Dig In! Garden Mentors. Who ignited your passion for gardening? BY RICH GUGGENHEIM HORTICULTURE EXTENSION EDUCATOR CANYON COUNTY

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1 Garden Mentors Who ignited your passion for gardening? BY RICH GUGGENHEIM HORTICULTURE EXTENSION EDUCATOR CANYON COUNTY Dig In! I can remember going to my grandmother s house as a child and listening to her talk about her roses. She had the Double Delight, the Sterling Silver, and of course Mister Lincoln. She would take us to the nursery, load up the back of the car with plants, then stuff the grandchildren into any empty spaces. It was a good thing she had a Packard. We happily drove home where we would help her plant everything. She was an Australian, so most of her plant material was stuff native to the Land Down Under. Gum trees (Eucalyptus spp.) and Bottle Brush (Callistemon spp.) were the focal points of her yard. Trees were planted with eager and energetic grandchildren tamping down the soil by jumping in the hole. Then everything was watered into place. My grandmother was the person who ignited my passion for gardening. She was the mentor who would explain things to me and help me understand why things were done the way they were. Canyon County Horticulture News for Master Gardeners & Friends Fall/Winter 2016 Volume IX Issue 2 research done on this, and they have identified Eight Essential Elements of Positive Youth Development. You may have heard of them, you may have seen them before, and some of you may be modeling them now. The Essential Elements of Positive Youth Development are: A positive relationship with a caring adult. When a Master Gardener actively engages individual youth in learning, and shows they care not only about gardening but the child, the child will pick up on this and be more likely to trust the adult. Just like I could tell my grandmother cared about her garden, and me. Continued on page 2 More than likely, each of us has had an adult mentor who ignited our passion for gardening. There are certain attributes they exhibited that lead us to develop our own passion. In 4-H, there has been Rich showing off a garden success. My grandmother was the person who ignited my passion for gardening! University of Idaho, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Idaho counties cooperating.

2 Garden Mentors Continued from page 1 A Safe Environment. Obviously a garden can be dangerous, safety isn t only about keeping the rake off the ground and snakes away. It is about making sure that youth are free to be themselves, explore, experiment, ask questions, grow, and learn. An Inclusive Environment. Being inclusive is extremely important. Youth, regardless of their race, level of ability, socio-economic background, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation all need to be made to feel safe and included in our gardens! Also make sure everyone has a task to complete. Engage in Learning. Learning is not passive. It is active. Children not only remember more, but they enjoy more of their learning when they are actively engaged in it. Opportunity for Mastery. Life is not all about blue ribbons at the fair. Mastery often involves making mistakes and learning from them. Positive youth development means creating safe spaces for failure, and allowing our children to master skills and knowledge through a variety of techniques which best meet their needs. What makes the Junior Master Gardener program perfect for mastery is the opportunity for youth to learn by doing. They literally grow along with their plants and gardens. Opportunity to See Oneself as an Active Participant in the Future. What do our youth see in the future? Once their garden is harvested how can they continue in the Junior Master Gardener program? The possibilities are endless! Children can become mentors themselves, getting involved in leadership within their gardening community. They seek out ways to become entrepreneurial. They may even end up lobbying in congress! Opportunity for Self-Determination. Children often find areas they excel in, or really enjoy. They may also find areas they do not enjoy. I hated working in my grandmother s rose garden, but I loved the citrus trees and pruning bushes. (She had to really watch to make sure I did not prune them too harshly.) Let youth determine how they can participate and set their own goals. Opportunity to Value and Practice Service for Others. Giving meaningful service to others is one of the most important things to incorporate into your gardening activities. This could be helping out at a senior living center, helping at a farmer s market or CSA, donating food and volunteering at a local food bank, or yard work for community members in need. Youth learn that giving to and helping others is fun and rewarding. Youth appreciate and learn more when they identify the need for community service and tie it into what they are doing in the garden. Junior Master Gardeners learn how to garden for wildlife at a 4-H Day Camp. One of the ways adults can provide these attributes is Continued on page 3 Dig In! Canyon County Horticulture News for Master Gardeners and Friends Published two times annually in print and online by University of Idaho Extension in Canyon County: Contact us in person or by mail at 501 Main St, Caldwell, ID Phone: , canyon@uidaho.edu or online at uidaho.edu/extension/county/ canyon Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 2

3 Garden Mentors Continued from page 2 as an adult mentor in the JMG Program. Any Master Gardener or 4-H volunteer can do this. There are many ways to get involved in the JMG program and ignite the passion for gardening in youth throughout Canyon County and Idaho. Some projects currently being done with Master Gardeners working with the JMG program include school gardens, community youth gardens, short term enrollment 4-H programs, and day camps. A powerful story of Master Gardeners mentoring youth comes from the book The Science of Gardening by David Whiting. Master Gardeners were involved in a variety of community and gardening projects aimed at bringing the community together. The gardeners partnered with a youth service agency, whose mission was to teach job readiness skills and do soil preparation on several of the project sites. A crew of Master Gardener volunteers and four sixteen-year old Hmong youth did the soil preparation work of adding compost and tilling the garden beds. On the first day with this crew of youth, one of the boys refused to take a turn on the tiller. He found our old tiller was rather scary. It was rather poor on the compacted soil, was noisy, and would jump out of the ground when it hit concrete chunks buried on the old gas station site that was to become a community welcome garden. However, peer pressure can be a strong influence on a sixteen -year-old, and his friends finally got him on the tiller. He tilled and tilled, and would be tilling there today had we not ran out of gas in the old tiller. As the tiller stopped, he turned to me with a smile covering his face and said, I m not worthless, I can drive a tiller. For me, at sixteen, driving a tiller was no big treat. My dad was an avid gardener and I had been tilling since I was large enough to run it down a semistraight row. However, for this young man, it changed his life. Driving a tiller, although work, was fun! This first generation American found that he loved working in the garden. He put in over 300 hours of volunteer work in several of the community beautification projects that summer. He was always hoping that there would be a tiller to drive, but enjoyed planting, pulling weeds, or simply picking up trash. At the end of any work session, he always would stand back and comment on how good it looked and how fun it was to be involved. By tilling in compost, a young man found the joy of work and discovered the satisfaction of being involved. As adults working with youth, you may think it takes a lot to sow those seeds and ignite the passion for gardening in youth, but if you follow the eight simple steps outlined above along with sharing your love of gardening and working with youth, you can watch as more than flowers blossom in the garden. For more information on becoming either a Master Gardener, or a mentor in the Junior Master Gardener Program, contact the UI Extension Office in Canyon County at or like us on Facebook. Let s ignite our youth s passion for gardening! Junior Master Gardener 4-H Day Camps are a great way to get involved as a garden mentor! Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 3

4 Fall/Winter Calendar 2016/2017 October 1 Master Gardeners at the Nampa Farmers Market 9:00 am 1:00 pm. 8 Paper Making Workshop 1:00-4:00 pm at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Contact Elizabeth Dickey at for more details and to sign up. 8 & 15 Trees for Conservation on Small Acreages Class Contact Canyon County Extension for more information at Buried Treasure 6:30 pm at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Contact Elizabeth Dickey at for more details and to sign up , & Nov. 11 Easy Composting Workshop 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. Contact Ada County Extension for more information at Fall Tips for a Healthy Spring Garden 6:30 pm at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Contact Elizabeth Dickey at for more details and to sign up. November 12 Evergreen Wreath Workshop 9:00 am at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Contact Elizabeth Dickey at for more details and to sign up. 21 Growing Fruit in the Treasure Valley 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Contact Elizabeth Dickey at for more details and to sign up. January 5 Meriwether Cider Workshop 7:00 pm at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Contact Elizabeth Dickey at Elizabeth@IdahoBotanicalGarden.org or call for more details and to sign up. 11 Living on the Land classes begin. Classes run weekly through March 15. Contact Canyon County Extension for more information and registration New Master Gardener Classes Begin in Caldwell. Classes run weekly through April 26 th. For more information contact Canyon County Extension office at Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association Horticulture Expo in Boise. Winter Cover Crops BY DIAN ROBERSON HORTICULTURE PROGRAM ASSISTANT CANYON COUNTY EXTENSION I feel a crispness to the air each morning and fall is almost upon us. As I begin to put my vegetable garden to bed for the winter, I am already planning my spring garden. One of the best things you can do to prepare your garden for next spring is plant a winter cover crop. This is a temporary crop that is planted in the fall, then tilled or spaded under in the early spring. They are also referred to as green manure crops. By planting a cover crop in fall and letting it overwinter, you can add organic matter to your soil and improve soil fertility. Cover crops also help to break up compacted soils, suppress cool-season weeds, prevent soil erosion, and create a better seedbed for spring planting. There are two basic types of cover crops: Winter-hardy crops that will stay alive through the winter and continue growing in the spring. These crops can be planted later in the fall, after you harvest your summer vegetables. They will sprout, start growing, survive the winter and pick up new growth in the early spring. After incorporating them into the soil, you will have to wait a couple weeks before planting the new crop so plan accordingly. Some good suggestions for these are winter rye, hairy vetch or clover. Winter-killed crops, as their name suggests, are killed by the cold weather. If planted early enough, they will have enough biomass to protect the soil. These need to be planted in late summer so they can put on growth before winter sets in. They will die back after several hard frosts and be ready to till in first thing in the spring. Some good suggestions for these are oats, field peas, radishes, and rapeseed. I like to plant a mixture. This fall it includes Winter Rye, Daikon Radish and Crimson Clover. You can get seed from many of our local plant nurseries or order online. To help you plan what cover crop to plant and when is the the best time to plant, contact us here at the Canyon County Extension Office or go to Cornell University s Cover Crop Tool at covercrops.cals.cornell.edu/decision-tool.php Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 4

5 Time to Divide Perennials! BY PATTY HENDERSON MASTER GARDENER Dividing perennials helps to rejuvenate the plants and stimulate new growth. It is done to control the size of the plant as well as an easy and inexpensive way to increase the number of plants. Overcrowded plants are not able to obtain the nutrients and water that are needed to stay healthy and air flow is restricted which can lead to disease. Here are a few guidelines to follow to help keep your perennial plants alive and healthy: Divide the plants on cloudy, overcast days. This will help to prevent the plants from drying out. If you need to separate them on a dry day water the soil a day or so in advance. Keep the soil moist for a few days afterwards. Dig up the parent plant using a spade or fork. Gently lift it out of the ground and remove any loose dirt around the roots. Using a spade or sharp knife gently separate the roots. Each division should have 3 to 5 strong, healthy shoots and roots. Keep these shaded and moist until they are replanted. A general rule about when to divide perennials is divide spring and summer blooming perennials in the fall and fall blooming perennials in the spring. Since the plant is dormant, this will allow the plant to use its energy on developing the roots and leaves. Spring division should be done as the new growth is emerging. This will allow you to see what you are doing and there won't be as much damage since the roots and leaves are still small. Here are some tips based on the root system: Spreading/Clumping Root Divisions Spreading root systems have many slender matted roots that originate from many locations with no distinct pattern. Some can be invasive unless divided frequently. They can usually be pulled apart by hand, or cut apart with shears or knife. The clumping root systems which include astilbes, hostas, daylilies and many ornamental grasses originate from a central clump with multiple growing points. Cut through the thick fleshy crowns (the central growing area between the roots and the leaves and stems of the plant) with a heavy, sharp knife. Divide the plants into clumps of three to five vigorous shoots each. Small or weak and woody divisions should be discarded. Discard the center of the clump if it is weaker than the outside edges. Keep at least one developing bud with each division. If larger plants are wanted, keep several buds. Rhizome Division Rhizomes are stems that grow horizontally at or above the soil level. Bearded irises being the most common perennial with rhizomes. This image illustrates where to cut rhizomes during division. Divide irises any time between a month after flowering until early fall. Cut and discard the rhizome sections that are one year or older. Inspect for disease and insect damage. Damaged rhizomes should be trimmed and treated, or discarded if too badly damaged. Iris divisions should retain a few inches of rhizome and one fan of leaves, trimmed back halfway. Replant with the top of the rhizome just showing above soil level. Tuberous Roots Dahlias are an example of perennials with tuberous roots. The tubers should be cut apart with a sharp knife. Every division must have a piece of the original stem and a growth bud attached. After division they can either be replanted or stored for spring planting. Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 5

6 Put those birds to work! SAMANTHA GRAF, M.S. SMALL ACREAGE/LIVESTOCK EDUCATOR CANYON COUNTY EXTENSION If you have chickens, or other type of poultry, it s time to put them to work in the garden! Poultry have other uses than just meat and eggs. They are excellent at pest control, tillage, fertilizing and turning compost. To put your flock to work you ll first want to confine them to the desired area by erecting a run, mobile pen, or moving their coop. Then let your girls do their thing. One chicken can clear and till a 50 foot square piece of land in just four to six weeks and fertilize the same area in just a month! Perennials, or fall crops, in your garden may need to be separated from the birds to avoid over eating of those plants. There are some plants that poultry should not eat, such as plants from the nightshade family, any part of an avocado, raw potato skins, rhubarb, onions, citrus, apple seeds, dried rice and beans, chocolate, caffeine, tea bags, or salty foods. If you have multiple birds you need to be sure to monitor available forage and manure build up to ensure your birds are well fed and you re not applying too much nitrogen to your garden area. Thistles, Field Bindweed & Rush Skeltonweed; Oh My! It s time for fall weed control. SAMANTHA M. GRAF, M.S. SMALL ACREAGE/LIVESTOCK EDUCATOR CANYON COUNTY EXTENSION Fall is an important time for weed control for annuals, winter annuals, biennials and perennials like thistles, Rush Skeletonweed and Field Bindweed. This article will give you some advice on preventing and creating a control plan for these weeds. Please remember to always read and follow label instructions when applying any kind of herbicide or pesticide. Annuals, biennials and perennials are commonly used terms in the plant world; however, winter annual may be a new term to you. Winter annuals are plants that germinate in autumn, live through the winter, produce seed and then die the following season. All share a common trait, and that is the notoriously difficult to remove taproot. Currently, winter annuals are preparing for winter by drawing nutrients down into that taproot. This makes fall the opportune time to treat with herbicides to ensure the chemical is drawn down into the plant s extensive root system. Thistles common to our area include: Scotch thistle, Musk thistle, Bull thistle, Canada thistle, and Yellow Starthistle. Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) is one of the largest in size. It can grow up to 12 feet tall with rosettes reaching up to six feet in diameter. The leaves are broad, spiny and coarsely lobed. They can appear greenish gray in color due to the fine, dense hair covering the leaves. Basal leaves can grow to two feet long and one foot wide. The rosette s follow the same leaf description. The girls enjoying a little garden adventure. Scotch thistle flowers are violet to reddish in color. Continued on page 7 Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 6

7 Thistles, Field Bindweed & Rush Skeltonweed; Oh My! Continued from page 6 They can be one to two inches in diameter. There is only one flower per stem, but flowers are numerous. The Scotch thistle reproduces exclusively by seed; however, each seed head can produce up to 40,000 seeds that are viable for 40+ years. Combining several control methods will help to reduce the enormous seed bank created by this thistle variety. Mechanical control methods consist of steady hand pulling or digging, as well as mowing. However, mowing simply removes the seed head, and allows for regrowth of the seed head further down on the plant. There are no biological control methods available. Grazing is not an option due to palatability and the sharp spines on the leaves. Chemical controls are a viable option. Check with your local extension agency for chemical recommendations. Remember to always read and follow the label instructions. A surfactant should be used with all chemical thistle control, but especially with Scotch thistle because of the abundance of hair on the leaves. Musk thistle (Carduus nutans L.) is a winter annual that thrives in our area. It s seeds can germinate in numerous conditions. This thistle can be identified by its growth pattern: stems originating from a single rosette reaching up to nine feet tall. The leaves are dark green, deeply lobed and narrow with spines along the margin with a light green midrib. In the rosette stage, the leaves can appear waxy. They are a blue-green color due to whitish hairs covering the leaf surface. The rosette can grow to span two feet across. Musk thistle has a deep, singular taproot that is hollow at the top. As the root tapers down it takes on a cork-like texture. The flowers color can range in color from deep rose to violet or purple and seldom white. They are singular, one to each stem, and can be up to three inches in diameter. Each plant can produce up to 100 seed heads with up to 10,000 seeds. Musk thistle reproduces by seed only. Mechanical control methods for Musk thistle are fairly effective. Hand pulling or hoeing needs to be done during the rosette, or early bud stages to be worthwhile. Tilling during these stages can also be beneficial, as well as removal of seed heads prior to maturity. Mowing isn t an effective control method because it allows this vigorous weed to recover and regrow. Biological control is limited to good grazing practices. Overgrazing leads to poor grass stand health, allowing the thistle to take over. Working to increase grass stand thickness for both pasture and lawn will crowd out the thistle plant and aid in control. Beneficial insects are currently in studies as another biological control. Chemical control is limited. Contact your local extension agency for recommendations. When chemical and mechanical control methods are combined there is increased success. When using any form of chemical control always read and follow label instructions. Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) is a winter annual that is often confused as Canada thistle. The spread of this weed is linked primarily to infested hay fed to livestock and horses. It prefers open, sunny areas and can tolerate a wide variety of living conditions. It grows up to six feet tall, is erect and branching with a green or brownish color. The leaves have long, sharp spines at the midrib and the tips of the lobes. They are deeply lobed and coarsely haired on the underside Continued on page 8 Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 7

8 Thistles, Field Bindweed & Rush Skeltonweed ; Oh My! Continued from page 7 of the leaf. The rosettes are a deep green color and up to three feet in diameter. The flowers are pink to magenta. They are gumdrop shaped, which leads to the misidentification and the mix-up with Canada thistle. Bull thistle blooms from June to September and only reproduces by seed. Mechanical control methods such as hand pulling, digging, mowing or seed head removal work well with Bull thistle. All parts of the plant must be removed and disposed of to prevent regrowth. Biological control for Bull thistle is effective and simple. Targeted grazing by goats, sheep and even horses can aid in the management of this weed. Creating a consistent and healthy grass population in lawns or pastures will out compete Bull thistle and severely reduce communities of this plant. Chemical control for Bull thistle can be effective, especially when combined with another control method mentioned above. Again, contact your local extension agency for recommendations and follow label directions carefully. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) is commonly confused with other thistle varieties. This is a perennial that reproduces through both seed and root system. Canada thistle produces tall, branching stems and can grow from two to five feet tall. Leaves are long, narrow and are crinkled, deeply lobed, spiny edges that can grow up to 7 inches long. Canada thistle flowers are pink to purple or white on occasion. The flowers are unisexual, meaning there are male and female flowers. Both genders of flowers are needed for seed production. The root system of Canada thistle is unique. It is a colony-forming structure that has a deep and extensive horizontal growing pattern. The horizontal roots can extend up to 15 feet, with a taproot as deep as 15 feet. This system allows the plant to maintain a population even if there are not both male and female flowers available for seed production. Hand pulling and hoeing are not options when it comes to mechanical control methods because of the extensive root system. A ¼ inch long piece of root can survive up to 100 days without any above ground plants. It is recommended to remove the above ground growth no later than June, and to cut regrowth every time buds appear. Removal of all mature seed heads will aid in depleting the seed bank. Cultural controls include maintaining a healthy stand of grass to out-compete the thistle. Avoid over-grazing. Intensively managed grazing by goats and sheep can help manage Canada thistle populations. Check with your local extension agent for chemical recommendations. Always remember to read and follow label instructions carefully! Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) is an early maturing winter annual that reproduces solely by seed. It has bright yellow flowers which can produce about 30,000 seeds each. Flowers have large spines around the flower head and it blooms from May to December. The plant has grey-green to blue-green rigid branching winged upper leaves covered with white fine hairs. The plant is easily identifiable by the long spines which can reach up to two inches long. Yellow Starthistle can grow up to five feet tall, with a taproot that can reach lengths as deep as 36 inches. Mechanical control methods include hand pulling, but be sure to wear thick gloves and get as much of the taproot as possible. Early summer tillage is an option, repeated every four to six weeks. Mowing is also an Continued on page 9 Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 8

9 Thistles, Field Bindweed & Rush Skeltonweed ; Oh My! Continued from page 8 option, but needs to be repeated multiple times throughout the season. Biological controls such as grazing is not recommended because there are toxicity issues for horses. Yellow Starthistle can cause mechanical injury to livestock leading to mouth wounds and eventual starvation. Chemical control should be done in the fall when the plant is in the basal rosette stage. The rosette has deeply lobed leaves and appear ruffled. These leaves are also covered in fine, cottony hairs. Commonly used, and easily attainable herbicides are available to control Yellow Starthistle. Always remember to read and follow label instructions. Rush Skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea L.) is classified as a noxious weed by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. It can easily be identified by its smooth stems and inconspicuous, sparse leaves. The leaves are also narrow and are sharply toothed at the basal rosette. Rosette leaves wither as the stems develop. nutritious and palatable forage. Continued, moderate grazing is the best biological control plan; however, animals should not be grazed during or after seed head formation. Chemical control is effective if a quality silicone or nonionic surfactant is used in conjunction with any herbicide application. Label instructions should always be closely read and followed. Fall is an important time for weed control that will not only show results this season, but in the spring as well. Many of these weeds will require additional control treatments in the spring. A combination of mechanical, biological and chemical control when recommended will increase the success rate of control of these weed varieties. If you have any questions about what you have read here, please feel free to contact me, Samantha Graf, at the Canyon County Extension Office at 501 Main Street in Caldwell, by phone at or by at samanthag@uidaho.edu. Check out the Pacific Northwest Pest Alert Network for notifications and information on emerging weeds and other garden issues! Rush Skeletonweed flowers are bright yellow and are scattered on the stems. They can reach up to ¾ of an inch in diameter, with 7 to 15 star shaped petals that are flat with distinct lobes or teeth at the tip. This weed has a creeping root system in addition to a taproot that can reach depths of ten feet. Therefore mechanical control methods are not recommended. Hand pulling, hoeing and digging have no effect, nor does tilling. Biological control methods, such as grazing can be effective when the plant is in certain growth stages. Grazing by goats or sheep during the rosette stage up to the early bolting stage provide animals with a Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 9

10 Those GREEN Tomatoes are Culinary GOLD BY GRETCHEN ANDERSON ADVANCED MASTER GARDENER Results from the Great Tomato Ripening Experiment: How to extend your harvest. We re counting down the days to the first frost in the valley. If you re like most gardeners, you still have countless green tomatoes hanging on the vine. Not wanting to waste any produce, last October I embarked on my own Great Tomato Ripening Experiment. It was such a success! I was roasting ripened tomatoes for marinara, clear into February. I started out by asking my gardening friends on social media, How do you extend the life of your (green) tomatoes? For as many pounds as I still had on the vine, I got responses. The techniques were varied and came with a lot of guarantees. So, I put each method to the test. Most of the ideas required me using highdollar real estate in the garage. I managed to claim a few square feet for the experiment. The majority of green tomatoes came from my prolific, San Marzano plant. I placed some in a plain, brown paper bag. Several friends swore by this method. Other friends told me, I should add a piece of fruit like a banana or an apple, into the bag. The theory is that the fruit releases ethylene, a chemical that will help ripen green tomatoes. So, I did one of each. I placed tomatoes in a single layer on paper and stacked them in several layers with heavy paper separating the produce. I placed them along my windowsill near the kitchen. Lastly, I even took whole vines and hung them upside down from bicycles in the garage. By this time, my thought I d lost it. husband With each method, I tried to leave on some of the stem of the tomato and I situated the San Marzanos so they didn t touch one another. In an effort to not attract fruit flies, I washed each tomato before I placed them on the windowsill. I didn t have any fruit fly problems. In the end, the very best method was actually a combination of a few. The windowsill tomatoes ripened quickly. They still tasted garden-fresh and we used them in salads and such. The next two methods that have worked for me are the single layer and the stacking of single layers. It takes up more space than I would like, but my family has feasted on tomatoes, non-stop. Continued on page 7 Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 6

11 Those GREEN Tomatoes are Culinary GOLD Continued from page 6 None of the bag methods really worked for me nor did hanging the vines from the bikes. Those tomatoes dried up before they were finally ripened. I should add, that the tomatoes I used in February weren t as flavorful as the ones that ripened in November. But, I ll guarantee you they are better than the plum or roma tomatoes available at local markets. They are delicious in salsas or pan roasted for sauces and soups. I m sure tomato variety and garage temperature play a large role in success rates of ripening green tomatoes. But, I ve concluded that I won t let any more produce whither on the vine. From now on, every year when October rolls around, I ll be clearing a spot in the garage to continue reaping the benefits of my summer s labors. Learn to grow great vegetables at the Idaho Landscapes & Gardens website: idahogardens Green Tomato Pie! An oldie but a goody! Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups sugar 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch salt 3 cups thinly sliced green tomaotes (about 4 to 5 medium) 1 tablespoon cider vinegar Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches) 1 tablespoon butter Directions 1. in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add tomatoes and vinegar; toss. 2. Line a pie plate with bottom crust. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until tomatoes are tender. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator. Source: Dig In! University of Idaho Extension page 7

12 Dig In! Canyon County Horticulture News for Master Gardeners & Friends Join the conversation...it s growing every day! It is the policy of the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to the programs and facilities without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, or disability. Registration for the Canyon County Master Gardener class of 2017 is now open! Contact the Canyon County Extension office for an application canyon@uidaho.edu or UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO EXTENSION CANYON COUNTY 501 MAIN ST. CALDWELL, ID NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID CALDWELL, ID PERMIT NO 6 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED