Monthly Newsletter. November 2014 L A K E A R E A. Volume 8, Issue 11. Lake Area Master Gardeners

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1 L A K E A R E A Monthly Newsletter November 2014 Volume 8, Issue Club Officers Tamara Jorstad, President Phone: tjorstad@gmail.com Debbie Laemmli, Vice President Phone: Lake Area Master Gardeners Made Sand Leaf Casting leaves from their gardens at the October Meeting dlaemmli@gmail.com JoAnne Gitchell, Secretary Phone: jgitchell@lakeregional.com Jeannie Robbins, Treasurer Phone: jrobbins2081@sbcglobal.net Standing Committee Chairs Garden Walk Gail Conavay theconavays@aol.cm Hospitality Membership Rita Burks ritab001@hotmail.com Mickey McDuffey mtmcduffey@yahoo.com Newsletter Charli Allee normcharli@aol.com Project Coordinator Jeannie Robbins jrobbins2081@sbcglobal.net Publicity Ginnie Boyles ginniebyle2@gmail.com Ways & Means Mildred Webster Wk# Club Photographer Glenda Hinrichs glenda_hinrichs@yahoo.com Historian Shirley Hirner s-d@charter.net If you are planning to attend the LAMG dinner at Willmore on Tuesday, November 11, please contact Debbie Laemmli at dlaemmli@gmail.com or Please mail your check for $12 to Jeannie Robbins at 155 Seclusion Dr., Camdenton, MO Registration and checks are due by Saturday, November 1. I hope to see you all there!

2 PAGE 2 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDERN S LEWS LETTER November Gardening Calendar Ornamentals Prevent frost cracking or sunscald by wrapping trunks with commercial tree wrap or painting the south and southwest facing sides of the trunk with white latex outdoor paint. Young, thin barked trees such as maples and many fruit trees are especially susceptible. Take a walk through your garden as the fall season winds down. Take time to reflect on the successes and failures of your gardens this year. Make notes in your gardening notebook for new things to try and things to fix next spring. After several killing frosts have occurred this fall, cut back dormant perennials to about 3 inches above ground. Check the moisture level in the soil around evergreens before harsh winter weather begins. Vegetables Have garden soil tested for fertilizer needs every three to five years. Fall tilling, except in erosion-prone areas, helps improve soil structure and usually leads to soils warming up and drying faster in the spring, thus allowing crops to be planted earlier. Plant lettuce and hardy vegetables, such as beets, cabbage, and spinach, in cold frames for winter or early spring crops. If you use manure as a soil conditioner, apply it now and till it under. Manure can be a source of weed seed. Composting before application can reduce the number of viable seeds. Fruits Break the crust on the surface of any sawdust mulch you have around blueberries, shrubs, and perennials to improve the absorption of water from fall rains. Keep mulches pulled back several inches from the base of fruit trees to prevent bark injury from hungry mice and other rodents. Fallen, spoiled or mummified fruit should be cleaned up from the garden and destroyed by burying. Mulch strawberries for winter with straw. This should be done after several nights near 20 degrees, but before the temperatures drop into the teens. Apply straw loosely, but thick enough to hide plants from view. Indoor Plants Move plants closer to windows or to sunnier exposures, such as west and south facing windows if plants are dropping many leaves. Lawns Late fall fertilizing can help keep the lawn green longer and boost early spring recovery. Apply 1 pound actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn. Provided by Donna Aufdenberg, MU Horticulture Specialist

3 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDERN S LEWS LETTER PAGE 3 Think holly and you may envision stiff, spiny evergreen leaves suitable for holiday wreaths. While many hollies are evergreen, there are also several deciduous species, including winterberry, that provide a spectacular fruit display from autumn into winter. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a North American native shrub that often grows in damp or boggy sites. It has an upright, multi-stemmed form and spreads slowly from suckers to form a dense clump. Winterberry is dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants); both sexes produce inconspicuous white flowers, but only the female plants bear small, round, bright red fruits in clusters along the stems. This is an excellent shrub for mixed borders, naturalistic gardens and wildlife plantings. Common name: Winterberry Botanical name: Ilex verticillata Plant type: Deciduous shrub Zones: 3 to 9 Height: 6 to10 feet Family: Aquifoliaceae Growing conditions Sun: Full sun or partial shade Soil: Acidic; grows in clay, loam, or sandy loam Moisture: Very moist to average Care Mulch: 2 to 3 inches of pine needles, wood chips or other organic mulch Pruning: Occasional pruning to remove damaged stems and shape plant Fertilizer: In spring, top-dress with compost or apply fertilizer as needed. Propagation Cuttings Seeds Pests and diseases Cultivars Few pest or disease problems Likely to develop iron chlorosis in alkaline soils Red Sprite (synonym for Nana ) has a compact (4 feet tall) form and large red fruits. Winter Red is a popular cultivar that grows 6 to 8 feet tall and bears loads of medium-sized red fruits Afterglow grows 5 to 6 feet tall and produces lots of orange-red fruits. Males: Jim Dandy pollinates early blooming cultivars like Red Sprite and Afterglow while Southern Gentleman will pollinate later-blooming cultivars like Winter Red. Garden notes Plant winterberries along with other fall-fruiting shrubs to provide food for birds like robins, cedar waxwings and catbirds. Winterberry thrives in damp areas, such as pond and stream edges, and is also a good choice for rain gardens.all in the family Winterberry is a member of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae), which contains just a few genera

4 PAGE 4 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDERN S LEWS LETTER Lake Area Master Gardeners Minutes - October 14th, 2014 The Lake Area Master Gardener executive board (the Board) meets each month prior to the regularly scheduled club meeting to review the upcoming agenda and coordinate club activities. The executive board is comprised of the President, the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the immediate Past President. Any club member may attend the board meetings. The board met October 14, 2014 prior to the meeting. The agenda included discussion of officers for 2015, 2015 yearbook, standing rules voting, November banquet plans, and 2015 budget prep (including 2015 membership fee exchange for volunteer hours).they also discussed calendar updates for 2015, new class update, and a MO Master Gardener Association (MOMGA) update. The Lake Area Master Gardeners met at the home of Jan Mitzel. Following the business meeting, Jan taught the members to make leaf castings in concrete for the garden. A door prize of the 2015 Old Farmers Almanac was awarded to Jan Mitzel. Tamara Jorstad, president, called the meeting to order. The minutes for September were reviewed. The minutes are available for review each month in the newsletter. Sally Burk made a motion to approve the minutes. Mary Delacy seconded the motion, and the minutes were approved. The treasurer s report was given by Jeannie Robbins. There was a beginning balance of $9,226, with expenses of $98.89 for Willmore and $92 for MOMGA, so the ending balance was $9035. Kathy Fayant made the motion to approve the minutes. Glenda Hinrichs second, and the treasurer s report was approved. Committee Reports Project Coordinator: No report. Central Bank: No report. Willmore Lodge: Kathy Fayant has volunteered to head the gardens at Willmore, with Pat Griffin serving as a consultant. Kathy will be getting in touch with the bed heads. The gardens looked very nice at the end of the year. Garden Walk: Gail Conavay reported that there would be six homes, two in Porta Cima, one on MM, and three on TT. She asked for volunteers for the event. She said that two of the owners would really need extra help. She said that a Lake Bloomer glass garden artist wants to sell at the Garden Walk, with profits going to STAFF in Sunrise Beach. Tanya Stanley will also have garden art for sale. Gail needs volunteers for the plant sale. She passed around sign-up sheets. Tamara will make tickets. Gail will be working on the Garden Walk from Arizona, and there will be a kick-off meeting at Tamara s in March. Membership: Jeannie Robbins explained that the members could pay dues on the meeting night or at the banquet in November. There is a form to turn in with Membership dues. Scholarship Committee: No report. Newsletter: No report. Historian/Scrapbook: Sally Burks expressed interest in filling the role as head of this committee. Photorapher: Glenda Hinrichs asked for a volunteer to take pictures at the banquet in November because she will not be there. Jan Mitzel volunteered for this. LAMG Class: Winnie McKinley reported that Thursday, February 19, 2015 will be the date of the orientation for the next class. The class will begin the last week in February, and will continue on Thursday nights until May 21, Three students from the 2014 class are ready to have hours reviewed, and one is close. It is likely that four to five will complete everything necessary. MOMGA: Winnie reported that the next meeting will be on November 13, She was still taking orders for license plates, and she asked that anyone who wanted one contact her. The cost is $5. Hospitality: Everyone thanked Jan Mitzel for opening her home, providing all of the refreshments, and teaching the club about leaf castings. Since the banquet is next month, refreshments are covered. Old Business: Mary Delacy, Winnie McKinley, and Kathy Fayant reported on their experiences at the state conference in St. Louis. Debbie Laemmli reported on the trip in September to Shaw Nature Reserve. Tamara explained that she had sent Linda Sanders workshop information to everyone for personal use only. She will also be sending Jeff Kitchen s information out. Winnie McKinley reported that on October 4, the Pulaski County Master Gardeners came

5 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDERN S LEWS LETTER PAGE 5 to Willmore for their meeting. Sue Fletcher spoke at the meeting, and Winnie and Caroline Toole gave a presentation on Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance. New Business: The banquet and ceremony for the new Master Gardeners will be on Tuesday, November 11 at 6:30 at Willmore Lodge. The dinner will be catered by Cindy James, and the cost is $12. Members should contact Debbie Laemmli, who is keeping track of the count, and should send their payment to Jeannie Robbins. Tamara announced that there would be a 25 cent charge for not wearing name tags starting at the meeting in February. There will also be a roll call, such as, What s your favorite?, and names will be repeated. There will be a share table at meeting sites. Tamara said that she had five plants that evening to give away from the Missouri Prairie Foundation. The new 2015 Year Book format was discussed. The cost would be $5/book for printing and a spiral binder. There was discussion about another style of binder. A motion was made by Glenda Hinrichs that the spiral binder be adopted. Jan Mitzel seconded, and the motion was passed. Tamara proposed that it be added to the standing rules that certain non-voting board members be included: the Newsletter Chair, the Yearbook Chair, the MOMGA/MU Extension Liaison. Jeannie Robbins made a motion to change this in the standing rules, and Gail Conavay seconded. The motion passed. Tamara explained that the board had considered rewarding and encouraging volunteers for two major LAMG Projects by waiving membership fees. The board had also discussed rewarding and encouraging volunteers for officer roles by waiving club fees. It was determined in the board meeting that neither of these should be proposed at this time. There was subsequent discussion about paying for the president to go to the state conference. A member thought it was already in the bylaws, so that will be determined at a later point. Tamara proposed that the club limit risk to club-purchased computer equipment by loaning to club members only, and only for the use by club members for presentations. The club member would need to agree to return the equipment at least a week before the next meeting. There was discussion of other alternatives. Jeannie Robbins moved that the equipment be loaned only to club members and only for their own use for presentations, and Pat Griffin seconded. The motion passed. The calendar for 2015 was discussed. Tamara proposed that there will be no January meeting due to low attendance and cold weather. The new members would be installed at the February meeting. She also proposed that there be no June meeting as it follows so closely behind the Garden Walk. After group discussion, it was decided that the garden walk coordinator would determine a location for a get-together, such as the one occurred at Golden Rock Winery after the 2014 walk. The group discussed keeping the June meeting on the calendar in this form. These decisions could be reviewed annually. A motion was made to make these changes to the calendar by Gail Conavay. The motion was seconded by Sally Burk, and it passed. Tamara explained that in February, there may be a speaker for just a short time at the meeting. Officers for 2015 were discussed. Jo Anne Gitchell will be in her second term as secretary. There were no volunteers for president or vice president. After discussion, Tamara Jorstad and Debbie Laemmli agreed to stay on in their positions for another year. Jan Mitzel moved that Tamara be installed as president and Debbie as vice president. Glenda Hinrichs seconded. The motion passed. Kathy Fayant moved that Roni Vollmer be installed as the treasurer. Winnie McKinley seconded, and the motion passed. Announcements and Volunteer Opportunities: No announcements. Hours: 1.5 Education, 1.5 Meeting Submitted by Debbie Laemmli, substituting for Jo Anne Gitchell.

6 PAGE 6 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDERN S LEWS LETTER Gardening Tips from UNL Extension in Lancaster County Nebraska *After chrysanthemums have stopped blooming, cut stems back close to the ground and dispose of stems and all dropped and dried leaves and branches. *Reduce peony botrytis blight and hollyhock rust by removing and disposing of all old stems this fall. This will reduce the carryover of the diseases during the winter and you will have less trouble next year. *Clean up rose beds. Be sure all diseased leaves are raked up and disposed. *Inspect trees and shrubs for bagworm capsules. Remove and destroy them to reduce next year's pest population. *If you've purchased gourds this year as decorations, plan to grow them yourself next year. They make great garden projects for kids. *Be sure not to store apples or pears with vegetables. The fruits give off ethylene gas which speeds up the breakdown of vegetables and will cause them to develop off flavors. **African violets do well when potted in rather small pots. A good general rule is to use a pot one third the diameter of the plant. Encourage African violets to bloom by giving them plenty of light. They can be in a south window during dark winter months. They bloom beautifully under fluorescent lights. In fact, they seem to prefer them. *Clean power tools of all plant material and dirt. Replace worn spark plugs, oil all necessary parts, and sharpen blades. Store all tools in their proper place indoors, never outdoors where they will rust over the winter. *Clean and fix all hand tools. Repaint handles or identification marks that have faded over the summer. Sharpen all blades and remove any rust. *Order seed catalogs now for garden planning in January. For variety, consider companies that specialize in old and rare varieties or wild flowers. *Bring out the bird feeders and stock them with bird seed for the birds. Remember to provide fresh water for them too. It s Time to Turn in Your Volunteer Hours! If you submitted hours in the past, then you only need to use the same username and password to sign in to this new system. Your records are all still there. Missouri Master Gardeners must have an account in order to use this system. To create an account, fill out the on line Registration Form. Once you've created an account, you can log in to the system and start recording your hours. MU Extension Staff involved in the Master Gardener program can also create an account to monitor active MG progress and make reports as needed. To set up an account, fill out an Admin Registration Request form. You will be ed instructions about what to do next. If you have an account, you can log in by clicking the Log In menu item above. The Missouri Master Gardener On Line Service Reporting System is a program administered by the Office of the State Coordinator of the University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener Program. This office is wholly responsible for the content and development of this site solely for the purpose of the maintenance of accurate Master Gardener Volunteer Service Hour Records in accordance with the policies of the Master Gardener Program and the University of Missouri Extension.

7 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDENERS NEWS LETTER PAGE 7 Getting Bulbs Ready for Winter By: Steve Trusty has a degree in horticulture from Iowa State University. He has been helping gardeners receive more enjoyment from their lawns and gardens for years through radio, TV, books, magazines and websites. Now is the time to get spring flowering bulbs in the ground. It's also time to dig up and store tender summerflowering bulbs if your climate is too cold for these bulbs to overwinter in the ground. Tender Bulbs Tender bulbs include gladiolus, cannas, caladiums, tuberous begonias, calla lilies, and dahlias. Botanically speaking, these flowers grow from rhizomes, corms, or tubers instead of true bulbs, but for the sake of simplicity I'll call them all bulbs. While most of these tender bulbs can overwinter in the ground in zones 9 to 10 (caladiums are winter hardy only in Zone 10 or warmer; glads and dahlias may overwinter in Zone 8 if well-mulched), in colder zones where the ground freezes the bulbs should be dug right after the first frost and stored inside over winter. The frost kills the tops but does not harm the bulbs in the ground. Cut the frosted tops back and carefully lift the bulbs out of the ground with a spading fork or shovel. Shake off the loose soil from the bulbs. Air-dry most bulbs for about a week in a shady, protected spot with good ventilation. Cut off damaged portions or discard bulbs that have excessive damage. Bulbs can be treated with fungicidal bulb dust if you'd like. To keep the bulbs from drying out, but still allow them to breathe, store them in a porous bag or a shallow tray filled with dry peat moss. Keep them in a cool, dry place that remains above freezing. Temperatures around 50 degrees F are suitable for most of the tender bulbs. Dahlia stalks should be cut back to about six inches and the tubers should be allowed to dry for just a few days before they are stored in shallow, plastic lined boxes and covered with dry peat moss. Begonias should be washed immediately and then stored like dahlias. Dry gladiolus corms for 2-3 weeks before storing in paper bags. Hardy Bulbs Now let's talk about hardy bulbs that are planted in the fall for bloom the following spring. While tender bulbs need protection from the cold, hardy bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses need exposure to the cold to prepare them for flowering. Look for firm bulbs with no soft or discolored spots. A loose or partially intact papery cover on true bulbs or bulblets is not an indication of damage to the bulb itself. Double and triple bulbs -- bulbs with bulblets or offsets -- are a bargain. The larger bulb will flower the first season, the smaller side bulbs will develop in another year or two. Purchase enough bulbs so that you can plant in groups. They will provide the most striking show when planted in masses instead of individual rows. Keep the bulbs in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant them. Plant bulbs in a spot with at least a half day of sun and well-drained soil. Heavy clay soil should be amended with liberal applications of sphagnum peat moss or compost. As a general rule, bulbs should be planted at a depth two to three times the diameter of the bulb. Set bulbs in the hole with the pointed end up. Deep planting may discourage damage from burrowing animals, but planting too deep may result in flowering before the stems have completely emerged from the soil. Follow the recommended spacing for each variety. Avoid crowding; it forces plants to compete for water and nutrients, restricts air movement around the foliage and can slow, rather than speed, the development of a full flower bed. Unfortunately, a number of critters enjoy snacking on bulbs like tulips and crocuses (they tend to leave daffodils alone). If burrowing voles are a problem, make a wire screen cage on three sides of the bulbs as you plant them, leaving the top side open. Lay chicken wire on top of the soil in the bulb bed to discourage animals like chipmunks and squirrels from digging up bulbs. Your efforts this fall will help you experience a special show of color next growing season.

8 PAGE 8 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDERN S NEWS LETTER A message from the President... Here we are in November and soon to have our last meeting of the year. I hope everyone can make it to the banquet so we may close out the year in style. A big Thank You goes to Jan and Dan Mitzel for another fun meeting and activity at their home. I can hardly wait to see my hosta leaf casting. I bet I have clean up work to do since my cement was too close to the leave edge. Some thought leaf casting might be another way to raise funds at our garden walk. Sound good to me! If you missed the meeting, we made a few new decisions about club activities. Be sure to review the meeting minutes. Highlights include the production of an annual yearbook starting in 2015; we voted for no meetings in December AND January with officer installations and distribution of the yearbook in February; and the June meeting is to be a fun luncheon celebration of the garden walk. We all agreed that we need a minimum of 6 meetings with educational topics each year to help meet the minimum educational requirement to maintain Master Gardener status. Officers were elected. Both I and Debbie Laemmli agreed to serve one more year in our officer roles. We voted Roni Vollmer as Treasurer and warmly welcome her to the officer team. Please be sure to let me know of any program ideas you may have for 2015/2016. The ideas received so far have been most helpful. Keep on gardening!! Tamara Dear Master Gardeners, Here is an opportunity to register to attend the FGCM Convention in April Anyone who is a member of a Federated Garden Club of Missouri may register as a Full Time participant, however, anyone who is not a FGCM member may register as a Part Time attendee. The Part Time form is attached for your review. Please note that the convention attendees have a choice to take a few tours, one of which is the Willmore Gardens. As mentioned at our meetings recently, Master Gardener Gail Conavay is the coordinator for this activity. If you have any questions, we may discuss at Tuesday's meeting. It is my understanding that the design seminar is exceptional and highly attended, so I thought I would send this out sooner rather than later for your consideration. Regards, Tamara

9 LAKE AREA MASTER GARDENERS NEWS LETTER PAGE 9 82 ND FGCM STATE CONVENTION PART TIME REGISTRATION FORM TAN-TAR-A RESORT OSAGE BEACH, MO (800) APRIL 13, 14, 15, 16, 2015 IT S A LAKE THING (Please print. Only one name per form. Photocopy as necessary) NAME PHONE STREET ADDRESS CITY, STATE ZIP CODE CLUB DISTRICT Please check all that apply: ( ) National Board Member ( ) Club President ( ) Flower Show Judge ( ) Regional Officer/Chairman ( ) Delegate ( ) Gardening Consultant ( ) State Officer/Chairman ( ) Alternate Delegate ( ) Landscape Design Consultant ( ) Former State President ( ) National Life Member ( ) Environmental Consultant ( ) District Director/Asst Director ( ) Central Region Life Member ( ) Club Member ( ) District Officer/Chairman ( ) State Life Member ( ) Guest MONDAY, APRIL 13 ( ) LUNCH CRUISE ON TROPIC ISLAND (LIMIT 100) $25.00 $ TUESDAY, APRIL 14 TOURS INCLUDE LUNCH ( ) TOUR-WILLMORE LODGE/CAMDEN CO MUSEUM 9:30-3:00 (LIMIT 90) $35.00 $ ( ) TOUR-WILLMORE LODGE/SEVEN SPRINGS WINERY 10:30-3:00 (LIMIT 100) $35.00 $ ( ) WORKSHOP#1 GLASS FLOWERS 10:00AM (LIMIT 20) $20.00 $ ( ) WORKSHOP#2 MASON BEE HOUSE 1:00PM (LIMIT 20) $15.00 $ ( ) DESIGN PROGRAM 7:15PM $25.00 $ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES SEMINARS $15.00 $ BREAKFAST (Select one) ( ) Club Presidents ( ) Life Members ( ) General Members $20.00 $ ( ) LUNCH & PROGRAM $25.00 $ SEMINARS 2:00-2:45 1. NATIVE LANDSCAPING DAVE TYLKA OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY DAN BERNSKOETTER SEMINARS 3:00-3:45 1. NATIVE LANDSCAPING DAVE TYLKA NATIVE POLLINATORS/MIKE ARDUSER NATIVE PLANTS/DR NADIA TINDALL ( ) AWARDS DINNER/INSTALLATION/RECEPTION $35.00 $ THURSDAY, APRIL 16 REGISTRATION FEE $15.00 $ BRUNCH $20.00 $ LATE REGISTRATION AFTER MARCH 13, 2015 ADD $20.00 $ TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $ CHECK PAYABLE TO: 2015 FGCM CONVENTION MAIL REGISTRATION FORM & CHECK TO: LIZ CROCKETT LEE DRIVE, GRAVOIS MILLS, MO ( ) fgcmconvention2015@gmail.com No refunds after April 1 st, 2015 SPECIAL NEEDS/ALLERGY FOOD REQUEST:

10 L A K E A R E A UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION Lake Area Master Gardener Club P O Box 20/ Courthouse Annex Tuscumbia, MO Our Mission: Helping Others Learn to Grow and To Have Fun Along the Way! 2014 Lake Area Master Calendar General membership/club meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month (except December), beginning at 6:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Questions, comments, topics, and meeting location ideas? Your input is always welcome! Please contact: Debbie Laemmli (dlaemmli@gmail.com) Tamara Jorstad (tjostad@gmail.com) Date Program Location Presenter 11/11/14 Graduation Banquet; Slides of Past Garden Walks & Projects; Introduction of Next Year's Programs Willmore Lodge All Officers 11/13 & 15 Willmore Fall Cleanup - Thurs & Sat after November Meeting 12/09/14 NO MEETING Willmore Gardens Dues for 2015 are also due in November. You may send a check to Jeannie or pay at the November meeting.