy to control with available liquids and granules labeled for their control.

Be sure to enjoy your yard this year. Plan something special like a new bird feeder or patio set and many Bar-B-Q’s. Don’t be afraid of your journey down your own yellow brick road like Dorothy and her friends; do not fear the grubs, chinch bugs or ticks, any more! Happy summer!

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com

Grubs, chinch bugs and ticks, oh my!

Turf ‘s UpBy Todd Pretz

Professional Turf Consultant

Gardener News10 June, 2012Not that anyone knows what

to expect from Mother Nature, but even the prognosticators have a hard time nailing down weather forecasts. Proper hydration will always be a major concern for us all as well as our landscape plants. Since we are coming out of one of the driest winter seasons in a long time, we need to give special attention to our watering practices.

Even now, before we get into the hazy, hot and humid weather, your landscape may need some special attention. When new plantings are forced to endure 80- to 90-degree heat without adequate natural rainfall, they may suffer. It’s important to mix in organic matter and amendments to new planting beds or backfill at all times, but this practice can be especially beneficial when the weather stresses are severe. These amendments in the form of compost, using composted soil, adding sand and even vermiculite, polymers or other water-holding capsules can increase the density and speed with which your bedding plants and even trees and shrubs will acclimate to the native soil they are planted in.

Water in general can be a problem area. Natural rainfall is seldom sufficient during the

summer months. Sufficient water will need to be supplemented since there are many factors affecting the moisture content in plants. During dry, windy weather conditions, plants and particularly turf will dry more quickly. You may notice the same areas dry out first every year. These isolated dry areas can be hard-compacted soils or even an overabundance of rocks or concrete foundations under the soil. These areas heat up and dry out first, which complicates the watering process.

Temperature will play a significant part in how much water is needed as well. An additional watering per week will need to be added during these periods. Most summer rain showers are fast and furious with much of the beneficial moisture running off. Compacted soils can add to this dilemma. Therefore, these showers cannot be counted on to

sufficiently water the landscape. It would be a good idea to measure the amount of water your sprinklers or system apply. Use three or four flat-bottomed containers and time how long it takes to accumulate one-half inch of water. Armed with this information, you can then apply the proper amount of water to your turf and ornamentals. For turf during temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees, you will need to apply one-half inch of water once or twice weekly. As the temperatures increase five degrees, you will need to add one additional half-inch watering.

For instance, 85 degree periods would require two or three half-inches of watering, 85 to 90 degrees three or four half-inches of watering and so forth. This generally applies to your turf since it is important to keep moisture levels up before

the turf approaches dormancy. However, if your property is too big to keep it all watered properly, letting your turf go dormant while concentrating on your ornamentals and bedding plants is a viable alternative. Your ornamentals will not need as frequent watering as the turf, but they should be watered enough to prevent them from drooping due to inadequate moisture. This will prevent root loss and ultimately other problems from insects and disease. Plants which are in distress are willing targets of insects and disease. If your plants were planted in a medium rich in organics and other soil amendments, their root systems should be strong enough to withstand higher summer temperatures. Directed applications of water are important in established landscapes as it is important to

keep the shallow rooted plants such as rhododendron and the like from completely wilting.

If there are parts of your landscape or specific plants which dry out faster or suffer in stress periods, it may be due to restrictions in the root zone or even not enough coverage of the root zone. Checking that the root ball is sufficiently covered with soil and that there is not an overabundance of competition for water in the root zone can help alleviate these types of problems. Light mulching can be a help as well. Be sure to water adequately before applying mulch and keep it to no more than a couple of inches for optimum water holding and cooling effect.

Your landscape or irrigation professional can assist you in setting up or making the necessary alterations to your sprinkler system, or manual watering, to achieve proper hydration in the landscape.

The LandscaperBy Evan Dickerson

Landscape Professional

Editor’s Note: Evan Dickerson is owner of Dickerson Landscape Contractors and NaturesPro of North Plainfield. He has been pioneering the organic approach to plant health since 1972. Evan can be reached at 908-753-1490

Do We Get Proper Hydration

Children have a unique way of looking at life; if it does not move, taste good, or make interesting sounds, it rapidly loses its fascination and another object gains a momentary chance for proving its worthiness. Such is the great problem with plants – not all are edible and it is hard for plants to compete with the wonders of electronic gadgetry and to get children excited! I suppose I was no different as a child. However, I do recall being transfixed by one native plant, whose anthers would magically spring inward upon a visiting pollinator. The plant is Kalmia latifolia, commonly called Mountain Laurel.

For those who enjoy hiking, Mountain Laurel is one of those ubiquitous plants found throughout the hills of Northwestern New Jersey. Its native range extends from Maine to Florida and west to Indiana. Indeed, a far ranging plant! The name of Kalmia

can once again be attributed to our old friend Karl Linnaeus. Pehr (Peter) Kalm (1716-1779) was one of Linnaeus’s first students at the University of Uppsala, after which Pehr went on to become a Professor of Economics at the University of Abo. Upon a request from Linnaeus and the Royal Academy of Sciences, Kalm agreed to explore little-seen portions of Northern America in search of “new” plants. His expedition lasted from 1747-1751 and aside from being the first person to describe Niagara Falls, he returned with a specimen of Mountain Laurel, for which he was honored! The species epithet of latifolia is from the Latin meaning broad-leaved, referring to the relatively coarse texture afforded by the three- to four-inch-long and one-inch-wide wide evergreen leaves. The plants slowly grow to six to eight feet in height with an equal spread. They are denser in full sun, becoming leggier and more open in the shade. In the wild it is often seen in association

with various Rhododendron species, growing along ridge tops, hillsides and even seashore communities in light shade. Soils need to be acidic, enriched with organic matter and well-drained.

However, it was the flower that proved to be the focus of my attention as a child. In New Jersey, the flowers appear from terminal buds in late-May into early-July. The flowers are individually three-quarters of an inch to one inch in diameter and appear in four- to six-inch diameter clusters called a corymb. The petals of the individual flowers are fused and when open, the flower has a bowl-like shape. Each flower has 10 stamens, which are the male portion of the flower. The pollen-releasing tips of the stamens – the anthers - are tucked into compartments within the petals. As the flower opens, the filament or stem of the stamens are drawn back like a bow and are under constant tension. When the pollen is ripe, the anther can readily detach from its compartment

when the filament is touched. Thus, when a visiting pollinator bumps the stamen, the tension of the filaments allows the anthers to spring forth, literally hitting the pollinator and dousing the insect with pollen. This ensures that pollen will be transported to the next flower. The same response can be simulated by pushing a pencil into the center of a flower, which was my fascination as a child.

Floral color is equally fascinating. Typically light-pink in bud and white in flower, many new selections are available that are bright red in bud and cherry pink in flower. “Sarah” and “Nipmuck” both exhibit these floral traits. “Olympic Wedding” has maroon bands in pale pink flowers. For smaller yards, “Elf”” is nicely compact, growing to three-feet tall with light pink buds and white flowers. The foliage of Kalmia is also poisonous if ingested, creating muscle weakness and cardiac arrhythmia. For this reason,

Kalmia is much revered and avoided by the deer too!

Indeed, Pehr Kalm gave Linnaeus an exquisite plant to compliment the first description of Niagara Falls. Its evergreen leaves, beautifully colored floral display and its allurement to children with its trigger-like anthers makes it a winner for gardeners both young and old alike!

Editor’s Note: Bruce, foremost a lover of plants since birth, is director of the Rutgers Gardens, an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, an instructor for Rutgers - NJAES Office of Continuing and Professional Education and chairperson of the Garden State Gardens group. He is a member of the Garden Writer’s Association and the New York Hortus Club. He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visitwww.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

Kalmia – Refusing to Rest Upon its Laurels

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Kings Food Market in Livingston, Essex County, received a Joint Legislative Resolution by New Jersey State Senator Richard J. Codey, New Jersey Assemblyman John F. McKeon and New Jersey Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey, during their Reopening Ceremony on May 23.

Since 1936, Kings has been providing unparalleled quality, service, and value to its many Garden State customers, and it is renowned as an industry and marketing innovator. Kings is respected for its specialty, fresh, and restaurant-quality prepared foods and for its premium produce, floral, meat, seafood, baked goods, and groceries.

Senator Codey, Assemblyman McKeon and Assemblywoman Jasey, thought it was proper and fitting for the Legislature to recognize the Reopening Ceremony for the Kings Food Market in Livingston, and joined in affirming its future essential role in the community.

The Resolution is signed by Stephen M. Sweeney, President of the New Jersey Senate, and Sheila Y. Oliver, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly. It is attested by the Secretary of the Senate and the Assembly Clerk.

Assemblyman McKeon, left, presented the Resolution to Judith A. Spires, second from left, Chief Executive Officer of Kings; as Rich Durante, center, Executive Vice President of Merchandise, Operations, Engineering and Maintenance for Kings; Carol Bracaglia, second from right, the Livingston Kings Store Manager; and Paul Kneeland, right, also known as “The King of Produce,” the Vice President of Floral and Produce for Kings and a featured columnist for the Gardener News, look over the Resolution during the opening festivities.

The Reopening Ceremony represented the culmination of an extensive planning and renovation process, which was brought to fruition through the extraordinary labors and efforts of a number of devoted people.

Kings is a 24-store chain based in Parsippany, Morris County, N.J., with stores serving Northern New Jersey and New York.Tom Castronovo/Photo

A praiseworthy endeavor

June marks the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. When school is in, we are much more disciplined in routines. It happens similarly with those of us who have older kids or no kids. When we go from a work day to a vacation day, the routine changes. It really begins with a mind shift – getting ready the night before for school or work, the anticipation, the self-preparedness. When you don’t have to prepare for work or school, the urgency is not there and the routine is replaced by impulsiveness.

It is important to feed yourself right when vacationing. All too often, as we slip from our routines, we tend to overdo the eating. We think that it is OK because we are on vacation. We also tend to eat the wrong things, things that you would never eat at work or at school.

There are so many great produce items peaking with flavor and taste in June, which falls right into eating well. Have a hankering for ice cream? Enjoy, really. But

why not get a nice juicy piece of watermelon? Snacking at the shore? Potato chips are all over the beach. Try some crunchy sweet grapes. So many choices. Stay on track and keep a solid routine.

Since summer is such a great time to enjoy the outdoors, outdoor food becomes most popular. Grilling is a favorite past time, having friends and family over for a barbeque of burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken, corn on the cob, green salads, potato salads and plenty of ice-cold beverages. Surely a fine time to enjoy. Balancing the good stuff with the great stuff is important. Salads and fruit go well for any barbeque.

The great part about being outdoors is that

it usually means there is activity. Play some ball or Frisbee, take a bike ride, a run, or walk. This is all good counter balance to the eating we do out of routine.

June begins the optimal season for local products, especially vegetables and fruit. Local and artisanal growers, producers and bakers start to bring the best of the freshest products available to stores and markets across the state. It’s a great time to create a tasting of the region’s best right at home!

Local means fresh when it’s fresh. Go to a trusted source that gets daily deliveries of fresh product. Demand it. Visit the right growers at the right time to get the best products. Think of it as: fresh keeps you

fresh. It also spills plenty of vitamins and antioxidants into your body.

Eating fresh should help you eat right. Processed foods and fried foods are generally not found at farms or farmers markets. So no need to eat them! Stay with a healthy routine, try to eat at the same time each day; Breakfast, lunch and dinner, and don’t eat too late – after 8 or 9 at night doesn’t give your body a chance to work off the fats and break down the foods before bedtime.

Exercise during vacation is something most people turn off. It takes time, and you are on vacation! Make time to help your body work. Looking forward to a nice dinner at a nice restaurant? Well, make yourself earn it.

Good routines begin at night. You decide when you are going to wake up, when you are going to eat breakfast, what time you are leaving the house, then what you are doing for the day. During the day, you decide on what to eat for dinner and what to do at night – then the whole process starts again – that’s why they call it a routine!

June is the start of summer, so get a good routine when you vacation, balanced with enjoying life and friends and family and great food. Get plenty of outdoor exercise and eat the right things. Pretty soon routine will replace impulsiveness and we will all be dreaming about that next vacation.

Passionate About ProduceBy Paul Kneeland

The King of Produce

Editor’s Note: Paul Kneeland is the Vice President of Produce and Floral for Kings Super Markets. He has been in the food business for 26 years, has a degree in Business Management from Boston College and is certified in food safety with ServSafe. He can be reached [email protected]

“Finding a Great Summer Routine”


By Madeline Flahive DiNardo, Union County Agricultural Agent and Master Gardeners, MC Schwartz and James Keane

Q. I’ve been enjoying delicious strawberries from my neighbor’s garden. It has inspired me to grow them in my garden. What does “June -bearing” strawberry mean? -Berry Buff in Berkeley Heights

A. There are three types of varieties of strawberries: June-bearing, ever-bearing and day- neutral. They produce berries during different times of the growing season. June-bearing, which you are probably enjoying now, ripen in June. They tend to produce the most flavorful and largest fruits, but there is one crop per year.

Ever-bearing strawberries have two crops a year, the larger in June followed by a smaller crop in late summer / early fall. Day-neutral strawberries produce a spring and fall crop as well. Day-neutral strawberries have very good production, flavor and quality, but the fruit size is smaller than the June-bearing varieties. If you would like to enjoy harvesting (and eating) fresh strawberries most of the growing season, try growing a few cultivars of each variety.

Experiment with different cultivars to see which grow best in your garden, as the performance of strawberries varies with local environmental conditions. Choose disease resistant varieties to avoid losing your crop to the two most common strawberry diseases, Red Stele and Verticillium Wilt. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet FS097 “Strawberries in the Home Garden I. Establishing the Planting,” has a list of some recommended cultivars for New Jersey home gardens. Purchase plants that have been certified as free of insects or disease. The ideal time to plant strawberries is spring, March to early-April. Fall planting is not recommended.

The best place to grow strawberries is in full sun, as fruit needs as much sun exposure as possible. The soil must be well drained as strawberries are very sensitive to “wet feet.” Standing water can cause root rot and disease development.

Avoid planting your strawberries in an area where tomatoes or potatoes have been growing, as lingering insect or disease problems may be an issue. If sod was growing in the area, you might want to remove the sod a few weeks before planting the strawberries to expose any grubs, wireworms or cutworms in the soil.

If your soil has a high clay content, plant the strawberries in raised beds or create mounded rows to plant the strawberries at the top. Excess water can roll down the mound. Be sure to amend the soil with organic matter to help improve drainage.

Strawberries prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Do a soil test to determine the soil pH and check nutrient levels. Information on the Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory is available at www.njaes.rutgers.edu and soil test kits are available at your county Rutgers Cooperative Extension office.

A general fertilization recommendation for establishing a strawberry planting is applying a 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 at a rate of two pounds per 100 square feet when the plant starts to root and again in mid-August. The ratio and application rate varies with soil conditions (sandy vs. clay) so a soil test is recommended.

When you take a look at the strawberry plants you have purchased, you will notice the plant has three distinct parts: the roots, crown and leaves. The crown is the short stem between the leaves and roots. The proper way to plant a strawberry plant is to make a trench in the soil that is deep enough to set the roots and the bottom half of the crown vertically into the soil. Don’t spread the root out in a horizontal direction, as you want to encourage deep downward rooting. It’s important to make sure the top of the crown is above the soil as the growing bud at the top needs to be exposed to sunlight.

June-bearing strawberries should be planted 24 to 36 inches apart. To get better fruit production in the future, remove flower stalks as they begin to appear so the plant can get well established. Sure, you won’t get strawberries that first year, but by allowing the plants to get large the first growing season, you will be happy with the increase in fruit production in the future.

Ever-bearing and day-neutral strawberries should be planted 12 to 24 inches apart on four -foot centers. During the first spring season, remove the flower buds as they appear until mid-summer. Removing the flower buds will help the plants get established. You can enjoy a fall crop the first year.

Strawberries can be harvested about 30 days after bloom. Allow them to ripen on the plant. Early morning is the best time to harvest. Keeping the calyx (green top) on the berries helps them last longer in storage. Store the strawberries in a plastic bag in the coolest part of your refrigerator. Strawberries will last about a week when refrigerated, but who wants to wait that long?

Editor’s Note: The Union County Master Gardener’s HELP LINE fields hundreds of citizen inquiries a year – offering assistance with their indoor as well as outdoor gardening and pest control questions. Responses to resident phone calls and on-site visits comply with current Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station recommendations. Union County residents can call (908) 654-9852 or email [email protected] for assistance. A complete listing of Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) offices where you can contact a Master Gardener in your area can be found on page 22 of the Gardener News. Free RCE fact sheets are available at www.njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs.

CASE FILESFrom the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County Garden Help Line

Supernatural abilityJohn Astin, best known for his role as Gomez Addams

on the hit 1960s ABC television series The Addams Family, proudly wears a Jersey Fresh hat during a three-day visit in Parsippany, Morris County, New Jersey.


38th Annual Rose Day(SOMERSET, NJ) ― Rose Day at the Colonial Park Gardens

will be celebrated on Saturday, June 9, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. while the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden is at peak blossom. This award-winning All-America Rose Selections garden features more than 3,000 roses representing over 300 different varieties. Horticulture staff and members of the Jersey Shore Rose Society will be available to answer questions. It is a day to stroll through the garden and attend free lectures and workshops focusing on roses and rose care. Admission: Free (Suggested donation of $3 per adult and $1 per senior or child is appreciated). For more information, please call the Horticulture Department at 732 873-2459.

The gardens at Colonial Park include the Arboretum with labeled specimens of flowering trees, evergreens, shade trees, and flowering shrubs that grow well in central New Jersey; the Fragrance and Sensory Garden with raised beds accessible for persons with disabilities; the Perennial Garden featuring plants that are labeled with their common and botanical names, making the garden an excellent source of information for horticulture students and enthusiasts alike; the Ornamental Grass Collection designed to exhibit the wide variety of ornamental grasses and related plants; the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden featuring roses in a wide variety of types, sizes and colors, including All-America Rose Selections; and the Shrub Collection designed to give year-round interest by using flowering shrubs, trees, perennials, and ornamental grasses.

Colonial Park Gardens is located at 156 Mettlers Road in Somerset, N.J. For more information on all Somerset Count Park Commission events, visit www.somersetcountyparks.org

NJ Farmland Owners Invited (TRENTON, NJ) ― The SADC and NOFA-NJ are sponsoring

three regional meetings for landowners on June 4, 6 and 14 to discuss leasing resources, opportunities, and experiences.

The meetings are specially designed for farmland owners who are currently making, or are interested in making, their land available for farming. Landowners who attend will: Learn about the access-to-land issues faced by farmers; hear from farmer speakers on their leasing experiences and recommendations; network with and hear from other landowners; provide feedback to help shape the SADC’s development of new leasing resources; and learn about leasing opportunities through Farm Link and NOFA-NJ.

The meeting scheduled is: North Meeting - Monday, June 4, 7 p.m., Genesis Farm, Blairstown; South Meeting - Wednesday, June 6, 7 p.m., Salem County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office; Central Meeting - Thursday June 14, 7 p.m., Mercer County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office.

A fourth meeting for non-profit, land trust, and municipal/county landowners is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, 2-4 p.m. at D&R Greenway in Princeton, NJ.

For more information or to confirm you are planning to attend, contact [email protected] or (609) 984-2504.

The meetings above are part of a project the SADC is working on in 2012 to enhance leasing resources for New Jersey farmers and landowners.


Before diving into what to look for and what to put in the garden this month, I’ll begin with a seasonal timeline.

March is a time for preparation. In April, everyone gets excited and colors start to burst into the landscapes. I love April with all the colors and flowers that come to life. April provides me with inspiration, motivation and energy. Eagerness fills the air. The color arrives quickly. Sometimes we are blessed with a quick warm front, like this year, to create the early color. I am so glad that a cool front followed to help prolong the blooms of these eager beavers that pushed their colors early.

Then the beautiful month of May arrives and everything seems to come together in the gardening world. After the average last frost date in the Garden State (May 15-20, depending on where you live), anything and everything is available to plant outdoors. Impatiens, geraniums, begonias, petunias, and marigolds are ready to explode in the landscape. Herbs and vegetables are ready to get everyone’s culinary recipes thriving with new experimentations. There is something about picking fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables

from a garden that makes them better than having a shelf life on it. Freshly harvested herbs just taste better!

Now it’s time to mention how important June is to the world of gardening. There are certain plants that need to wait for their time in the garden. It’s just like taking a cake out of the oven too early; some plantings just don’t thrive or kick into gear until the temps rise.

Some warmer-weather crops that thrive this time of year are: zinnias, vinca, sunflowers and portulaca. These varieties show their true colors in June.

This month is also a great time for tropical plants to show their magnificent beauty like hibiscus, mandevilla, bouganvillias, gardenias, lilies and more. Then there are also the bananas, palms, and other leafy foliage plants. These tropicals will make the patio and/or pool area feel like a

perfect summer vacation oasis. In June, cooler-weather

crops start to diminish in flavor. Replace them with echinaceas, coreopsis, salvias, and monardas. The list a mile long in the perennial world.

It is amazing to see spring transform into summer in the Garden State. Each month gives gardens and the landscape a different view of what happens in nature.

June is a great time to cut back, pinch back, prune or deadhead your plantings if they become sparse or leggy.

For vining plants like pothos, always pinch just above a leaf node – where there already is a leaf – or at a bump in the stem where a leaf stalk was formerly attached. New growth will come from that nascent bud. Pinching close to the bud is important because any extra bare stem will die back and could become diseased.

Al though many houseplants require very little, if any, pruning, it’s still a good idea to keep them groomed by removing old leaves for a nicer overall appearance. To encourage even growth, rotate your plants a quarter turn every week. This will cause them to adjust to the room’s source of light and make them grow evenly.

Petunias, with those wide trumpet-shaped flowers and branching foliage that is hairy and somewhat sticky, need deadheading. They are prolific bloomers, although some forms require deadheading to keep them going. Most varieties will bloom throughout the summer, except in extreme heat. Pinch off those spent blossoms to encourage your plant to produce healthy new blooms.

Geraniums also require a bit of pinching or they will become very sparse. Therefore,

pinching back geraniums is essential to keeping these plants looking nice and full within your garden or container. Carefully snap off the spent foliage at the base of the stem.

June is also a great time to feed your plants.

Most plants need three major nutrients to thrive: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, which are generally known as NPK (their chemical symbols). The three main nutrients are needed by plants for different reasons. Nitrogen promotes leaf growth, phosphorous is for the roots and potassium is needed for flower and fruits. The amount of each is written on fertilizer packets as a ratio, for instance 20-20-20.

During the growing season, feed flowers in hanging baskets, pots and containers once a week, using a liquid feed applied from a watering can. Make sure the soil medium is wet before feeding them.

The world of June gardening

The Professional GrowerBy Tim Hionis

Greenhouse Specialist

Editor’s Note: Tim Hionis has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. He can be reached by calling(908) 534-7710.

There is something about a new tractor that brings out excitement in everyone. For some, it might be the shiny new paint. For others, it might be the comparison to the older tractor it has replaced. And for others, it might be the sheer terror of the purchase price and/or having to make the payments. But whatever emotions are evoked, whenever a new tractor is delivered, it is always a big day on any farm.

As you can probably surmise, we recently purchased a new tractor. It was not something that we had planned on doing, but rather was born out of necessity. We had one tractor that we relied on quite a bit which suddenly experienced a catastrophic failure in its hydraulic system. When the damage was surveyed, it was revealed that the cost for just the needed replacement parts was greater than value of the tractor. To make a long story short, it just did not make sense to spend a large amount of money and then exert a considerable amount of time and effort

to fix the tractor we had. While this scenario might sound familiar if it were a car or truck we were talking about, tractors on the other hand, tend to be much more resilient and readily repairable. It is not uncommon to drive around this state and to see 30- and 40-year-old tractors still in use. Our oldest is 58, by the way.

Anyway, the decision was made to replace the tractor. The next question was what to replace it with. Because it was the middle of the growing season (usually, equipment doesn’t break until you use it) when this happened, time was of the essence. We did not have the luxury of taking a lot of time to shop around or to even be able to order a

tractor. With crops already in the ground and planting deadlines to meet, we needed something yesterday. We already knew the basic horsepower requirements as well as the other functions the tractor would have to perform, so narrowing down the tractor specifications was fairly easy. The real question that we had to resolve was whether or not we would buy a new or a used tractor.

There are positives and negatives to both scenarios. First of all, used tractors are definitely less expensive. That is a no-brainer. But then there is the fear of the unknown. Why did the other farmer get rid of this tractor? What is going to break next? We could go on and on. If the history of a tractor is known, sometimes that will make it

easier to make a decision. Maybe the previous owner decided to retire or to change his operation. These are all potential positive reasons to purchase a used tractor.

One common expression that is made to justify the purchase of new equipment is that “you can’t farm with junk.” That is certainly true. Equipment always breaks down at the most inopportune times and there is nothing more frustrating than missing a planting window just because something broke and it needs to be fixed. On the other hand, not only can you “not farm with junk,” but you also can’t farm if you can’t afford to put fuel in your tractor or pay your employees. These are all real and difficult decisions that have to be made.

The two factors that influenced our decision to go with the new tractor were time and, this will sound familiar, time. First of all, because it was the height of our season, we did not have the time to do our due diligence that should be done when purchasing a used tractor. Secondly, after just having a tractor break down when we needed it the most, we were leery of buying a used tractor which might let us down in the middle of our growing season, and then having to take the time to repair it. And then there is that shiny new paint…

The Town FarmerBy Peter Melick

Agricultural Producer

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is a current member of the Tewksbury Township Committee, and a former Mayor of Tewksbury Township. He also served as a director for the New Jersey Farm Bureau and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Peter has also been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network.

A New Tractor


Chris Christie, Governor of the State of New Jersey, proclaimed May 15, 2012 as United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Recognition Day in New Jersey and congratulated the USDA and the Land Grant College System on 150 years of growth and success, and looks forward to many more years of successful collaboration for the betterment of New Jersey’s agricultural industry and community

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed as the first U.S. “Commissioner of Agriculture” a New Jersey-born farmer named Isaac Newton, who had already established himself as the Superintendent of the Agricultural Division in the United States Patent Office.

New Jersey, known as the “Garden State,” continues to this day to work in close partnership with both the USDA and New Jersey’s Land Grant College, Rutgers University.

New Jersey’s agricultural community values the many ways in which USDA works cooperatively with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, including: eradicating and controlling invasive insect and plant species; conducting surveillance for animal diseases that could, if established in animal populations, make the jump to humans; providing healthy, nutritious foods to schoolchildren and food-insecure residents of New Jersey; conserving the natural resources vital to farmers’ success and the public’s high quality of life; and promoting the various fruits, vegetables, nursery and other crops that keep New Jersey near the top of the list nationally for production of more than a dozen specific farm products.

New Jersey’s food and agriculture industry is an important part of our daily lives and contributes billions of dollars to the state’s economy annually.Much of New Jersey’s success in these areas is attributable in part to the leadership USDA provides on agriculture, food, and natural resources.The world’s rapidly growing population is creating an ever-greater need to meet the challenges of feeding, clothing and powering the growing number

of Earth’s inhabitants.All of New Jersey’s citizens can benefit from a greater understanding of how agriculture, on both the state and national levels, contributes greatly to

their lives and to the lives of people around the world.New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher, front center, presented the Proclamation on behalf of Governor Christie to the ranking USDA

officials in New Jersey, in the front row, on both sides of him. The New Jersey State Board of Agriculture members are in the back row. The presentation took place during the May New Jersey State Board of Agriculture meeting in Trenton, Mercer County


Whole Foods Market Teams up with Camden Children’s Garden to Sprout Roots in the Community(CAMDEN, NJ) ― The non-profit Camden Children’s Garden was selected by Whole Foods Market Regional Leadership for a Team Build to Launch Multi-

Year Partnership. Through this partnership, the Camden Children’s Garden will receive support for programs, gardens and projects. The Camden City Garden Club, Inc. (CCGC) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization that operates the Camden Children’s Garden and is dedicated to supporting a sustainable environment through education designed for children and families, especially in Camden, N.J.

As one of the company’s core values is to support its communities, each year Whole Foods Market regional leadership in the Mid-Atlantic area does a team-build that is tied into a workday with a nonprofit. With a passionate mission mirroring the core values of Whole Foods Market, the regional leadership team looks forward to an integrated and long-lasting partnership with the Camden Children’s Garden. This philanthropic partnership will launch on Wednesday, May 23, (RAIN OR SHINE), with over 70 Whole Foods Market staffers joining the Camden City Garden Club in developing community gardening within a South Camden neighborhood.

To expand the one-acre urban agricultural site in Camden’s Lanning Square neighborhood, volunteers along with Camden Children’s Garden staff, community gardeners, AmeriCorps NCCC Moose Team #6 and Whole Foods Market team members will collectively transform a “budding” urban neighborhood’s lots into green and food-producing community gardens. The teams will cultivate four additional gardens and help create a destination that promotes wellness, nutrition and serves as a community flagship.

Through the duration of the multi-year partnership, Whole Foods Market hopes to support the Camden Children’s Garden / Camden City Garden Club with future volunteer projects, food security, food justice, community gardening, nutrition and horticultural education, GrowLab School program, Youth Job Training and Employment Program. Whole Foods Market will help to advance the Camden Children’s Garden’s overall mission and outreach by inspiring and educating people of all ages. They plan to work together to provide opportunities to improve the community’s quality of life, health and community through horticulture.

The People’s Department


Tree Disease - AnthracnoseSpring is here and it is time to start thinking about fungus. When we speak of tree diseases,

we are usually referring to fungus problems – insects are a separate type of tree problem. One of the more common plant diseases found in New Jersey is anthracnose. Anthracnose is a term applied to a group of foliage diseases that affect most hardwood tree species throughout New Jersey. Anthracnose is most prevalent and destructive in early-spring when cool, moist weather conditions favor disease development. It does not need to be rainy; many springs, like this year, have been almost drought-like, but the humidity (air moisture) has been high and the temperatures have been cool and that is all the fungus needs to take hold of a plant.

On highly susceptible species such as sycamores, oaks (especially white oaks), maples, ash and walnut, anthracnose may result in leaf and twig death, defoliation and even stem dieback. Several consecutive years of defoliation will severely weaken trees, predisposing them to attack by insect borers and secondary disease-causing organisms such as canker and root decay fungi.

Symptoms of anthracnose vary considerably from tree to tree. On sycamore, white oaks and maple, large irregular brown to purplish lesions (dead areas) develop usually along leaf veins. On ash, dogwood and walnut, lesions occur on leaves. In some species, lesions may also develop on flowers and fruit. The dead areas on the foliage often coalesce, resulting in leaf distortion and defoliation. This will usually occur in early-spring when leaves are small and tender. Crowns of severely diseased trees appear thin and scrubby. Often, the foliage is tufted on ends of branches, while the center of the tree is defoliated. Often this is because the outer leaves get direct sunlight and stay drier and this results in less chance for infection. Trees defoliated by anthracnose usually produce a second set of leaves in late-spring or summer.

On some tree species, including sycamore, white oak and maple, buds and succulent new shoots may be killed as a result of anthracnose. Cankers may also form on twigs and small branches, resulting in twig distortion and dieback. Anthracnose is caused by several closely related fungi. These fungi overwinter in twig cankers and on specialized structures on the leaves. Coinciding with budbreak in the spring, massive numbers of spores are produced by anthracnose fungi. Spores spread by wind and rain then splash to susceptible plant tissue. Under cool, moist conditions, these spores germinate and infect susceptible plant parts and begin their destructive activity. Shortly after lesions develop, spores are produced on the diseased plant tissue. These “summer spores” are disseminated to healthy tissue, where they cause new infections. As long as moist weather conditions prevail, summer spores are produced from lesions on diseased plant parts. These spores are responsible for the infections that occur in late-spring and summer.

On some tree species, anthracnose fungi can “jump” from the leaves to the twigs. The pathogen may continue to grow in the twigs during the autumn after the leaves are cast, and in the spring prior to budbreak. Subsequently, infected twigs and buds may be killed during the dormant season.

There are two ways to treat most fungal tree problems - Sanitation and Chemical control.Sanitation practices, which eliminate sources of the overwintering fungi, will provide

some degree of control of anthracnose. Diseased leaves should be collected and destroyed in the fall, and diseased twigs and branches should be pruned out and destroyed to whatever degree possible. Periodic pruning will allow optimum light and air penetrations of the crown, which will inhibit disease development by allowing more rapid drying of plant tissue following rains. Periodic fertilization will maintain tree vigor and help offset the deleterious effects of any premature defoliation from anthracnose. Properly timed fungicide applications will help control anthracnose. Fungicides are applied at periodic intervals during the spring in order to protect developing plant tissue from infection. Once infection occurs, however, chemical sprays are ineffective in preventing further disease development. The effectiveness of chemical control is dependent on spring weather conditions, the proximity of untreated trees to sprayed trees, and the thoroughness of the sanitation program. Generally, more frequent applications of fungicides are necessary to obtain a high degree of control during cool, moist springs. With Sycamores the option exists to inject fungicide into the tree, providing multiple years of protection.

As always, I hope you learned something!…..’Till next month

Editor’s Note: Robert graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University with degrees in science education and forest biology. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert. Robert is currently teaching AP Environmental Science, Biology and Chemistry at Liberty High School in PA., and on staff at Temple University teaching Horticulture. He delivers many short courses and seminars at various outdoor education facilities. He is available for talks and consultations in both NJ and PA. Robert can be reached by calling (484) 560-5744.

Caring for treesThe New Jersey Arborists Chapter of the International

Society of Arboriculture (NJAISA) held their spring program on May 9 at Northeastern Arborist Supplies in West Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey. The attendees increased their qualifications and technical proficiency by staying abreast of technological and scientific developments affecting the profession. This meeting also showcased the latest equipment from Bandit Industries, Stihl, Inc., and Bobcat. The NJAISA is a statewide professional organization dedicated to fostering a greater appreciation for trees and to promoting research, technology and the professional practice of arboriculture.


Leadership Development Course Available for Agriculture, Gardening

and AG Related Industries(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) – What are the key issues facing

NJ’s agricultural, gardening and landscaping community? How can these sectors prepare to lead ahead of the curve? One resource available is the professional leadership development training provided the New Jersey’s Agricultural Leadership Development (NJALDP) offered through a partnership of Rutgers University along with New Jersey Department of Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau and the Agricultural Society.

NJALDP is a two year professional leadership development course designed for people who work in agriculture, gardening, landscaping and other Ag related sectors. Over the past 18 years, close to 200 NJ farmers and Ag- related professionals have participated in leadership development training provided by NJALDP. Program graduates serve in leadership roles in almost every facet of the industry as well as elected positions throughout NJ. Others have gone on to expand their businesses and careers and, developed new markets and products.

Individuals affiliated with gardening, landscaping, nursery, nutrition and the food industry, fish and wildlife, environmental and conservation organizations, State, County or municipal government, all have a relationship to agriculture. Applicants from these sectors would benefit from this training which would then benefit the overall agricultural and environmental industries in New Jersey.

The next class will focus on local agriculture and the issues, challenges and skills necessary to advance and lead the industry. The seminar schedule for Class IX will entail 12 meetings spread out over the two year course. Seminar meeting dates are set after the class is accepted to maximize participation.

Applications are being accepted now for NJALDP Class IX which will start in the fall of 2012. Contact Dr. Mary Nikola at [email protected] or (848) 932-3719 for additional information.


June. Just the word makes you smile as you think of all the gardening events, festivals, garden tours, new discoveries of cultivars and everything sprouting up in our gardens.

I have to tell you that the Garden Club of New Jersey’s members are enthralled with the “knock dead” gorgeous posters we received from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s “Jersey Fresh” team. These posters went like hotcakes to member clubs at District meetings this spring, and, thankfully, we have the whole set preserved in a beautiful tri-fold educational board showing the Pinelands Garden Club holding them up individually with each member plainly having fun with it. We have “Born to Jam” with luscious blueberries beckoning us – more about blueberries later – peppers “Born to Salsa” makes you want to do a Latin dance, corn “Born to be A- maize- ing,” peaches “Born to be Keen,” and tomatoes “Born to be Saucy.” I’m hoping to get more as the inventory has been decimated by last fall’s floods, and these will be perfect to inspire our children to “get out there” and garden. Not to be outdone, a little bird told me that “Jersey Grown” is coming out with a whole set of their own posters –WOW!

Speaking of “Jersey Grown,” the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. is looking forward to welcoming New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray to our Annual Meeting to be held at the Bridgewater Marriott on June 7. I know Assistant Secretary Murray will extol the benefits of “Jersey Grown” as he is in charge of this NJDA marketing program that was initiated in 2004 and includes trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, sunflower birdseed, wood, birdhouses and bird feeds. Another “Jersey Grown” proponent who is also our invited guest is the Gardener News’ own Tom Castronovo. No one has done more to promote this

fabulous program than Tom and we in the Garden Club of New Jersey thank him for his continual support and encouragement. We love our “Jersey Grown” aprons, t-shirts and, likewise, our “Jersey Fresh” aprons and t-shirts. In fact, I tell our members to have one of each as the monies we make in selling these items goes right in our GCNJ Community Gardens/Jersey Fresh/Jersey Grown Project so that we can give out grants of up to $500 to garden club-supported community gardens, garden education days at local garden centers, nurseries and schools. Come and say “hi” to us at your local farmers markets, fairs and garden education days this summer. Our grant application and other pertinent information are on the GCNJ website: www.gardenclubofnewjersey.com.

So back to our blueberries and some little tidbits about this little vitamin-packed dynamo. It’s older than the 2,000-Year-Old Man, by about 11,000 years and, wait, did I say it’s a native crop?! Our Native Americans dined on them year-round as they sun-dried them for use in their cuisine and crushed them to use as meat preservative. The US Highbush Blueberry Council tells us that some of the Native American folklore surrounding blueberries is that the Great Spirit sent “star berries” to ease famine and called them “star berries” because the blossom end forms a perfect five-pointed star. We garden club members love the fact that it was a woman, Elizabeth White, a New Jersey farmer’s daughter, who was determined to cultivate the highbush blueberry. She partnered with Dr. Frederick Coville to find the wild blueberry plants with the most desirable traits, then crossbred those bushes to create the fabulous new blueberry varieties we know and love today. Together they produced the first commercial crop of blueberries in Whitesbog, New Jersey in 1916.

Whitesbog will hold its Annual Blueberry Festival on June 23, 2012, celebrating the centennial of the cultivated

highbush blueberry. Not to be outdone, Hammonton, New Jersey will celebrate its Red, White & Blueberry Festival, the “crown jewel” of family festivals on July 1, 2012 in Hammonton, the Blueberry Capital of the World. Typing this is making my mind wander to blueberry pie and peach pie, not to mention strawberry shortcake. No wonder I’m not thin anymore!

Some coming events include: the KAQ Hospice Butterfly Release at Memorial School’s Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden, 300 W. Stewart St., Washington, N.J., on June 2 at 11 am; the Rocky Brook GC Garden Tour, “Through the Looking Glass,” also on June 2. Contact: 609-448-8388; The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood “Secret Garden Tour” on June 3. Contact: www. womengardenersofr idge wood.com; National Garden Week, June 3 through 9; the Keyport GC “Keyport Garden Walk” June 9-10. Contact: 732-687-9519; the Navesink GC Luncheon with Frederick Law Olmsted, re-enacted by Kirk Brown, dramatist & horticulturist, on June 12. Advance tickets only $50. 732-671-9395; the Basking Ridge GC Tour, 10 gardens, on June 17. Contact: 908-647-2844; the Seaweeders GC of Bay Head & Mantoloking “Gardens & Lunch by the Bay” on June 18. Contact: 732-701-1276 or [email protected]; the Warren GC Luncheon, Hawke Pointe Golf Club, Washington, N.J., Program by Rose & Radish Florist, on June 28. Contact: 908-689-6257.

“Get Out There” and ENJOY! Join a garden club!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is Horticultural Chair, NGC Accredited Judge, GCNJ & C.A.R. Community Garden Chair. She can be reached by emailing jeannieg42@earthl ink.net Garden Club of New Jersey’s website is: www.gardenclubofnewjersey.com, and phone number is 732-249-0947.

Jamming with JuneBy Jeannie GeremiaGarden Club of New Jersey

Gardener News20 June, 2012I got up early last

weekend, camera around the neck, and was blown away by how many of these were going completely crazy in almost every single yard I drove by. Stop after stop, I photographed them and I am glad I have a digital camera – film is expensive. Some big, some small and some that had become a 15- foot-high, 20-foot-wide, 100-foot-long hedge separating two properties! And every group, from bottom to top, were bright, bright yellow!

Wow, have you guessed what I am referring to? Yes, the explosive spring-time FORSYTHIA. I was told by friends in late-March that it went spectacular in the Hudson Valley and had already been showboating in Pennsylvania, and if those buds were any indication that far south it was going to be amazing in Maine, and yes-suh, it sure was, approximately 30 days later. Every spring is truly wonderful – but I think this is the most prolific I’ve ever seen… seems

like every single bud came through the light winter we had unscathed. Forsythia is tough, but the buds often get frozen; that’s why after a hard winter you often see bushes with only a skirt of flowers, all the color close to the ground where it was protected by snow. But not this spring. My neighbor’s bush covers my entire fence line of approximately 75 feet, and is at least 18 feet tall of solid stem-to -stern yellow buds!

Having the opportunity, I asked a retired ship’s Captain my mother knows where the forsythias came from and this is what he told me. Bath, as a thriving ship-building town since 1743 and the nation’s fifth-largest seaport in the mid-19th Century,

had many ships coming into port with cargo from the Far East, including forsythia plants that were given to the shipmates’ wives and children as a reminder that as sure as they would bloom brightly in the spring, so would the ice melt in the rivers and they would be coming home. What a beautiful sentiment, I thought, and looking into the plant’s history a bit further, this is what I found: Plant hunter Robert Fortune is credited with bringing them to the West in 1844, but the botanical name honors Scottish botanist William Forsyth (1737-1804). He was a royal head gardener and founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society, started an

international seed and plant exchange, and was King George III’s chief superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kensington and St James’.

A new and unique species of forsythia was noticed by the Scottish botanist Robert Fortune (1812-1880) on the coastal island city of Zhoushan in eastern China during one of his plant-collecting expeditions for the Royal Horticultural Society. He introduced the species to England in 1844. Forsythia is comprised of 11 species. One is native to southeastern Europe in Albania and Serbia on the Balkan Peninsula. The rest are native to eastern Asia: six in China, two in Japan, and two in Korea. The

hybrid’s first introduction into the United States was in Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum in 1889. That may be the first recorded “botanical” introduction to the United States, but according to the old sea Captain, his relatives had it flourishing in their front yard for at least 75 years before that. If the astounding number of them in this town is any indication of his claim, I bet you he’s right. I have lived all over the Eastern Seaboard and I have never seen anything like it. Almost appears that each Captain with a vessel that had been to the Far East was competing to see who could bring the most forsythia back to Bath, Maine.

Thanks for reading and see ya next month.

The Miscellaneous GardenerBy Richard W. Perkins

Freelance Writer

“What is BRIGHT Yellow & Everywhere in Bath, Maine?”

Editors Note: Richard Perkins is an avid horticulturist, a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance and the Seacoast Writers Association. He can be reached [email protected]

Nothing’s could be finerSouth Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh E. Weathers,

second from right, and South Carolina Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture Martin Eubanks, second from left, discussed the Certified South Carolina program with Keith McCaffrey, left, Operations Manager, Food and Nutrition Services, Somerset Medical Center, and Executive Chef Peter Pascale, Somerset Medical Center, at a recent Eastern Produce Council dinner meeting in Patterson, Passaic County, New Jersey. The South Carolina agriculture officials were visiting New Jersey to promote and nurture the growth and development of South Carolina’s agriculture industry.


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There are a handful of plants that I refer to as my “Go To” plants. These are plants that solve problems, create drama in the garden, add texture to almost any setting, and can get you out of a bind if you are stuck for a solution. Plants that appear to be bulletproof…. they seem to work anywhere. This spring, at our garden center, there is one plant that has out-performed more than any other in sales…. Hakonechloa!

Japanese Forest Grass, Hakonechloa, has long been a favorite of mine for its graceful texture and explosive colors. First found growing in the wild in Hakone, a region of Japan, these dwarf grasses have always seemed to be a staple in shade gardens for gardeners who know the plant. Hakonechloa macra, broken down, comes from Hakone (a region of Japan), chloa, (Greek for grass), and macra (meaning large). Most Japanese Forest Grass takes up a footprint of only two to three feet.

Misunderstood by many as a plant that is only shade tolerant, I have seen Japanese Forest Grass dispel that myth in a private garden in Nutley, New Jersey. Thousands of liner plants fill a hillside here, in full sun, and do extraordinary well. A Richard Hartlage design brought to life by A. Scheppe Landscaping in Summit, New Jersey, this garden still has my attention after all these years. In addition, my brother-in-law has several at his house in dry, hot sun doing well too. Clumps of undulating foliage suspended upon bamboo-like stems define this small wonder. Used in planters, as a garden border, around and under large specimen trees in mass plantings, or simply as a punctuation mark in your perennial beds, Japanese Forest Grass works anywhere.

There are several cultivars of this small grass available to gardeners today and all have their merits. As I said earlier, this is a plant that has been outperforming more than any other plant in our garden center this year. And the specific variety that has done that is Hakonechloa macra “All Gold.” A brilliant golden grass we coupled with Salvia “May Night,” a strong flowering purple selection, and the results were dramatic. “All Gold” is a beacon and could be seen in your backyard from your front yard. “Albo-striata” is a white-striped form said to be even more sun tolerant than others and a bit faster growing. “Aureola” is one of the most popular. Brilliant yellow leaves with green stripes and tawny-pink fall color define this graceful gem. “Naomi” has creamy-yellow and green leaves in the spring and summer and reddish-purple markings in the fall. “Nicolas” has solid green tones in the earlier part of the year and finishes strong with oranges and reds in the autumn. “Beni-kaze,” translates to “Red Wind,” and is aptly named for its varying shades of red in the fall. “Sunny Delight” is a newcomer with the reverse markings of “Aureola”… green blades with yellow streaks. Finally, “Stripe it Rich” is a white-striped, golden-leaved one that is interesting enough to list, but not one of my Top-5 picks for Forest Grass.

All of these varieties of Forest Grass, ideally, prefer moist, well-drained soil… what plant doesn’t? Appreciating protection from strong winds, Hakonechloa, is also DEER RESISTANT! As with any plant, be mindful to regularly water Forest Grass for the first year. Hakonechloa can drop its leaves in colder climates and die back to the ground. Clean up the old leaves in the spring to make way for its new growth. Easily propagated by division, I would wait a few years after your plants have been established to divide your plants. Dense rhizomatous clusters of roots make this process an easy and forgiving one. Finally, be patient for these grasses to establish. Once they grip into your soil however, you are home free.

I believe Japanese Forest Grass looks its best as it cascades down slopes, hangs over rock walls and is used to soften the edges of hard walkways. Truly a versatile plant that will thrive in dappled shade to full sun and handle moist and dry locations. This plant will breed life to your garden floor or raised containers. An added bonus is the “tiny, inconspicuous, reddish-brown flower spikelets that appear in airy clusters from late summer thru early fall” (perennialresource.com). The papery thin, flexible foliage has a distinct rustling sound when the wind blows. Consider pairing Hakonechloa with the likes of some darker colored Heuchera’s… you won’t be disappointed!

A Very Versatile Plant

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, the American Boxwood Society, the European Boxwood Society, a members of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum Buildings and Grounds Committee, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society, a member of the NJ Plants Trade Show Advisory Board, and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

Unique PlantsBy Bob LaHoff

Nursery Specialist

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Contact InformationPhone: 908.604.4444Fax: 908.647.5459 Website: www.GardenerNews.comE-Mail: [email protected]

StaffExecutive Editor/ Publisher . . . . Tom CastronovoArt Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin KukucAdvertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Castronovo

June Columnists Tom Castronovo Craig Korb Todd Pretz Tim Hionis Evan Dickerson Bob LaHoff Richard Perkins Paul Kneeland Peter Melick Robert Andreucci Jody Shilan Laura DePrado Douglas H. Fisher Leslie Barlow

Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Union Co. Master Gardeners Jeannie Geremia

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TIP OF THE MONTHClothing, tools and pets’ fur can become contaminated with the poison ivy plant’s oil during outdoor activities. Unlike human skin, these surfaces do not absorb the oil. The poison ivy toxin, urushiol, can remain viable for years on these surfaces. One washing with ordinary laundry detergent will adequately decontaminate clothing and most footwear. Garden tools and other objects should be washed with soap and water. Pets suspected of carrying the poison ivy plant’s oil on their fur should be bathed. Make sure you use gloves.

Full Moon, June 4, 2012

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Secret Gardens and Scenic Porches Tour in historic Island Heights

June 23, 10am - 4pm andSun., June 24, noon to 4pm

Advance tickets - $15, check payable to IHCHA,PO Box 670, Island Heights, NJ 08732

Tickets at the tour: $20 sold at theCottage Museum, 105 Simpson Ave., Isl. Hts.

Lunches available for sale.Any questions, call 732-929-2646


Bedminster, Berkeley Heights, Bernardsville, Boonton, Chatham, Cresskill, Florham Park, Garwood, Hillsdale, Hoboken (2), Livingston, Maplewood, Mendham,Midland Park, Morristown, Ridgewood, Short Hills, Summit, Upper Montclair, Verona, Warren, Whitehouse Station, Garden City, NY

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Farmers' Markets Now Open - Gardener News

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