The Mason Jar Mason County WSU Master Gardener Newsletter MG Highlights:

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1 Mason County WSU Master Gardener Newsletter MG Highlights: Dec. 9 General Mtg. and post-mtg. contributed baked goods, handmade items etc. for a mini Holiday sale General Dec. Mtg. and Elections Through the Garden Gate workshops start in January, 2014 Plant Sale Mother s Day week-end 2014! Garden Tour July 12, 2014 Downtown Shelton Inside this issue: Don Tapio article 2 Master Gardener of the Month Sybil Jones Minutes from General Mtg. Poisonous Holiday Plant Article Various Community Garden Photos Tufa making and Pioneer Greenhouse clean-up Nov. / Dec. Calendars ,9 Contact Information 10 Hope Island Photos 11 Seeds For Thought R. Jeanne Rehwaldt November 2013 I can t believe that we have 34 days left until Christmas. It seems like just yesterday we were working in the community garden planting tomatoes. With the change in seasons you would think the office clinic would slow down. Well, in fact it hasn t been as busy as the summer months, but we are still receiving questions weekly. We need volunteers to cover clinic for the remainder of November and the month of December. If clinic is slow, I will have a list of things that you can do to make our clinic function more efficiently and make it easier for the interns to learn how to find resources in the clinic. Please look at the calendars in this issue of the Mason Jar and let me know when you can volunteer to help.. Although we have a small training class, the sessions have been very good and the trainees are asking very relevant questions. I invite all current MGs to participate in these classes and get to know the trainees. Next Friday, November 22 we are meeting at Mason County Public Works to hear Master Gardeners Lou Schmidt and Pat Carpenter do a presentation on plant propagation from 9 am noon. The afternoon session will be Master Gardener and Noxious Weed Board Coordinator Pat Grover with a weed presentation.. We are still looking for someone to fill the position of Superintendent for the Mason Area Fair in the Floral/Agriculture/Horticulture departments. The Mason Area Fair Board will be holding a training for Superintendents at their January meeting on January 6th at 6:30 pm at PUD#3 on John s Prairie Road. Please plan to attend and get more information about this valuable outreach to the citizens of Mason and surrounding counties.. I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I give thanks regularly for such a wonderful group of volunteers that I have the privilege to work with regularly. You make my job a pleasure!!! Nominated candidates for 2014 offices: President: Pat Carpenter President elect: Karen King Vice President: Lisa Henderson Secretary: Christy Rowe Treasurer: Margie Plebuch At-Large director: Erika Stewart Foundation representative: OPEN Elections December 9th at the General Meeting, 10:15 a.m. at the Timberland Library

2 Page 2 WINTER WEATHER CAN CHILL CONTAINER PLANTS TO THE ROOTS Garden Article by Don Tapio, WSU Extension Regional Specialist Grays Harbor County Extension You don t need to watch the nightly weather forecast on your television station to know that there s a chill in the air. Plants feel it too, and, just like people, need to bundle up for the winter. Plants that have poorly established roots or are experiencing stress are more susceptible to freeze damage. Lack of moisture can also make freezes more damaging. Watering landscape plants during fall and early winter will help to reduce winter injury. Mulching is one of the best lines of defense for perennial plants against chilling temperatures. Mulching can also prevent the repeated freezing and thawing of soil that causes plants to heave out of the ground. Wintry conditions can also chill container plants to the roots, resulting in poor plant health in the subsequent growing season or even death. Containerized plants are far more susceptible to winter injury because the soil freezes from all sides and plant roots are far less hardy than the top part of the plant. When plants are placed in containers they do not have the heat from the soil that would otherwise help them overcome freezing temperatures. Plants and trees that grow naturally in the soil have geothermic heat to keep their roots cozy. For container plants, plastic actually acts as a barrier and the heat is lost in the surrounding air. As a result, roots of container plants are subjected to ambient temperatures, and freezing temperatures can kill young and mature roots. Young roots are considerably less hardy than mature roots. Young roots are also the ones found on the outside edge of the container where they are the most vulnerable. Even if only the young roots are injured and the mature roots are adequately protected, growth next spring would be stunted and delayed. Damage to container plants can be greatly reduced by putting them in a cool garage, greenhouse,or simply burying the containers in sawdust or ground bark. We have noticed that some people have wrapped their tree trunks with burlap. Should we be doing this? The bark on both ornamental and fruit trees can sometimes be damaged during the winter months if we have a real cold snap. The purpose of wrapping tree trunks with a protective material like burlap is to keep the trunk from heating unevenly on bright, sunny, winter days. Bark has a tendency to split as it cools rapidly after the winter sun has warmed the south and west sides of a tree. The burlap is commonly sold as tree wrap, which is available at most retail garden stores. Be sure to remove the protective wrap at the end of the winter season. Painting trunks with white latex paint is a technique used in commercial orchards to achieve the same results. Mason County Master Gardener Apparel Coming to you Soon! By popular request, a committee is working on offering fleece vest for sale to members. Cost to be approximately $25-$30. Look for your order form in the coming Mason Jar newsletter! Beatrix Blackerby harvesting pumpkins at Catalyst Park in preparation for the Annual Pumpkin Sale.

3 Page 3 From L to R: Sybil Jones, Erika Stewart, Nancy Dillon and Evon Masteller working at Catalyst. $411 raised from the sale of Pumpkins grown at the Catalyst Park Food Bank Garden! Master Gardener of the Month for September Sybil Jones Congratulations Sybil! Thank-you for all the work you do for the Mason County Master Gardeners including your dedication to Catalyst Park Food Bank Garden where for the last two years she has coordinated the monthly workshops and activities for the Community Gardeners. She also is active in the annual Pumpkin Sale and was part of the nominating committee this year. Sybil became a MG in Mason County graduating in the class of She has lived in Washington State for eighty years with a few brief months in Washington, DC and a year in Austin, Texas. Growing up in Whatcom County Sybil picked strawberries, raspberries and beans to earn money for school clothes. She even raised an acre of pole beans one year to raise money for college so her love of gardening goes way back. Sybil and her husband Don of fifty six years are very active in the community. Don is an active Shelton Kiwanis member and has been very supportive of his wife s MG gardening projects often pitching in to help. They belong to a travel group called Friendship Force and have participated in home stays in Brazil, Australia, Korea and Japan. The motto is Peace through Friendship and Sybil is currently the historian keeping the scrapbook up-to-date. Don and Sybil raised their family and have three grandchildren who are now young adults and stays in touch with them regularly. When it comes to gardening, Sybil says she enjoys all aspects of the MG program the Catalyst Team, any and all work parties, fundraising and attending classes. Annual flowers are a favorite of hers, especially those that bloom in the fall which is her favorite season. She collects some of the seeds but leaves some on the plants over winter so the birds can harvest the seeds. Over the years Sybil has done a lot of trial and error gardening before taking the MG class. She appreciates the MG mind set of using scientifically based information such as using mulch and trying to build up her difficult soil. The worms are thriving in their bin although she says I m not so sure about the management. Some of her favorite resources are The Vegetable Gardener s BIBLE by Edward C. Smith which has been a helpful resource. She also enjoys reading Marianne Benetti s column in The Olympian. She learned about delightful flower pictures on Swallowtail Seeds internet site from a fellow MG. As far as advice to recent MG interns, Get involved, choose an area of interest and participate. Everyone is always very welcoming and willing to answer questions without being judgmental. Our common interests are a good beginning one is never at a loss for conversation when talking to another Master Gardener.

4 Page 4 MINUTES October 14, 2013 Meeting Mason County WSU Master Gardener Present: Pat Carpenter, Pres.; Christy Rowe, Vice-Pres.; Sybil Jones, Reporter-at- Large; Jan Mutter, Foundation Rep.; Evon Masteller, Secretary; Jeanne Rehwaldt, WSU Coord, Michelle Lapp, AmeriCorp. MG Membership: Nancy Dillon, Bonnie Day, Beatrix Blackerby, Sherry Clemmens, Mary Bigger, Dave Shephard, Lisa Henderson, Puja Pekovsky and Diane Sparby, M.G. trainee. Approval of Sept. 13, 2013 minutes - Nancy Moved, Sherry Seconded - so Moved. Officers reports: - Treasurer s report - not available, but we know there is some money there - Jeanne Rehwaldt - Vice president s report & programs - not available until Lou returns - Secretary s report - Evon Having problems with my system. Copies of the Executive Board meeting mins. are on file at the M.G. Clinic desk and one for each of the members is available from myself which I can bring to the next Board meeting on Oct. 28th. - Foundation Rep. report - Jan Passed around brochures for next year s conference. One is in the Sec y. file. Sold 12 MCMG Journals sedum frames bathouses and donations from our group for the raffle that supports the Foundation will receive thank you notes from us in appreciation for the contributions. Jeanne talked w/cory to partner w/thurston County as co-sponsors for the Conference in 3 years. Clothing would be nice for us to purchase if we could find a good/reasonably priced line and then have our logo either printed or embroidered depending. Nice to get it together before Christmas by 12/20 altogether. *Pat will look into it. -Coordinator s report - Jeanne R. Paid until Nov. 22 until the government s Farm Bill is passed. Tues. through Thurs. she ll be in Yakima. Hope Is. Is the MG Training on pruning this Fri., Jeanne will send an to confirm the time and place. Committee and project reports - Plant Sale Mary B. Hypertufas completed were 30 and we ll schedule another work party for Nov. 9th 10am-2pm at the Pioneer Greenhouse. We need to plant sedums in Jan/Feb. Make more seedum frames for the Cat. Pk. Project being developed by Nancy and Bonnie and volunteers for the Plant Sale. *Jan - PEO can send application to order seedum frames in the future. We need to bring the Plant Sale meetings and other meetings forward for the new trainees to become aware of the importance of their contribution being appreciated. - Thru the Garden Gate classes - Bonnie (Pass out and fill in surveys amongst ourselves and hand to Bonnie.) We ll look at the surveys and organize classes, dates and trainers to begin Jan. session at our next meeting on Oct. 24th WSU. (minutes continued from page 4) (continued on page 11)

5 Page 5 Poisonous Plants Used During the Holidays Michelle Lapp When the holidays come around each year, many fervent gardeners might find themselves automatically rushing into thoughts about the bright, festive and attractive plants that create that warm holiday ambiance. Many of us like to utilize nature in our home décor during the Christmas season for its beauty and practicality. What most do not think about however is the possibility that some of the holiday plants that we love so much may be poisonous or toxic. This issue is most prevalent in households with small children or curious pets but is important for everyone to be aware of. Stomach pain, nausea and vomiting are the most common effects of ingesting these common plants but toxicity can range from mild to more severe. Some plants to be cautious about are poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, and even Christmas trees! Conveniently, most of these toxic holiday plants have a bitter or offensive taste that reduces the amount that is eaten. Monitor your pets interest in nibbling on your plants, watch small children closely and check your plants for bite marks! And always make sure to verify the toxicity of any plant that you are planning to bring into your home and be conscious of the risks for your family and any visitors. Here are the potential dangers of some of our favorite holiday plants: Poinsettias are one of the most popular ornamental holiday plant due to their beautiful, bright red flowers that bring forth the feeling of the Christmas season. Despite common belief, they are only mildly toxic. Even so, it is better to be safe than sick! The sap on a poinsettia is the only plant part that is slightly toxic. If it gets rubbed on the skin, it may become red and itchy. Eating the leaves or flowers with sap residue on them can cause nausea and/or vomiting. Make sure if decorating the inside of your house with them, to keep them out of reach of children and pets. Mistletoe is most recognized in the terms kissing underneath the mistletoe around Christmas time. Although eating these berries will surely lessen your desire to kiss anyone! All parts of the plant are of moderate to severe toxicity. The common species used around the holidays contains a toxin called phoratoxin which has many possible side effects if ingested such as vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, changes in blood pressure, blurred vision or death in severe cases. If a child or pet has eaten the berries or leaves, seeking medical attention or calling the poison control center may be necessary. Holly is similar toxicity to mistletoe. Eating one or two holly berries may not cause any alarm, but eating approximately twenty berries can cause death. Although the berries are the most tempting, like the mistletoe, all parts of the holly plant are toxic. The theobromine in holly is the same alkaline that makes chocolate toxic to dogs. Holly plants contain a much higher concentration of this compound. Theobromine is substantially more poisonous for domestic animals than it is for humans, but if eaten by any loved creature, immediately call the poison control center. You may want to think twice about embellishing your home with holly this season. Sometimes, even master gardeners should use plastic plants for adornment (we won t tell!). Christmas trees are most commonly firs, cedars, or pines. All are regarded as being mildly toxic. The oils in the tree can cause skin, mouth, and stomach irritation. The pines needles, if ingested can also cause vomiting and nausea, and could possibly puncture the gastrointestinal tract. The toxicity in Christmas trees is not a huge concern, mainly because the unpleasant taste and sharpness of the needles deters cats and dogs, and certainly humans from eating enough of the tree to cause harm. Even so, the next time you get the urge to munch on your Christmas tree, try to fight the feeling and go for a homemade cup of pine needle tea instead!

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7 Page 7 Saturday at the Pioneer Greenhouse Tufa Making Party We had both the greenhouse garden clean up and the second workshop making the tufa containers for the plant sale going full speed ahead. It was a marvelous day of fellowship and productivity, we met the twin goals of 60 tufas plus making sure Michelle had the help she needed putting the garden to rest. Ninety percent of the tufas will be planted the end of January. The remainder will be sold as do it yourself planters. I hope customers buy the plants from us. Please be checking out your sedums and related material and perhaps divide some now. It is going to take a lot of plants to fill these containers. We try to plant a variety of color, texture and height to create interesting mini gardens. Here are some random pictures of the day in action. Somehow I failed to catch everyone. Just because you escaped this time doesn t mean you will be safe in the future! Thanks to all who helped! MAKING HYPERTUFAS AND CLEANINGUP THE GARDEN AT PIONEER SCHOOL Cleaning up at Catalyst Park getting ready for Winter!

8 November 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Plant Sale Mtg. 5 Memorial Hall Veteran s Day 12 Genl. 10:15 Timberland Library Cluster Mtg. in Chehalis BOARD 10 A.M., Ext. office Clinic Volunteer needed! 1 MG Training MG Training Hypertufa Work Pioneer School 10 am Happy Thanksgiving 29 30

9 8 9 Genl. Mtg.; Bake December 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Clinic Volunteer needed! sale and Arts and Crafts Sale-10:15 Timberland Library Clinic Vol. needed! Clinic Volunteer needed! Clinic Volunteer needed!

10 Page 10 CONTACTS: Office: 303 N. 4th Ave Shelton, WA Ext. 680 Fax Extension Staff: Robert Simmons Director Ext.690 R. Jeanne Rehwaldt Master Gardener Coordinator Ext. 688 Michelle Lapp AmeriCorps Ext. 687 Master Gardener Ext 687 Foundation Representative Janet Mutter Executive Board President Pat Carpenter President Elect, Mason Jar Co-Editor Christy Rowe Vice President Lou Schmidt Secretary Evon Masteller Treasurer Margie Plebuch Directors at Large Sybil Jones Lisa Stroman

11 Page 11 - Catalyst/Community Garden-end of season - Bonnie and Sybil Jones Tomorrow we bring up the drip lines, pumpkin harvest on Thurs. Oct. 17th 9am and Pumpkin Sale on Sat. Oct. 19th Sage Bookstore Parking Lot 10am until 2pm. The signs have a new bed with ferns and native plants, bulbs, wild bleeding heart will be planted next Tues. Oct. 26th, 10am-2pm, Harvest Work Party, potluck where we will lime and lay straw for winter. Fruit trees will be moved in Nov. just to the north end of Cat. Pk. Children s Garden on hold until next spring - looking for a project chair(s). - Garden Tour - Pat C - No meetings until Jan. Still looking for one more garden, any ideas? - Pioneer green house and food bank - Michelle L There s one more harvest and then we ll plan a work party, put it to sleep for the winter, prep for the Plant Sale use in the near future. Lou and Michelle looked at Knutsen s tomato plant set-up as a model for our plan as they use no propane. Other items for discussion - Radio Show - Michelle Lapp There are 9-10 binders full of articles that Steve Edmondson and possibly others have been using through the years that are still applicable for our audience today. There is so much good information that they can also be used for Clinic as well as future garden journals, etc. She s looking forward to this opportunity. - Mason Jar article deadline. First Monday of the month. Submit to Christy Rowe by Wed. this week. - Clinic sign-ups - cleaning up files and book case. - Master gardener for September is Sybil Jones for all her work and dedication on the Community Gardens project this year. Very successful program for all involved. Dates to remember: Oct. 19th Sat. Pumpkin Sage Book Store Parking Lot 10am-2pm, Sage (proceeds go to Cat. Pk. Project) Oct. 24th Thurs. TTGG planning/catalyst mtg 4 and 5 WSU Oct. 26th Sat. Harvest Party (potluck) 10am - Cat.Pk. Oct. 28th Mon. Board meeting WSU Nov. 7th Thurs Plant Sale meeting 5 Memorial Hall Nov. 9th Sat Hypertufa bldg. project Pioneer GH Nov. 12th Tues. Next General meeting Library Nomination committee - Lou, Jan and Sybil Meeting for nominations following this agenda: They were: Lisa Henderson, Vice Pres., Pat Carpenter, Reporter-at-Large. The other two positions still open for nomination are: President-Elect and Secretary. Dave Shephard moved for Adjourn 11:17am. Program: Growing Orchids with Beatrix Blackerby Respectfully submitted by Evon Masteller, Secretary 10/18/2013

12 Page 11 A Day of Pruning on Hope Island October 18, 2013 Learning about apples from Tom Kelleher.