The Garden Spade - University of Missouriextension.missouri.edu/bollinger/documents... · can be...
Transcript of The Garden Spade - University of Missouriextension.missouri.edu/bollinger/documents... · can be...
Garden
The
Spade May 2016
Monarda for Pollinators Sarah Denkler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
Subscribe Now!
Receive a monthly email with
a direct link to “The Garden
Spade”. Send email to
An equal opportunity/access/
affirmative action/pro-
disabled and veteran employer
**In This Issue**
Pinecrest Azaleas
Marginally Hardy
Plants
Emerald Ash Borer
Fleas
Wildflowers in May
Elephant Ears
“Reliable, Responsive and Relevant Information for the Missouri Gardener”
An excellent perennial plant for attracting butterflies, Monarda also works to
attract hummingbirds and is a great nectar source for bees. This is a plant that
will bring elegant variety to the landscape in summer and is tall enough for the
back of a border. It can tolerate some shade but
needs some sun.
The leaf is fragrant, like mint, and used for
making tea. The plant grows in full sun and can
grow to 4 feet in height. The flower is showy and
can be cut for arrangements. The plant flowers
for about 8 weeks in summer with an orange like
fragrance. It is a plant that will grow under
walnut.
This plant spreads rapidly through rhizomes so it
will need to be thinned out over time. Deadhead
flowers as blooms fade to prevent seeding which
is unnecessary for propagation. The plant can be
split and shared when thinning in early spring.
Mulch to prevent soil from drying out as this will
weaken the plant.
The plant is very susceptible to powdery mildew.
Thin plantings every 4 years to allow air
movement and reduce wet leaves. If powdery
mildew is an issue select varieties that are
resistant such as: Marshall’s Delight, Sunset, or
Violet Queen. This disease can reduce the life of
the plant to just a few years.
Monarda pictures courtesy of
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Garden Spade May 2016 · 2
Plants with Winter Interest Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
Hot Spot! Pinecrest Azalea Gardens Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
I’ve heard over the years about a beautiful azalea garden just outside of the Jackson area. I just couldn’t
imagine what laid before me on my excursion to see what all the fuss was about this year. What I found
was amazing and inspiring. For a plant addict, it was absolutely
dangerous! I somewhat felt sorry for my husband on this trip because he
knew that there was going to be a lot of dreaming, wanting and planning
in the days to come because I was on plant overload.
Pinecrest Azalea Gardens is one magnificent place. Spring blossoms
abound from Mid-March to Mid-May. It is open to all visitors free of
charge. While some visitors prefer just a drive through, other (like me)
prefer to “take it all in” on a stroll through the intoxicating beauty of all
the flowers. There are benches for sitting and soaking up the beauty
along the way.
Be prepared for the bees and the pollinators. What a busy place it was
on the Sunday I visited for those little guys. My two girls were so
petrified with so many bees buzzing about. They feared the bees were
after them. I finally resorted to finding my way almost into the middle of
a bush to prove to them that the bees didn’t want me. They just wanted
the flowers! The bees never paid me any mind…they just went on with
their business. I told my little Lauren that they didn’t want her because
she didn’t look like a flower and sure didn’t smell like one either. At
least we all finally got a good laugh at the situation.
I was so inspired by Pinecrest Azalea Gardens that I spoke with Linda
Penzel the day after I visited. She referred me to the website for
information on the gardens. Here is an excerpt from the website...
“Gene and Linda Penzel are the owners of Pinecrest and devote a great
deal of time and energy to the caring of their plants and every year they
add more to the gardens.
Gene's parents, Carl and Mettie started the gardens back in 1963. They
lived in Jackson but bought the 52 acres not far from Millersville where
they could go out on weekends and in the summer. Carl started planting
Azaleas and Rhododendrons on the grounds and kept adding more each
year. He also planted 6,000 pine trees to help increase the acid content
in the soil. In the early 1980's, Carl built a house at the gardens and it
served as their summer home. They would come out in February and stay
until October. When Carl retired from Penzel Construction Company,
they stayed at the gardens most of the time. Carl died in July of 2000.
Mettie died April 19, 2008 at 100 years, 11 months old.
After Carl's death, his son Gene, took over the Continued to page 8
The Garden Spade
January Gardening Calendar
Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
Outdoor flowering plants and Ornamentals
Pinch azaleas and rhododendron blossoms as they fade. Fertilize plants after bloom
and use a fertilizer that will acidify the soil.
Do not remove spring bulb foliage prematurely or next year’s flower production will
decline. Foliage should be left to feed the bulb.
Pinch back mums to promote bushy growth.
Some common ground covers suitable for sunny locations include Ajuga, creeping
phlox, and creeping juniper.
Lightly side-dress perennials and spring bulbs with a 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer,
being careful to avoid the center or crown of the plant.
If you love to garden, but don’t have a lot of time, choose plants that are easy to
maintain. Plants that do not need “deadheading” include begonia, impatiens, coleus,
alyssum, ageratum, lobelia, vinca and salvia.
Prune blooming shrubs right after flowers have faded if needed.
Vegetable Gardening
Growing lettuce under screening/shading materials will slow bolting and extend
harvests into hot weather.
Place cutworm collars around young transplants. Collars are easily made from
cardboard strips.
Set tomatoes in warm soils after May 1st. Place support stakes or cages at planting
time in addition to mulching the plants.
Control caterpillars on broccoli and cabbage plants by handpicking or use biological
sprays such as B.T. (Bacillus thuringensis).
Place a stake by seeds of squash and cucumbers when planting in hills to locate the
root zone watering site after the vines have run.
Watch for striped and spotted cucumber beetles now. Both may spread wilt and
mosaic diseases to young squash and cucumber plants.
Plant sweet corn and beans every two weeks through June for an extended harvest.
Fruits and Nuts
Prune unwanted shoot as they appear on fruit trees.
Consult G6010 Fruit Spray Schedules for the Homeowner for information on what to
spray for particular fruits and timing of sprays.
Thinning fruit may be needed as fruits develop and start to increase in size.
Keep on top of weeds in the strawberry patch. They can quickly get out of hand.
Weeds are detrimental to strawberries.
Miscellaneous
Herbs planted in average soils need no extra fertilizer. Too much may reduce flavor
and pungency at harvest.
Four to five layers of newspaper will serve as an effective mulch in the garden. Cover
it with sawdust or straw to reduce the white glare and prevent it from blowing away.
Marginally
Hardy Plants are
hardy to zone 7 to 8
but are not completely
hardy to zone 6 (most
of southern Missouri).
The plants can survive
a mild winter or in a
protected micro-
climate but can quickly
succumb to long
periods of temperatures
in the teens and single
digits and die. More
and more nurseries are
carrying marginally
hardy plants. Some
have grouped these
plants with regular
nursery stock. When
selecting nursery
plants, care should be
taken to ensure the
plant variety of interest
is hardy for your area.
It is wise to read the
tag or research the
variety in books and/or
online. Examples
include:
Camellia
Jasmine
Gardenia
Calla Lily
Rosemary
Bay Laurel
Caladium
Figs
May 2016 · 3
May Gardening Calendar Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
The Garden Spade
Adults of the emerald ash borer (EAB) will start emerging about the time that black locust trees bloom in late
April or early May. EAB adults are metallic green, bullet-shaped and about a half-inch long. To distinguish
EAB from other green insects and view infested tree symptoms, refer to photos at eab.missouri.edu.
Where EAB infestations exist, adult emergence is expected to start after April 20 in southern Missouri, during
the last week of April across the middle of the state, and in early May in northern Missouri. EAB adults then
will be around through July.
If you think you’ve found an
EAB infestation in a county
where it has not yet been
detected, please report it.
Reports can be submitted by
toll-free phone (866-716-
9974) or online at
eab.missouri.edu. Current
infestations have been
reported in Bollinger, Butler,
Madison, Oregon, Perry,
Reynolds, Wayne counties in
southeast Missouri. Other
counties include Buchanan,
Clay, Jackson, Marion, Platte,
Pulaski, St. Charles and St.
Louis. To view the map visit
http://extension.missouri.edu/
treepests/documents/
EABmomap.pdf.
If you live in a county where EAB has been detected, and you have ash trees that you are considering
protecting with a systemic insecticide, the time to do that is either now or coming soon. Use of insecticides for
EAB is recommended only in the same county or within 15 miles of where EAB has been detected. Consult
the “Emerald Ash Borer Management Guide for Missouri Homeowners” (https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/
files/resources/2015/04/mo_eab_management_guide_2015.pdf) to determine if your ash trees should be
treated, when to treat, and what treatment options are available. Do-it-yourself insecticide treatments, using a
soil drench containing imidacloprid or granules containing dinotefuran, can be applied in mid to late April;
refer to the Management Guide for details. Treatments that are applied by professional arborists through
injection or spray on tree trunks should be applied in late April or May after leaves have fully emerged on ash
trees.
Emerald Ash Borer Adults Emerge Soon Missouri Department of Conservation
May 2016 · 4
Because a lot of little green insects look like EAB, it's important to know the difference be-
tween harmless insects and ash-killing EAB. (Photo by Paul Andre, Missouri Department of
Agriculture.)
The Garden Spade
If these strategies do not work, chemicals can be
used for control of larger populations. Apply these
after a thorough cleaning of the pet area inside or
outdoors.
Products containing pyrethrins or pyrethroids are
the most common. These products
have been successful when used
along with a product containing an
insect growth regulator (active
ingredients are methoprene or
fenoxycarb) which disrupt the
breeding cycle of adult fleas feeding
on an animal. These products are
odorless and non-staining.
When using spray treatments, a
second application is usually
necessary 10 to 14 days after the
first because eggs and pupae are
more resistant and may not have
been affected by the initial
treatment. By the second
application, eggs and pupae will
have developed into larvae and
adults, which are more susceptible
to spray treatments.
An indoor control strategy will not
work if the outdoor area is not
addressed. When treating outdoors mow the yard
and remove the clippings first. Remove any feed
and water containers from the area and clean.
Remove any debris or litter and do not bring it
back. Treat areas where pets spend most of their
time, following the label directions. This
application may need to be repeated in 3 weeks.
Be patient as cocoons can sit for weeks before
releasing adults to the environment and chemicals
do not penetrate cocoons. If control measures do
not work then professional pest control may be
required. Persistence is key, don’t give up.
May 2016 · 5
It is the time of year when fleas will be showing
their bite. If you have pets that spend any time
outdoors and fleas have been an issue in the past
then prepare now to control the pest before the
population grows.
Fleas have multiple life stages
happening at one time. Egg, larva
and adult are present in the
environment now. Each of these
stages has a different control
strategy. Each stage will be found
both on and off of pets and may be
inside the home or in the yard.
When trying to control a flea
population, each stage must be
targeted at the same time for control
to be effective.
The female can lay up to 400 eggs
which may fall to the ground or
floor to be picked up by another pet.
These hatch in 1 to 10 days and
grow as larva for 1 to 3 weeks.
They spin a cocoon and wait for a
warm animal meal to emerge as
adults. Any one growth stage that
survives control is capable of
restarting the population.
Begin control by targeting the pet, the warm
blooded animal the flea is interested in feeding on.
Fleas prefer animals and will often move straight to
a pet instead of feeding on humans. Choose a
sleeping area for your pet that is easy to clean. If
they have a blanket or pillow, wash it with soap
multiple times each week. Give your pet a warm
bath each week leaving the soap on for at least 10
minutes before rinsing to help control fleas.
Vacuum once each week to remove larva and eggs
as well as adults. Take special care to address
cracks, carpet, furniture and baseboards. Empty the
vacuum immediately into a plastic sealable bag.
Fleas Sarah Denkler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
Dog Flea - Ctenocephalides canis;
Auburn, Lee County, Alabama, USA
The Garden Spade May 2016 · 6
Growing Winter Onions Rennie Phillips, Scott County Master Gardener
Wildflowers Blooming in May Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
Summer Bulbs: Elephant Ears Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
fertilizer throughout the growing season keep the
bulbs increasing in size. After the fall frost, cut off
the foliage and dig the bulbs, cleaning off soil to
dry. Store in a frost-free, dry location until the next
spring. I keep mine on an old table in a dark
basement room. There are lots of colors and sizes
to choose
from so it
might be a
plant to try
this year or
try a new
variety.
Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) are popular
summer bulbs that can be a backdrop in the garden
or an eye-catcher. Most people are familiar with
the green leaf varieties but there are many color
variations from the emerald green to black to
brown to chartreuse gold leaves. They are
considered an ornamental foliage plant because the
blooms are hidden under the foliage. They are
native to tropical areas so they are grown as a
summer bulb that is planted after spring frost and
dug and stored before the fall freeze. Bulbs are
planted 2 to 4 inches deep and you need to make
sure they are planted with the top up. It can be
tricky to distinguish the top for the bottom on
newly purchased bulbs. They like well-drained
soils in sun to shade. Additional water and Elephant Ear Pictures courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden.
Ox-eye daisy
Rose Verbena
Shooting star
Spiderwort
White trillium
Wild hyacinth
Wild Sweet William
Yellow lady’s slipper orchid
For more information on native wildflowers, see
Grow Native http://grownative.org/
This list is from the Missouri Department. of
Conservation Calendar.
Beard-tongue
Bird’s foot violet
Columbine
Cream Wild Indigo
Dutchman’s Breeches
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Larkspur
Missouri Primrose
Rose Verbena Yellow Lady’s slipper orchid Yellow Star Grass with
Bird’s foot violet Ox-eye Daisy
The Garden Spade
May 2016 · 7
Upcoming Events The following Master Gardener meetings are held each
month. All are welcome to attend. Please contact your local extension office to confirm location if you did not
attend the previous meeting.
Parkland MGs - 1st Monday at 6:30pm, Horticulture Classroom at MAC, Park Hills
Poplar Bluff MGs - 1st Tuesday at 6:00pm at Fist Episcopal Church in Poplar Bluff, MO (Do not meet in January)
Ste. Genevieve MGs - 2nd Thursday, at 6:30pm, Ste. Gen. County Extension Center
Cape Girardeau MGs - 3rd Thursday at 7:00pm, Cape County Extension Center
Perry MGs - 4th Monday at 6:30pm, Perry County Extension Center
May
7 Kress Farm Garden Preserve's 18th Annual Plant Sale,
5137 Glade Chapel Road, Hillsboro, MO. From 9-
3pm. Large selection of native perennials, annuals,
vegetables, daylilies, succulents, cacti and Forrest Keeling
plants. Raffle. Lunch available. Contact Jo Ferguson,
636-296-9306 for more information.
14 Native Plant Workshop from the Missouri Prairie
Foundation at Arcadia Academy, 211 South College
Street, Arcadia, MO. From 9:00-3:00pm. Registration
fee of $22 can be made at http://grownative.org/?
p=10131
14-15 Ste. Genevieve Garden Walk and plant sale, 10-4pm.
Downtown Ste. Genevieve, MO. Fee of $7
17 “Composting to Better Soil” at Bollinger County
Extension Center in Marble Hill at 6:30 p.m.; Call 573-
238-2420 to RSVP
26 “Home Fruit Production” at Madison County Extension
Center at 6:30 p.m.; Call 573-783-3303 to RSVP
Do you have an interest in gardening? Would
you like to learn more about working with
plants? This is an opportunity for you.
The University of Missouri Extension is offering
educational events through October to enhance
your gardening skills. For those who wish to
become a Master Gardener, you need to attend a
minimum of 10 events – total cost $150.
Classes are still being scheduled for later in the
summer. You may choose from the following in
April, May and June:
May 12 Vegetable Gardening – Van Buren;
1-4pm
May 24 Vegetable Gardening – Greenville;
1-4pm
June 9 Plant Protection, Diseases and
control – Greenville; 1-4pm
June 22 Plants and Plant Growth
Environments – Poplar Bluff; 3:30-
6:30pm
July 12 Insects - USDA office Hwy 25, Dexter; 1-4pm
August 18 Landscape Design - 4-H Building in Doniphan; 4-7pm
August 23 Plant Propagation - USDA office Hwy 25, Dexter; 1-4pm
Sept 15 Insects - Extension Center Poplar Bluff; 4-7pm
To learn more or to register for the Master
Gardener Core Training, please contact the
Extension Center at 573-686-8064. Call your
local extension office if you are interested in
attending a single local program.
Carter - 573-323-4418
Poplar Bluff - 573-686-8064
Ripley - 573-996-2921
VanBuren - 573-323-4037
Wayne - 573-224-3035
Garden Program Slated
for Spring!
The Garden Spade
Hot Spot! Pinecrest Azalea Gardens
Donna Aufdenberg, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist
management of the gardens. He and his wife
Linda, have made it their lifestyle. They do most of
the work themselves which is a never-ending process. They are working
to clear the entire 52 acres and plan to have the whole area planted
some day. Each year they dig up and transplant all the volunteer
Azaleas that have grown up in the pathways. Some years they have
transplanted as many as 250 Azaleas.
In the early spring, you will
be amazed at approximately
300,000 Jonquils and
Daffodils in full bloom. They
have also been moving
Jonquils to other areas. "It's
a lot of work, but we just love
doing it," Linda says. "Gene
says it is his hobby, but
really, it's his life."”
What a legacy that Carl and
Mettie Penzel started. The
love of this place has lead
many people back year after
year. Even though the
azaleas are past their peak,
there may be some “late
bloomer” showing their stuff.
Linda also mentioned that
the rhododendrons usually
were blooming about two
weeks after the azaleas ended
their masquerade. I must
also note: Pictures...whether
mine or other peoples, sure
don’t do justice for the breathtaking experience of visiting.
If you get a chance and feel adventurous, stop by this place in the next
few weeks to get a glimpse of beauty. I plan on going back shortly. To
reach the gardens from Jackson, take Highway 72 West to Route B and
turn right. Continue on B to County Road 472 and turn left. Go one
half mile to Torre Lane and turn left to enter the gardens. Also, check
out their website. http://pinecrestazaleagardens.com/index.html
May 2016 · 8
Published monthly by University of
Missouri Extension Faculty for
individuals and families living state-
wide in Missouri. This newsletter is
provided by your local Extension
Specialists and Extension Councils.
Newsletter Editors:
Donna Aufdenberg
MU Horticulture Specialist
Marble Hill, MO
573-238-2420
Sarah Denkler
MU Horticulture Specialist
Poplar Bluff, MO
573-686-8064
Katie Kammler
MU Horticulture Specialist
Ste. Genevieve, MO
573-883-3548
The Garden Spade
Continued from page 2
Educating youth about bees is important!
Top picture is before my bee talk and bottom
picture after bee fear has subsided! They are
more comfortable now!