Onondaga County Master Gardener Program

Aphids and Lady Beetle Larvae The new leaves and flower buds of this mockorange (Philadelphus) are infested with aphids, tiny soft bodied sucking insects that distort the foliage and ruin the flowers. But the natural enemies of aphids are on the job. Immature lady beetles, the orange and black alligator shaped critters in the photo, are voracious predators of aphids. If I spot aphids, and I spot a hungry-looking immature lady beetle, I will gently relocate it to the buffet line. Most insects, probably 90-95 percent, are beneficial good guys. They are pollinators, predators, parasitoids, decomposers or serve other essential purposes in nature. Don’t assume all insects are pests. Posted by MG Carol B.

The demonstration vegetable garden at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has been planted. Many vegetables were started at the Syracuse City greenhouse which gave them a great jump on the growing season. A variety of trellising examples are featured including structures for pole beans, peas, a-frame for Mexican cucumbers(cucamelons) and Florida weave to support tomato plants. Posted by MG Mary Lou B.

Master gardeners recently planted a new herb garden at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. It is located near the domestic barn. The garden was divided into three sections by theme- Native American, culinary and sensory herbs. The garden area near the back wall hasn’t been finished yet as a mama duck has chosen that spot for her nest. When the ducklings hatch and move on we will be able to make way for master gardeners. Posted by MG Mary Lou B.

MG Pat H. just visited the Broome Co. Extension Cutler Botanical Garden. Here are the plant sale info and a few sample of gardens.

Growing Dianthus Dianthus (flowers in the carnation family, the Caryophyllaceae, "carry-off-a-lassie-ee") are popular annuals and perennials. But they can be tough to grow here. It’s not the cold winters and it’s not the relatively alkaline limestone soil; they are fine with those. It is poorly drained soil, especially in the winter, that kills them. They are, however, first class rock garden and container plants. Posted by MG Carol B.

Pinching Perennials, or the "Chelsea Chop" Late blooming perennials often grow tall and leggy, and then flop. Pinching them back in late May, a technique known as the Chelsea Chop, can make them fuller and more floriferous. Pinching will delay bloom a bit, and in the past some of the plants didn’t bloom at all before frost, which was discouraging. But our growing season is longer now and some experimentation might be fun. Here are a few suggestions:... New England asters (Symphyotrichum) Perennial sunflowers (Helianthus, such as ‘Lemon Queen’) Tall Lysimachia Tall Rudbeckia Tall Coreopsis Tall Dendranthemum (hardy chrysanthemums) You don’t need to pinch the entire plant. If you pinch the front stems and leave the back stems alone, the bloom season will be prolonged as the back will bloom first and the front will bloom later, in theory anyway. Check to see if the plant already has flower buds. if so, leave it alone. If the stems are soft, just snap them off by a third or a half if the plant is especially gawky. If not, use a pruner or even shears. Shearing might look a bit messy at first but the new growth will soon cover the cuts. Water and fertilize the plants after chopping them. Pinching mums is a special case. They are often trained quite formally. They may need to be pinched two or three times. If perfect symmetry is desired during bloom, you have to be precise. Pinch all the stems to exactly the same height, then pinch again so the new growth is exactly the same height, and then perhaps again. Do the final pinching by July 1 or so. Posted by MG Carol B.

Master Gardeners started perennial seeds in the city greenhouse this week! Plants will be used for several MG projects in 2021.

Picking some salad fixings from my garden on Christmas Eve: onions, kale, parsley, microgreens, and rainbow-colored carrots. - MG Joy P.

Master Gardeners wishing you Happy Holidays!!!

https://www.cnn.com/interacti//12/world/ticking-time-bomb/

https://e360.yale.edu//how-non-native-plants-are-contribut

---Wintergreen--- I was surprised when I spotted this plant this Fall for the first time @ a family camp in the Southern Adirondacks, I’ve been visiting for almost 30 years. It was growing at the base of a young Beech tree, blending in with some leaves and other than the red berries which caught my eye, it might have gone unnoticed. The tree was among a few others, growing in a grassy area that is usually mown. So I am thinking, they could have been cut down with weed trimme...rs in the past. Plants were low to the ground and about 2-4 in height. The plants on the North side of trunk were a little taller which led me to believe, it might prefer shade. A crushed leaf and berry revealed a slight minty scent. I found it listed in some of my ADK Wildflower guides, as well as online and discovered the SPECIES: Gaultheria procumbens (Ericaceae). The species name (procumbens) is derived from Latin verb procumbo which means to fall in prostrate habit (spreading or lying flat). Common names included Wintergreen and Teaberry. The Gaultheria genus (which also includes Creeping Snowberry), was named for Jean-Francois Gaultier a naturalist and physician in Quebec in the mid-18th century. In 2018, USDA Forest Service changed the common name from Wintergreen to Eastern Teaberry. Eastern teaberry occurs from Newfoundland and New England south in the mountains to Georgia and west to Minnesota. USDA reports it is found in understory of pine and hardwood forests of New England. The plant establishes as a ground cover by underground rhizomes and is considered an evergreen shrub, growing in soil favored by other acid loving wild berries. Leaves are simple, approximately 1-2 long, shiny & waxy in appearance. Being an evergreen, leaves persist through Winter, sometimes turning reddish or burgundy with colder weather. White, tiny, waxy, bell-shaped 1/4-1/2 flowers appear mid-Summer in ADKS. Berries follow as light green August-September, maturing to bright red around October. Since berries are edible & persist through Winter, they are enjoyed by humans and many browsing wildlife, including Turkey, deer, Black Bears, mice, squirrels, chipmunks and foxes. The leaves were used to make oil of Wintergreen, flavoring candies, teas and used medicinally. The primary pollinators of Wintergreen are bumblebees. As an experiment, I pulled up two tiny plants that had tiny wiry root hairs and replanted them in Cicero in light shade under some shrubs. The area is at the edge of my woods with several Pines, so I am hoping the soil is somewhat acidic. Time will tell.... P.S. Remembering Teaberry Gum from the 60’s, when I googled the ingredients, I was disappointed to find it contained all artificial flavorings! Posted by MG Pat H.

Fermented Hot Peppers It's time to pull up the hot pepper plants. Once the temperatures drop below 50 degrees consistently, it’s the end of the growing season. I have been harvesting the peppers all along, and have frozen them, roasted them, dried them and pickled them. Many cuisines all over the world use fermented hot pepper sauces and pastes, and these are easy to make. You can use any kind of pepper, hot or sweet. The immature ones are fine; so are the ones that are leath...ery and drying on the plant. You do not need to remove the seeds. Wash the peppers, trim the stem ends off and check to be sure there are no rotten spots. Chop the peppers up in the food processor, or by hand or with a mortar and pestle if you do not have mass quantities. Weigh the chopped peppers and mix thoroughly with pickling salt. Do not use table salt which contains additives to prevent caking. Kosher salt and sea salt are fine but they are more expensive. You will need between 1.5% and 5% salt by weight of the peppers. It is a preference. Over 3% is too salty for me. Pack the mash into a jar, leaving head space on top for the brine to form and bubble. Put a round of parchment paper or plastic film on top of the mash and press down to submerge the mash. A traditional technique is to use a grape leaf. Put the lid on the jar and set it on a plate in case it overflows. Release the air pressure by burping the jar daily. Do not worry about a white film that may form; it is a harmless yeast that should be removed before use. The mash will be ready after a couple of weeks, or you can leave it as long as a year. You can use it as is, or strain out the seeds and skins. Refrigerate to stop the fermentation and store. If you dry the strained skins and seeds in a low oven, you have a condiment that resembles crushed red pepper flakes." My last recipe for hot peppers is Hot Pepper Jelly, known in my house as nobody likes that jelly but you, Mom. I do like it. I also like fruitcake. The recipe is online at https://www.myfoodandfamily.com//051862/certo-jalapeo-jelly. You can use any mix of peppers. Be warned that this jelly takes months to set. Posted by MG Carol B. See more

Some master gardeners recently put the zoo garden to bed for the winter. We left some greens that zookeepers can continue to harvest for the animals. We also spread a load of compost to help prepare for next spring. It was a great summer at the zoo!

How to Harvest Milkweed Seeds https://www.myfruitionseeds.com//how-to-harvest-milkweed-s

Starting Rose Bush from Cuttings in August / September 1. Sanitize pruners & 1-gallon black plastic garden pot 2. Soil- fine fir bark normally used as garden mulch, wet, place into pot. 3. Take 6 semi -hardwood cuttings from rose bush, immediately place each cutting into a container of water. Trim to remove all but a few leaves at top of cutting. Remove thorns. Take one cutting at a time, dip into a rooting hormone. Form a hole in the soil about 2 deep, insert cutting firm...ing soil to hold into place. 4. Cut bottom 3 from a 2-liter well washed soda bottle. Remove screw top but save. Place bottle over cutting, screwing into soil to hold in place. Place out of sun on north side of house, garage etc. Leave for about 2 months checking soil dampness. At this time, partially replace cap at an angle to allow air, heat and humidity to escape. Mulch pots if weather becomes severe or bring inside, place in cool room with moderate light. In Spring when temperatures stay above 55 to 60 degrees, remove plant from pot, rinse off soil. Plant in permanent place. Add 4-month fertilizer. Water in well. See more

http://cceonondaga.org//14/landscaping-for-shorelines-webi Landscaping for Shorelines Webinar Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Learn tips for landscaping shorelines to prevent erosion and protect water quality. This webinar will provide examples of native species that are low maintenance, resilient, and ecologically valuable.... This event is presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County. Support for this workshop comes from the City of Syracuse. For more information on Skaneateles Lake programming, visit: www.skanlakeinfo.org Fee Free

https://awaytogarden.com/fall-cleanup-with-ecology-in-min/

Pictures from MG Paula’s Sanctuary Garden. Taken by MG Gail H.

What to do with the pepper harvest part 1 - Fresh Pickled Jalapeño Rings Peppers are by far the easiest garden crop to preserve for the winter. Most produce has to be blanched in boiling water for a few minutes to set the color, texture and flavor. Peppers do not contain the proteins (enzymes) that turn many processed fruits and vegetables brown and mushy, and give them off flavors. No complicated blanching is needed to inactivate the enzymes. Peppers can be dried, frozen, p...ickled, made into jellies, chutneys, and other condiments such as fermented hot sauce. I grow a dozen or more types of peppers, sweet and hot. They are used in many cultures, although native to the Americas, so there are varieties favored for Caribbean cuisine, Thai cuisine, West African cuisine, Mexican cuisine, Creole cuisine and so on. Some peppers are more suited for drying, others for fresh use. Commercially, the same pepper variety will have one name when sold fresh and another when sold dried. Jalapeños are small green peppers that ripen to red, not very hot as these things go, that grow on productive little plants. Pickling them is easy. Be careful, wear plastic gloves and don’t rub your eyes when working with hot peppers. Examine the peppers and discard any that are insect damaged or have soft, discolored spots. Rinse them in cold water and slice them up into rings. Discard the stem ends. For each pint of sliced peppers, make a brine with 3/4 cup of white vinegar, 3/4 cup water, 3 tablespoons of sugar (or less to taste,) a large clove of smashed garlic, a 3 inch sprig of oregano and 1 tablespoon of pickling salt. Regular table salt contains additives to prevent caking that make the brine cloudy. Cloudy brine is a sign of spoilage; use pickling salt so there is no confusion. Bring the brine to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the sliced peppers to the brine. Cover the pot and let stand for 10 minutes. Spoon the peppers, garlic and oregano into clean canning jars, fill with hot brine and screw on a plastic storage cap. The two piece metal lids would corrode due to the vinegar and salt. These pickles are not heat processed. Keep the pickled peppers in the refrigerator. Posted by MG Carol B.

The two-hand approach to serious corn-eating. Fresh-shucked. Uncooked. Posted by MG Joy P.

Master Gardeners were preparing the flower bed at the new office location at 6505 Collamer Road, East Syracuse. We will be planting perennials next spring.

A very old method for rooting cuttings. This oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) cutting was taken September 3, 2019 from a huge shrub that is thriving in a very sheltered location. Oakleaf hydrangea can be iffy in Central New York. As it flowers on old wood, if the buds are killed by winter, the shrub won’t bloom the next summer. Many kinds of plants can be propagated by cuttings. This method uses long fibered sphagnum moss. Take the cutting, remove the lower leaves, ...wrap the bottom of the stem in damp moss and put the moss ball in a pot. Set the pot in a saucer filled with water. Keep the saucer filled so the moss is always wet. Leave the pot outdoors until temperatures drop. Then put it in the refrigerator (or another cold place) until spring. Move it back outdoors and check periodically to see how the roots are doing. As you can see, this cutting has developed excellent roots and is ready to plant in the garden. Propagation can be addictive. Free plants! Every plant is different and responds to different conditions and it’s fun to see what works. Posted by MG Carol B. See more

Fall tasks in the garden Vines such as porcelainberry, Virginia creeper and climbing hydrangea are fully capable of putting on yards on new growth during the season. Woody plants are normally pruned in the spring, but birds like to nest in the tangles of stems, and some of them move in early. Once there’s nest building going on, it’s better not to disturb the birds so they don’t abandon the nest. Plus it is easier to get up on a ladder and clip the vines back on a dry fall day. It’s pretty hard to over prune these rampant growers. Get the vines out from under the siding and away from the window frames. Wait until after hard frost if there are wasps around. Some annual nesters also like vines. Posed by MG Carol B.

All kinds of weird organisms appear in the garden at this time of year. This one is a slime mold. Technically it is not a mold (aka fungus) or a plant or an animal. It is a plasmodium in the Kingdom Protista. The plasmodium you see is actually a single cell, and it moves. Slowly, however, only a millimeter an hour. It ingests bacteria, fungal spores and protozoa. It is generally described as looking like the dog threw up. If you poke it at this early stage, it is gooey like an egg yolk. Later it dries up, becomes powdery, turns brown and disappears. Slime molds are harmless and often grow on wood mulch, as seen here. There are some 900 described species; several of them have multiple variations of sexes, as many as thirteen. Posted by MG Carol B.

The monarchs have started hatching from their chrysalises! Posted by MG Karen B.