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Transcript of Nl october 14
11
...for discerning weeders
October, 2014 An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication
ALL A-BUZZ by P. Garrett Before attending UF’s Bee College in 2010, I
thought all honeybees were essentially the
same. I really didn’t give much thought to
whether honeybees could be either male or
female or even whether there was a division of
labor in the hive. I hope this and next month’s
article clears up some misconceptions, adds to
your knowledge base and ,as always, helps all
of us develop even more of an appreciation for
our beloved insect, Apis Mellifera.
There are three castes in a colony: the queen,
drones and workers. All drones are male and all
workers are female. The queen’s primary func-
tion is to lay the eggs. Usually she lays ALL the
eggs in a colony but occasionally when the
queen pheromone is low or she just isn’t pro-
ducing enough eggs, one or more of the workers
may get an inkling to lay eggs too. Unfortunate-
ly, ALL of those eggs will become drones as
they are unfertilized eggs. All female bees have
the capability to lay eggs, but only the queen,
who has previously mated with drones, can pro-
duce female offspring. When a worker decides
to lay eggs, we call this “laying worker phenom-
enon” and it is pretty easily detected. In the cells
on the frame where the brood should normally
be, if a laying worker is suspected, the cell may
hold more than one egg. I have seen up to 3 eggs
in a laying worker cell. Also, the eggs usually
aren’t in the right place as the worker’s abdo-
men isn’t long enough to reach the bottom of
the cell correctly. Understandably, these multi-
ple eggs will not develop properly. Once this
phenomenon is started, it is very difficult to
stop. You may be wondering how a queen knows
when to lay a fertilized egg or an unfertilized
egg? The worker bees fashion the cells in the
honeycomb and they make the drone cells a
little bit larger. We think this is how the queen
knows which egg to lay. Controlled by the fe-
male worker bees, not the queen. When all is
going well, there always seems to be just the
right number of workers and drones in a colony,
imagine that! Approximately 5% of a strong
colony are drones and depending on the time of
year, a total of anywhere from 10,000 to 60,000
honeybees in a managed colony.
Basically, the drones are responsible for two
things, eating and fertilizing queens. A drone
has a 24-day larval and transition period where-
as a worker has 21 days. After birth, drones will
do orientation flights for a week or two, and
then for a few hours each day, fly up into the
wild blue yonder into the “DCA,” the Drone
Congregation Area, to mate with virgin queens.
Drones have huge eyes to better see queens
from a distance and do not have stingers! Un-
fortunately, upon mating with the queen and
upon insertion of his appendage, he is tempo-
rarily stunned, paralyzed and falls to his death,
leaving his appendage in her majesty. Boy, just
when you were thinking those drones have it
made! When her majesty returns to the colony,
her “attendants” proceed to clean her to remove
all the foreign body parts. She may mate with
15 to 17 drones. Some say the queen flies into
the DCA for only a few days, up to a week, but
basically she will return every day until her
“spermatheca” is full of sperm. Once it is full,
she is done mating for life. That is why we don’t
clip a virgin queen’s wings. We want them to be
able to fly high (about 300’ ) to the DCA. Then,
after we see she is laying eggs in the hive, we
clip one of her four wings to prevent her from
flying too far if the instinct to swarm comes her
way. Cont’d on page 2
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
Peanut butter
challenge
2
Events 3-4
Rabies 5
Contest 6
Book Review
Mycelium
7
Book Review
Straw bales
8
Wildlife
Happenings
8
Updates and
Info
9
Invasive Plant 10
The Swamp 10
Recipe
Round-Up
11
Out and
About
12
Last Word 14
HAVE YOU
LOGGED ON TO
VMS LATELY?
DON’T FORGET TO KEEP
YOUR HOURS UP TO DATE!
22
Incidentally, if there are still drones around come winter, they
are pushed out of the hive by the workers (some even have their
wings chewed off first) and are left to starve or freeze….bless
their hearts. Better they die during mating, at least a moment of
bliss before sharing their DNA for the proliferation of the spe-
cies.
As mentioned before, many believe the queen controls the colo-
ny but in reality, it is the workers. The queen does produce
“queen substance” (pheromone) from her mandibular glands
that the workers detect to keep them from laying eggs. However,
the workers run the show. If the workers feel the queen isn’t
performing up to par, the pheromone is low, or they think she is
unhealthy, they will exhibit “supersedure” behavior. They will
take one of her eggs and proceed to make a new queen, and
sometimes many queen cells can be found in the hive at one
time. Normally there is only one queen per colony. All eggs re-
ceive the same nutritional formula for the first few days, and
then when a queen is desired, the workers feed the larva Royal
Jelly. Royal Jelly has a higher sugar content and is a more spe-
cialized larval food. Sixteen days after an egg is laid, a beautiful
virgin queen emerges. Beekeepers are forever diligent in check-
ing for these queen cells, called supersedure OR swarm cells.
I thought I would be able to talk about various roles workers
have too, but alas I have exceeded my space already. In the next
Compost Pile, will learn more about the workers, and polyeth-
ism (word of the day).
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
BUZZ cont’d
The Peanut Butter Challenge is
underway!
Click on the image for more
information.
Pumpkin Planter. Submitted by A. Ogle
33
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
You can find even more events by going to the member web
site: www.ocmgamembers.org and click on the calendar
page. Events throughout the Panhandle are listed. Simply
click on the event and you’ll see all the pertinent infor-
mation!
SUGARCANE FIELD
DAY
NOVEMBER 6TH
There is a $10 registra-
tion fee per participant.
To register, call the Gads-
den County Extension Of-
fice 850-875-7255
Click here for more info
ANTIQUE TRACTOR DRIVE AND PULL
NOVEMBER 21ST AND 22ND
MARIANNA, FLORIDA
CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION
44
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
Click on the images to open up a link to the
specific event page.
Tri-County Horticulture Studies Group
Meetings and Activities for 2014
Meetings 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, lunch optional
November 20 Coordinators: Brenda Jordon and Marie Har-
rison
Location: Emerald Coast Nursery
Speaker: Designer for Leslie Odom, Owner of Nursery,
“Designs for Christmas”
Activity: On site. Emerald Coast Nursery is a great place
to shop.
Lunch: Ruby Tuesdays, Niceville General Membership Meeting
October 29th
9am
Crestview Extension Office
If you want the rainbow,
you’ve got to put up with
the rain.
55
Encounters with wildlife are increasing in urban and suburban
areas of the sunshine state as Florida's population expands and
natural areas shrink. Enjoying nature while protecting yourself,
your family and your pets starts with being informed and know-
ing what to do in an emergency. An unexpected encounter with
wildlife could be awesome, but also a chance to exercise cau-
tion. Mammals that are behaving in an unusual manner, drool-
ing excessively and are either too friendly, or aggressive should
be avoided. Rabies can be carried by wild animals, domestic pets
and livestock, including horses and cows, that have not been vac-
cinated.
In the United States, 90% of reported animal cases with rabies
are wildlife. Raccoons are a major carrier of rabies in Florida,
followed by foxes and bats. Raccoons and bats tend to live closer
to people and cause the most concern. However, not all bats car-
ry rabies. Only 1/2 of 1% are infected with the virus. Just as only
1 out of every 200 raccoons in the wild has been exposed to ra-
bies. Distemper and rabies will often kill raccoons if they be-
come infected. The idea that if you see a raccoon out during the
day it must be sick is a myth. It might be foraging for food when
your yard is quiet with your home's occupants at work, or
school. Conversely, just seeing a bat flying does not mean there
is cause for concern, or panic. The University of Florida Wildlife
series states that bats that carry the rabies virus will probably
become paralyzed and die quietly. Joe Schaefer states that more
people die annually from dog attacks, bee stings, lightning and
household accidents than from bat transmitted rabies.
Some surprising mammals that have tested positive for rabies in
Florida between 1992 and 2011: bobcat, otter, skunk, horse, cow,
beaver, coyote, ferret, opossum and panther. Although very few
wild beaver, coyote and opossum have been documented.
What is Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that is usually transmitted from the sali-
va of an infected mammal when it bites another animal, or per-
son. The virus attacks the central nervous system (the brain and
the spinal cord) where it causes swelling, or inflammation which
leads to the symptoms of the disease. It is possible for the virus
to be spread through the saliva or brain tissue of an infected ani-
mal if it comes in direct contact with broken skin, open wounds
or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth) of another animal,
or person. The virus could spread from the saliva, or brain tissue
of a dead rabid animal, as well. The virus becomes noninfectious
when it dries out and when it is exposed to sunlight (Holly K.
Ober).
For humans, the risk of dying from rabies is very low. An infect-
ed bite can be disastrous and result in coma and death if left un-
treated, or not treated soon after exposure. More people die
from lightening strikes than rabies in the United States. In the
last 130 years, only 73 people have died from rabies in Florida.
This reported loss of life was mostly children bitten by dogs, or
cats, before the 1950s when the Florida law for animal vaccina-
tion was enacted. All cats, dogs and ferrets, older than 4 months,
are supposed to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veteri-
narian. This does not protect us from feral cats and dogs, howev-
er.
Prevention
However, even though the risk is minimal, recognizing the signs
of a potentially dangerous animal is paramount. The average
person would probably avoid an aggressive animal, but might be
lulled by an unexpectedly passive, or friendly one that is easy to
approach. Avoid contact with animals you don't know, or with
whom you aren't familiar. Don't touch wild mammals, or strays
with your bare hands whether they are alive, or dead. If you see
an animal behaving strangely, notify County Animal Control, or
the County Health Department. Affected animals may move
slowly and have problems walking, or flying while drooling con-
tinuously. Be prepared to explain the animal's actions and loca-
tion.
Do not trap wild, or stray mammals and attempt to relocate
them as it is against the law. Both a handling permit and
permission from the land owner are required.
Keep your pets and livestock vaccinations up to date.
Get vaccinated if you work in a high risk occupation, or for
travel to countries with a high rate of rabies.
Follow quarantine regulations on importing dogs and other
mammals in disease-free countries.
Contact local wildlife rehabilitators if you find injured mam-
mals rather than trying to care for them.
Cont’d on next page
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
RABIES by A. Rosati
66
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
RABIES cont’d
What To Do If You Are Bitten, or come in contact with the
saliva, or brain tissue of an infected animal.
Scrub the site of the infection with soap and running water for 5
to 10 minutes.
Seek immediate medical attention. Call your health care provid-
er, or 911. Report to your doctor, clinic, or emergency room as
soon as possible to be examined by a medical professional. The
same test used on animals can be done to check for rabies in hu-
mans.
Call the County Health Department, or County Animal Control
to come and safely capture the animal.
If your pet is bitten, put on gloves before examining the wound.
Avoid direct contact between yourself and saliva from the of-
fending animal. If you don't see any bite marks, or wounds,
wash your pet with soap and water to remove the saliva and call
your veterinarian for immediate advice.
In summary, be alert, use common sense and caution when en-
countering unfamiliar mammals, whether wild, or domestic. No
matter how interesting, cute, or cuddly-looking respect that they
are wild and can be unpredictable, as well as, pose a potential
danger to you, your family, or your pets. Your diligence could
offer safety rather a trip to the emergency room!
References
Forrester, Don and Schaefer, Joe, "Infectious Diseases of Flori-
da's Wildlife," EDIS Publication #WEC113.
Kern Jr., William H., "Raccoons," EDIS Publication #WEC34.
Ober, Holly K., 2013, "Protecting Your Family and Pets from
Rabies," EDIS Publication #WEC239, Solutions for Your Life.
Schaefer, Joe, 2013, "Dealing with Unwanted Wildlife in an
Urban Environment," EDIS Publication #WEC20, Solutions for
Your Life.
Smith, Ruthe and Schaefer, Joe, "Opossums," EDIS Publication
#WEC28.
UF, Florida Wildlife Extension, University of Florida Wildlife,
"Bats: Our Unexpected Ally."
UF Health, University of Florida Health, 8-14-2012, "Rabies."
Reference to Centers for Disease Control.
CONTEST
We’re starting a new feature with our newsletter. Every so
often, there will be a contest.
This month’s contest is called Who Am I?
The photo is of an Okaloosa County Master Gardener. Let’s
just say that it is a photo taken a short time before he joined
our group!
Feel lucky? Go ahead a email your guesses to our Editor by
clicking here
One entry per person. Entries must be received no later
than midnight, October 31st.
Here’s the fun part of the contest. If no one guesses correct-
ly, then the person who submitted the stumper photo will
get that month’s prize!
Winners will be announced at the general membership
meeting.
So check through those photos! Do you have a unique plant
that you think will stump our members? An old time gadget
or other item? Send them in! Remember! If you stump our
members then you’ll win the prize for the month!
77
Every now and then I run across a book which provides me with a new insight
into the way the world functions. Mycelium Running is one of those books. The
author, Paul Stamets, has published many scientific papers and is highly regard-
ed by his peers. So how did I find this book? Another one of those very informa-
tive presentations on TED talks. (See the site at the end of this review.)
For clarity; Mycelium. - The white threads or filamentous growth from which a
mushroom or fungus is developed; the so called mushroom spawn. Now that we
have that, try this--does the statement, “Mycelium is sentient.” seem absurd and
outlandish? If you take the time to watch the TED Talk or read the book it may
change your understanding as Stamets explains the concept.
That may have turned off a number of readers because plant growth and health
seems to be our main area of service. Without mycelium there would be no
plants or animals or any other life form. You would not even have any soil ! You
might have some dust or rocks but no soil. It is the Mycelium that breaks inert
substances into the nutrients which can be absorbed by plants. There are some
that even break down granite.
Another clarification : The term mycorrhizae is a term widely used for the symbi-
otic association between the mycelium and the roots of a vascular plant. In a
mycorrhizal association, the fungus colonizes the host plant's roots. It is usually
a beneficial fungus that we call mycorrhiza. In the book are photos showing the
growth pattern differences with a beneficial mycorrhiza and without.
If supporting life is not enough, consider their vast contribution to the medical world. Just think about Penicillin or the vast array of
antibiotics developed from molds. Their use in pesticides is also becoming more widespread and some hybrid mushrooms are being
used to defeat species specific insects. Reforestation time and cost can be greatly reduced with their proper application. They have
been use for oil spill clean up and now it has been discovered they are a great way to cleanup radioactive waste. Their uses are be-
come so diverse it has even created new terms.
Mycotechnology is part of a larger trend toward using living systems to solve environmental problems and to restore ecosystems.
Covers mycorestoration (biotransforming stripped land), mycofiltration (creating habitat buffers), mycoremediation (healing
chemically harmed environments), and mycoforestry (creating truly sustainable forests).
They not only form the underpinning of life they may just save us from ourselves.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
BOOK REVIEW by E. Smith
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help
Save the World by Paul Stamets
ISBN-10: 1580085792
Stag
ho
rn o
n R
edw
oo
d M
ou
nt
Ph
oto
cou
rtesy of D
. Hicken
bo
them
The Jokester
Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
88
BOOK REVIEW by A. Rosati
Want to try some-
thing new with vege-
table gardening that
will reduce your work
load, can be located
anywhere, and ex-
tend
the growing season
while preventing dis-
ease and insect is-
sues? This 139
page guide just might
persuade you to try
bale gardening.
Color photos and
drawings enhance the
step-by-step instruc-
tions for creating a
bale garden verses a
traditional soil gar-
den. Topics covered include planning, conditioning the
bales, planting, growing and harvesting. Tips are provided
throughout this easy to read book, as well as, questions and an-
swers, resources and plant profiles from basil to zucchini.
You will need one, or more, bales of straw, at least six hours a
day of direct sunlight and water. Of course you can always
start with one straw bale, but layout and suggested plants are
given for five, ten, fifteen and twenty bale vegetable gardens.
Two particularly interesting sections are the construction of trel-
lises and planting low growing annuals along the sides of
the bales with veggies on the top.
In summary, Joel Karsten tells us, "Using bale straw just like a
rectangular planting container, anyone can grow his or her fa-
vorite crops, with little effort, no weeding, and minimal bending
over"... "You won't need special tools, advanced training, horti-
cultural expertise or a big backyard with beautiful productive
soil."
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
WILDLIFE HAPPENINGS courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension
October is the first real Fall month in Florida, and along with
breaking out the blankets (for those chilly 60 degree nights), we
get to see a whole new batch of animals and wildlife activity.
Here are some interesting things to look for in October:
Birds:
*Warbler migration peaks early this month.
*Sandhill cranes that nested in more northern latitudes begin to
move down to join our resident birds.
*Ducks begin to arrive for the winter.
*Grosbeaks, warblers, tanagers, orioles, and thrushes begin mi-
grating south for the winter.
Mammals:
*Flying squirrels will be moving into pecan groves as the nuts
ripen.
*Black bears are feeding heavily in preparation for winter.
Amphibians:
*Flatwoods salamanders breed with the first rains of October.
Insects:
*Monarch butterfly migration nears its peak along Florida’s Gulf
coast.
Fish:
*Redfish and trout move up creeks and rivers in north Florida.
*Fall spawning of redear sunfish.
*Largemouth bass active in cooler waters.
October also gets us thinking about Halloween, ghouls, vampires
and their fascinating mascots: bats. If you want to learn the real
skinny about these beneficial little insect eaters, you should
check out the special Halloween edition on Florida’s bats by
clicking on the picture below.
Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten
99
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
UPDATES AND INFO by Editorial Staff
A reminder to check out the Master Gardener program on
Crestview Television! We have some new videos up there!
http://www.cvctv.info/channel.cfm?category=The%20Master%
20Gardener&id=4430
UPDATED PUBLICATIONS
The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 http://
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs248
How to Start a Food Business http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs254
*Survival of Foodborne Pathogens on berries: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs236
*Integrated Pest Management for Mosquito Reduction around Homes and Neighborhoods http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1045
*Pavement ant Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1047
*Gardening with Annuals in Florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg319
*Mexican Sycamore (Platanus mexicana) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep502
*Phoenix roebelenii: Pygmy Date Palm http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st441
*Purple Sunset Pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘PIIPG-1’) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep501
*Waterhyacinth: Florida's Worst Floating Weed http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag385
*Giant Woolly Bear (larva), Giant or Great Leopard Moth (adult) Hypercompe scribonia (Stoll 1790) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arc-tiinae) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1043
*A guide to Florida's common bark and ambrosia beetles http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr389
*A Parasitoid Wasp Cotesia congregata (Say) (Insecta: Hyme-noptera: Braconidae) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1042
*Soil and Plant Tissue Testing http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss625
*Heirloom Eggplant Varieties in Florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1242
*Peach Scab http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1249
*Pests and Fungal Organisms Identified on Olives (Olea euro-paea) in Florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1046
*Muscadines…it’s good to be late http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2014/10/03/with-muscadines-its-good-to-be-late/
*Homeowner best management practices for the home lawn http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep236
*Jalapeno and other hot pepper varieties for Florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1241
*African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae Giles (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1048
INTERESTING ‘STUFF’
If you haven’t check out UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions web site, you really should. Packed with lots of goodies. http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/
Science Take—Rise of the Worker Bees http://www.nytimes.com/video/science/100000003068527/rise-of-the-worker-bees.html?emc=eta1
Article on butterflies http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2014/20140916_ButterfliesFlamingos.pdf
Where have all the butterflies gone? http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/where-have-all-the-butterflies-gone/2014/08/05/db293360-182d-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html
Climate indicators http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
Florida Climate Institute https://floridaclimateinstitute.org/
Florida State Parks Newsletter http://www.floridastateparks.org/resources/sp-newsletter.cfm
Science Friday—Rooting Out the Plant Microbiome http://www.sciencefriday.com/playlist/#play/segment/9566
The Jokester
Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
1010
IF YOU THOUGHT KUDZU WAS BAD.... by D. Stever
Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum) is an adven-
tive (non-indigenous) species that was introduced into Florida
as an ornamental plant in the 1930’s. In Florida it is currently
found in the north and western areas of the state, but is quick-
ly spreading southward. It is also found in the southern areas
of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Japanese climbing
fern is able to engulf shrubbery and ground covers by forming
a dense canopy of vegetation.
It is considered a perennial viney fern, climbing and twining,
to 90 feet (30 m) long, with lacy finely divided leaves along
green to orange to Black wiry vines, often forming mats of
shrub- and tree-covering infestations. Tan-brown fronds per-
sisting in winter, while others remain green in Florida and in
sheltered places further north.
The Japanese climbing fern can grow in sun or shade, damp,
disturbed or undisturbed areas. It can grow so dense that it
forms a living 'wall', leading to the elimination of seedlings and
other native vegetation. Japanese climbing fern was added to the
Florida Noxious Weed List in 1999. It is also a major problem in
pine plantations, causing contamination and harvesting prob-
lems for the pine straw industry. Old World climbing fern infests
cypress swamps and other hydric sites, forming a monoculture.
This massive infestation displaces all native flora and fauna,
completely changing the ecosystem of the area. http://
plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/639
The plant produces alternating generations of vegetative and
reproductive plants. The reproductive generation is rarely visi-
ble, and consists of smaller leaflets with sporangia along the un-
dersides of the margin. Spores are wind- as well as equipment-
dispersed. Japanese climbing fern is a perennial vine-like fern
that repeatedly grows back from rhizomes.
Easily confused with (Lygodium microphyllum), another inva-
sive climbing fern. Alternatives include Southern maidenhair
fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), Turks' cap (Malvaviscus ar-
boreus), and American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana).
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
THE SWAMP by L. Fabian
The Swamp by Michael
Grunwald © 2006
Is it a liquid wasteland,
the Garden of Eden, a
national treasure or just
something to be con-
trolled by man and bent
to the many demands of
the people?
It is all about the Ever-
glades.
I was fascinated as I read
the book just how much
history had been
crammed into a story that
told of the efforts of the
many to drain the Ever-
glades or to save the Ev-
erglades (but no one can agree what to save it for...or from!). I
‘met’ politicians whose names are all over Florida as place names
of counties, roads and towns. Some were heroes, some were
goats.
My family lore had my grandmother riding down the railroads
into the Florida Keys. Reality says she wasn’t old enough to have
made a trip like that but her father was a conductor on one of the
Florida rail lines. Why did Flagler build his railroads and put a
hotel at the end of each segment? If he built it they would come.
Over time his railroad pushed into South Florida and with train
service people came to the towns he built and the great weather
that was advertised. And they came, and they stayed and their
need for land expanded. So did their need for fresh water.
Of course all of this new growth happened along the coasts. That
middle part was particularly hellish with alligators, mosquitos
and “savages” and bugs and sawgrass. Whites ignored the peo-
ple who thought they owned all that land in the middle...and a
good part of the outsides too. As far back as forever, no one had
noticed (or cared) that the land was already home to the Semi-
noles who had learned to live with the ‘swamp’ not fight it. Many
lives were lost in a battle for land that was declared “...the poor-
est country that ever two people quarreled for.” cont’d next page
1111
RECIPE ROUND-UP by K. Harper
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
I grow Serrano peppers. They’re a lovely hot pepper, small and beautifully shaped. They don’t pack the set-your-hair-on-fire heat that some of their siblings exhibit but they are definitely assertive. I grow a single Serrano plant from seed every year and every year the plant is overly prolific and I give away as many peppers as I can. It’s surprising how little demand there really is among one’s friends for fresh hot peppers. I use some in cooking but not a lot since they are, well, assertive! This year I vowed to do something constructive with my Serrano harvest so last month I went out picked the plant bare, and reaped enough to can my first ever batch of hot pepper jelly and my first ever batch of pickled peppers. Both turned out great, and I felt a real sense of accomplishment at actually using all of my hot peppers for a change. With that, the canning season drew to a close for me and I put away all my canning equipment till next year.
So you can imagine my chagrin when I went out to the gar-den last week and found the same plant fully laden with beautiful pep-pers in various stages of ripeness, from emerald green to fire engine red. I picked a pound and a half of the little beauties. And I found that here
isn’t any more of a demand for fresh hot peppers now than there was last month.
So, out comes the canning equip-ment again and tomorrow I’ll again be in the business of mak-ing hot pepper jelly and pickled peppers. This is my recipe for hot pepper jelly and, although it calls for Serrano pep-pers, there isn’t any reason you couldn’t use a different variety. I chose this recipe out of many because I wanted the resulting jelly to have a red color and many recipes were for a green version of the jelly. I used only the red Serranoes for my first batch of hot pepper jelly and I loved the way the natural red coloring came through just like the photo in the recipe. The jars are lovely and will make great Christmas gifts: http://tinyurl.com/mztlyuy My yield was 5 ½ eight ounce jars. And that still leaves me with a lot of hot peppers to use up! So I will can another batch of pickled peppers using this recipe which was very simple and turned out beautifully: http://tinyurl.com/mzre3nf My yield was two pints. I hope this will give you some ideas to use in the event that your
hot pepper plant is also an overachiever!
DON’T FORGET!
We now have a full calendar on our member web-site! Click on the event and any additional infor-
mation will be posted for that event. This calendar is updated constantly so check back often.
www.ocmgamembers.org/Calendar.html
SWAMP cont’d.
Survey after survey predicted that if the “swamp” was drained
there would be the richest soil seen outside of Eden and all a
man had to do was throw out a few seeds and he would be rich
with the bounty the land would produce. There was just one
little problem. No one could decide just where the plug was that.
when pulled, would drain the Everglades. Time after time there
were schemes to drain the Everglades and open up all that glori-
ous land to new ventures. Over time, many more dollars were
spent on futile efforts to drain the Everglades than what Florida
paid Spain to acquire the land. What we have done is interrupt
the flow of water that nourished an ecosystem unlike any in the
world.
What land the drainage efforts revealed was quickly bought up
(or given away by the state!) and all who bought demanded more
from the Everglades and the men who wanted to tame it.
Follow the history of Florida from it’s pristine state and the ef-
forts of man to remake it in their own vision through to the pre-
sent day when we have almost destroyed one of nature’s most
fabulous ecosystems. Is there still hope?
Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of Everglades: River of Grass
was reported to say “the Everglades is a test; if we pass, we may
get to keep the planet”.
The Swamp is available from the Okaloosa County Library Sys-
tem.
1212
OUT AND ABOUT by M. Stewart
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014
We’ve had a busy few months! Here is just a small sampling of
pictures from the Home Show, landscape work day, phenology
training and our latest Field Trip!
Click on the images to check out the full photo albums from each
event!
Home Show
Phenology training
Landscape work day
Wildflower Field Trip
L. Buhrow
L. Chambers
M. Crow
S. Daigle
A. Donatelli
D. Hickenbotham
J. Jones
D. Stever
A. Young
DON’T FORGET!
We are always on the lookout for neat links, updated infor-
mation, and ideas for future articles.
We also look forward to your pictures!
Recipes and anything else welcome!
Please submit your items before the 24th of each month.
Pictures should be in a jpeg format.
If you copy something, be sure to provide the source!
1313
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Nation.....An equal opportunity
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Have pictures or an idea for
an article?
Send it in!
Articles and pictures are
always welcome.
I am here-
by declar-
ing that I
have had
enough! It
was bad
enough
that I
spotted
Christmas
decorations on display before Labor
Day but now...I had to head into the
local Big Box store and couldn’t believe
my eyes. Spider webs and pumpkins
were vying for space next to the pre-lit
Christmas trees while Pilgrims hats
floated on an end cap. Fall foliage was
relegated to a side aisle but there it all
was. Conspicuous consumption at its
best.
I have a problem with tracking down
candy for the trick-or-treaters and hav-
ing to move mistletoe in order to get to
the Milky Ways!
I mean, what am I supposed to deco-
rate my porch with? Perhaps a pump-
kin stuffed turkey surrounded by holly?
Am I to expect ghosts and goblins at my
door on the 31st singing carols?
I remember, as a kid, the outdoor
lights didn’t get taken out of their boxes
until the weekend after Thanksgiving.
At least one day was set aside to untan-
gle the strings. Face it, no matter how
careful you were, the light gremlins got
into the boxes and tangled everything
up. Next came the ritual of testing.
Now, this was when the bulbs screwed
in and each bulb was the size of Man-
hattan. If the string didn’t light up, you
had to go through each bulb and see
which one was the culprit.
After bulb replacement, you had to
make sure that you didn’t have two col-
ors that were the same next to each
other. I’m not sure what followed next.
I think the light fairy came along and
put the lights on the house. I supposed
hyper kids and ladders would scare
away the fairy. Be that as it may, the
lights were up and it was good. No one
turned their lights on until the 1st of
December. Earlier illumination could
get you banned from the next 6 covered
dish dinners at the VFW hall.
Now, we have the decorations out in
the stores before Fall even has a chance
to settle in. Lights have transformed
into meekly glimmering, non-heat pro-
ducing, LED’s. Giant inflatables have
taken the place of the pressed plastic
molded candles. Could someone please
explain to me the significance of the
pink, lit up poodle????
And let’s not forget the pumpkin fla-
vored EVERYTHING that is inundating
our lives. Pumpkin lattes, Ore-
os..pumpkin scented candles, dish soap
and Lord only knows what else.
I hereby declare that we need to get
our holiday’s back in order and pump-
kin belongs in pies...not ice cream.
We will not cave in and purchase
Christmas decorations before Hallow-
een! We won’t light any decorations
before Thanksgiving!
Oh I know. We’re all conditioned to
believe that all the ‘good’ stuff will be
gone if we wait too long. There will be
shiny objects that we just can’t live
without. But wouldn’t it be nice if Hal-
loween was allowed to have October,
Thanksgiving would have November
and Christmas would have December.
They’ve been around for a long time so
shouldn’t they have earned the right to
have their months all to themselves?
I imagine a future being landing on
our planet and discovering a big box
store this time of year. I would hate to
imagine what they would
think...probably that we decorated
green trees with pumpkins while wear-
ing Pilgrim hats.
M. Stewart —Editor
S. Farrell , K. Harper and S.
Berry—co-editors
LAST WORD By M. Stewart
An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication October, 2014