Next Meeting. A Message from our Co-President ~~~~~~~ Preserve the Harvest. Inside This Issue ~ Kathleen Albiani

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Next Meeting. A Message from our Co-President ~~~~~~~~~ Preserve the Harvest. Inside This Issue ~~~ Kathleen Albiani"

Ada Lyons
5 years ago
Views:

Gardeners of the Grove http://www.gardenersofthegrove.

My husband and I are really good at growing strangely shaped fruit trees, but this year our Charlie Brown peach tree has produced like a champ. Last year it was more James and the Giant Peach.

When I finally picked that peach and brought it in I expected that the tree had concentrated all of its yumminess into one giant peach.

We have peaches, peaches, and more peaches to the point that some scraggly branches have broken under the weight.

I ve given away boxes and bags of peaches to neighbors, family, and friends but as peach season always corresponds to the beginning of school for me, I haven t had time to process any of them to

1 Gardeners of the Grove Volume 10, Issue 7, September 2018 A Message from our Co-President ~~~~~~~~~ The harvest season is upon us and at my house right now that means peaches. Lots and lots of peaches! My husband and I are really good at growing strangely shaped fruit trees, but this year our Charlie Brown peach tree has produced like a champ. Last year it was more James and the Giant Peach. We had one very large peach front and center on the tree. I waited and waited, hoping every day that the birds would leave my lonely peach in peace while it ripened. When I finally picked that peach and brought it in I expected that the tree had concentrated all of its yumminess into one giant peach. I bit into my first slice expectantly, but was sorely disappointed to find it bland and so very unpeachy. The chickens finished it for me. This year is quite another story. We have peaches, peaches, and more peaches to the point that some scraggly branches have broken under the weight. We re not the best stewards of our crop, but we are determined to use what the tree has provided. I ve given away boxes and bags of peaches to neighbors, family, and friends but as peach season always corresponds to the beginning of school for me, I haven t had time to process any of them to enjoy this winter. The art of food preservation waned with the importation of year-round crops from the Southern Hemisphere. Now there is a renaissance of the old-fashioned custom of putting things up for the winter. And our very own Jan Fetler has been pursuing a second master s in the Master Food Preserver program. Jan will be the speaker for our first meeting of the year, just in time for our summer s bounty. Her talk is titled Preserve the Harvest. And as a bonus we will get to taste one of her creations. If you have done any preserving of your own and would like to share your work, please bring a small sample for our members to taste. It might be just the inspiration I need to do something, anything, with all those peaches! Kathleen Albiani Next Meeting Monday, September 10 6p - social 6:30p meeting begins 9250 Laguna Springs Dr., Suite 100 Elk Grove Preserve the Harvest Jan Fetler Inside This Issue ~~~ 2 Dues are Due! 2 September Program 3 Incredible Edible 4 What s Blooming? 4 Ornamental Corn 4 September Checklist 5 Prune Christmas Cactus 5 Calendar 7 Your Photos!

By Gay Rigmaiden It s time to show your interest in our club by paying for another year of membership! $20 for one person or $35 for a family of 2 or more.

You may also mail a check to me at: GOTG c/o Gay Rigmaiden 9942 Kennet Way Elk Grove, CA 95757-5118 It s important to collect the dues at the end of this term, so the Board can plan for next

For a list of Master Gardener suggested tomato varieties to consider for next year, download this: http://ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/files/163153.pdf.

Another branch of the UC Cooperative Extension, the Food Preserver volunteers teach science based food safety and preservation.

2 By Gay Rigmaiden It s time to show your interest in our club by paying for another year of membership! $20 for one person or $35 for a family of 2 or more. Dues for the 2018/19 term may be paid by cash or check at the next meeting. You may also mail a check to me at: GOTG c/o Gay Rigmaiden 9942 Kennet Way Elk Grove, CA It s important to collect the dues at the end of this term, so the Board can plan for next year. Don t let this be your last newsletter! Thank you! Incredible Edible ~~~~~~~~~~ Tomatoes. What performed best for you this year? Here are some of my favorite cherry tomatoes. For a list of Master Gardener suggested tomato varieties to consider for next year, download this: September Program ~~~~~~~~~ By Kathleen Albiani Jan Fetler has added an additional certification to her badge Master Food Preserver! Another branch of the UC Cooperative Extension, the Food Preserver volunteers teach science based food safety and preservation. From canning, pickling, dehydrating and freezing they do it all. Jan is going to share some of the things she learned and some cool tools to make the jobs easier. You ll even get to try some samples! She will also bring copies of a new calendar packed with information for gardeners and foodies alike! Don t miss our first meeting of the new year. ### Black Cherry' is a dependable heirloom variety. 'Sungold' is one of those hybrids that might produce TOO many very sweet bites. The Scarecrow September

pink throat and white petals striped with varying amounts of blue. There s a pink stripe variety also.

dehydrating--simply slice them lengthwise.

One of few true blue flowers in the garden, it makes a big beautiful show in late summer.

Pictured above is 'Carnevale di Venzia' a European variety with a This Morning Glory (Ipomoea nil)

3 pink throat and white petals striped with varying amounts of blue. There s a pink stripe variety also. 'Juliet" is a hybrid elongated cherry with a small seed cavity that makes it perfect for dehydrating--simply slice them lengthwise. Here is the traditional Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor) Heavenly Blue. One of few true blue flowers in the garden, it makes a big beautiful show in late summer. Seeds sold everywhere. What s Blooming? ~~~~~~~~~ Late summer is the time for Morning Glories. Pictured above is 'Carnevale di Venzia' a European variety with a This Morning Glory (Ipomoea nil) Kikyo-Zaki has starshaped flowers (occasionally semi-double like this one) with a white edge. Also in dark pink, red and pure white. Not as vigorous as its tricolor cousin. Look for seeds in catalogs/online. ### The Scarecrow September

Ornamental Corn ~~~~~~~~~~ Gardenism ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This variety called Earth Tones is a Dent Corn. It tends to be less sweet and starchier than the sweet corn varieties we eat.

Most of those are all yellow. It gets its name from the small indentation ("dent") at the crown of each kernel on a ripe ear of corn. Dent Corn is usually yellow, but hybridizers are always playing.

Amazing colors have not been Photoshopped! It was like opening a gift to see what color each ear's kernels were. In this closeup you can see the "dents" that give it the name. Can t find Earth Tones?

Adjust the watering system to reduce water as days grow shorter, or let a smart controller do the work.

4 Ornamental Corn ~~~~~~~~~~ Gardenism ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This variety called Earth Tones is a Dent Corn. It tends to be less sweet and starchier than the sweet corn varieties we eat. Dent is a cross between flour and flint corn (more specifically, Gourdseed and early Northern Flint), and most heirloom corns from the Southeast and Midwest states are dent corns. Most of those are all yellow. It gets its name from the small indentation ("dent") at the crown of each kernel on a ripe ear of corn. Dent Corn is usually yellow, but hybridizers are always playing. Earth Tones can be ground into flour. This corn was grown from seed planted in late spring in a 3-foot diameter circle to allow for pollination. They make wonderful fall table decorations. Amazing colors have not been Photoshopped! It was like opening a gift to see what color each ear's kernels were. In this closeup you can see the "dents" that give it the name. Can t find Earth Tones? Try Glass Gem instead. ### September Garden Checklist ~~~ Here are some suggestions for garden chores this month. Adjust the watering system to reduce water as days grow shorter, or let a smart controller do the work. Plant vegetable seeds outdoors: Asian vegetables (such as bok choi), carrots, chard, kale, lettuce, mustard, radish, spinach and turnips. Plant seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Florence fennel, lettuce and kale. Plant shallot and garlic cloves. Plant a cover crop in areas not planted with winter vegetables. Add compost to vegetable beds before replanting. Continue through the fall. Consider adding a new layer of mulch around fruit trees. September can be hot, dry and windy. Fertilize all berry plants and prune back new growth on cane berries The Scarecrow September

Buy spring-blooming bulbs. Label and refrigerate hyacinth and tulip bulbs 6 weeks before planting.

Time to Prune Christmas Cactus ~ Do you want your Christmas (or Thanksgiving) Cactus to have flowers covering the whole plant like this rather than a fringe of blooms at the bottom? Prune it now.

If your plant already has buds, pruning now will delay blooming a bit, but the plant should recover and set more buds. Withholding water a bit now will encourage buds to form.

If your plant has long streamers of single leaves (they do this when kept inside in summer or don t get enough light), you can begin by shortening the streamers by half for this first pruning.

5 Buy spring-blooming bulbs. Label and refrigerate hyacinth and tulip bulbs 6 weeks before planting. Balance the compost pile by adding plenty of browns when adding a lot of fallen fruit that is disease and pest free. Look for spider mites, squash bugs and leaffooted bugs. Time to Prune Christmas Cactus ~ Do you want your Christmas (or Thanksgiving) Cactus to have flowers covering the whole plant like this rather than a fringe of blooms at the bottom? Prune it now. See pics in the next column showing you how. The 2s above indicate where 2 leaves emerge from one. Take single leaves back to those leaves. I recommend pruning in September before buds begin forming. If your plant already has buds, pruning now will delay blooming a bit, but the plant should recover and set more buds. Withholding water a bit now will encourage buds to form. To keep plants compact, pinch back leaves (starting with the newest leaves) till 2 leaves emerge from one. The goal is to remove chains of single leaves. If your plant has long streamers of single leaves (they do this when kept inside in summer or don t get enough light), you can begin by shortening the streamers by half for this first pruning. Above is what you are left with. Buds forming on these shortened leaves are less likely to droop. New growth in spring is more likely to emerge 2 leaves at a time making a more compact and beautiful plant. And now your Master Gardener should CLEAN THIS PLANT which is dusty from living outdoors in a shady spot all summer. She will do this by hosing it off and then spraying all the leaves with a mixture of (Safer) insecticidal soap and water. It will be shiny and beautiful for flowers! J ### Calendar ~~~~~~~~~~~ GOTG Meetings for September 10 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Preserve the Harvest Jan Fetler 9250 Laguna Springs Dr., Suite 100 The Scarecrow September

6 October 1 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting How to Do Nature Photography Roberta Gleeson and Rita Achuff November 5 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Farm Bureau Speaker TBA December Holiday Social Date and details TBA January 7 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Edible Landscaping and Keeping it Natural Linda Cooper February 4 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Wine Grapes Speaker TBA March 4 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Solving Garden Problem Areas with Interesting Plants and Proper Irrigation Green Acres Staff April 1 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Animals in the Garden Speaker TBA May 6 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Lavender Speaker TBA June 3 (Monday) 6p social, 6:30p meeting Garden Chatter and Potluck Other Events September 8 (Saturday) 9a till Noon Open Garden Free! Sacramento County Master Gardeners Fair Oaks Horticulture Center Fair Oaks Boulevard, Fair Oaks More: September 8 (Saturday/Sunday) 10a till 4p Edible Garden Tour Soroptimist International of Sacramento Homes in mid-town Sacramento More information and tickets: px?id= September 8/9 (Saturday/Sunday) 10a till 3p Begonia Show and Sale Free! Sacramento Begonia Society Shepard Garden and Arts Center 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento September 15/16 (Saturday/Sunday) 10a till 5p Fall Garden Faire & Plant Sale Free! The Secret Garden 8450 W Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove More: September 15 (Saturday) 1p till 3p September 16 (Sunday) 11a till 3p African Violet Show and Sale Free! Shepard Garden and Arts Center 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento September 23/24 (Saturday/Sunday) 10a till 3p Native Plant Sale/Art Market Free! CA Native Plant Society Shepard Garden and Arts Center 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento September 29 (Saturday) 9a till 1p Plant Sale Free! UC Davis Arboretum Nursery More: October 6/7 (Saturday/Sunday) 9a till 4p Fall Plant Sale Free! Shepard Garden and Arts Center 3330 McKinley Blvd, Sacramento October 10 (Wednesday) 9a till Noon Open Garden Free! Sacramento County Master Gardeners Fair Oaks Horticulture Center Fair Oaks Boulevard, Fair Oaks More: October 13 (Saturday) 9a till 1p Plant Sale Free! UC Davis Arboretum Nursery More: October 20 (Saturday) 9a till Noon Fall into Spring Fall Planting for Spring Color All about bulbs seminar, $35 per person Sacramento County Master Gardeners 4145 Branch Center Road, Sacramento More: November 3 (Saturday) 9a till 1p Clearance Plant Sale Free! UC Davis Arboretum Nursery More: The Scarecrow September

Support Our Local Friends ~~~~~ Big Oak Nursery Elk Grove Community Garden Elk Grove Food Bank Elk Grove Greener Gardens Elk Grove Historical Society Green Acres Nursery and Supply The Secret Garden

7 Support Our Local Friends ~~~~~ Big Oak Nursery Elk Grove Community Garden Elk Grove Food Bank Elk Grove Greener Gardens Elk Grove Historical Society Green Acres Nursery and Supply The Secret Garden UCCE Master Gardeners ~~~ The Scarecrow ~~~ Editor Jan Fetler This Month s Contributors: Kathleen Albiani Gay Rigmaiden Don t miss the photos on the next page! Co-Presidents Kathleen Albiani and Melanie Strand Vice-President Marlene Morago Secretary Dianne Cadwallader Treasurer Gay Rigmaiden Eagle Eyes (Proofreader) Connie Adams Georgiu PO Box 2418 Elk Grove, CA Facebook: Gardeners of the Grove is a member of: Sacramento River Valley District California Garden Clubs, Inc. Pacific Region of National Garden Clubs, Inc. National Garden Clubs Inc. The Scarecrow September

Here are a few guidelines: doesn t have to be recent garden or nature any kind of camera one per month per person October issue deadline: September 20 Please

The unusual thing about it is the tiny blossom. This plant is not known for blooming hooray Susan!

8 Your PHOTOS! ~~~~~~~~~~~ If your picture wasn t here this month, there is plenty of room in the next newsletter. I ll send a reminder for the next issue. Look at this month s pictures for inspiration. You can do this--we want to see! Here are a few guidelines: doesn t have to be recent garden or nature any kind of camera one per month per person October issue deadline: September 20 Please send the biggest size you have. We might want to make greeting cards. Susan Muckey took this picture of variegated lavender Meerlo. The unusual thing about it is the tiny blossom. This plant is not known for blooming hooray Susan! First is a photo someone sent me at the end of last year and I don t remember who. It is stunning with an Iris and matching crab spider. You have to look closely! Debbie Martin captured this illuminated wild sunflower on an evening walk at Bufferlands, an area owned by the Sacramento Regional Sanitation District. The Scarecrow September

A Message from our Co-President ~~~~~~~~

Gardeners of the Grove http://www.gardenersofthegrove.org/ Volume 10, Issue 2, February 2018 A Message from our Co-President ~~~~~~~~ I'm still thinking about last month's lessons on photography: getting