October 2014 President s Message It s getting close to the end of the year and it s important to get your Master Gardener hours turned in. For those of you who don t have access to a computer or don t know how to enter your hours online, several board members will have computers and be available to help you at our October meeting. To help the process go smoother, please come with a list of your hours and have a working password. If you need help with your password please contact the Extension Office at 765-747-7732. - Dottie Kreps Helping Others Grow Next Meeting October 22 6:30 p.m. Minnetrista Extending the Growing Season Roy Ballard Hancock County Extension Educator Log Your Master Gardener Hours! If you have not logged your hours on the website, please do so. We want you to maintain your MG certification and continue to be an active member. By failing to track and submit hours for approval, you lose your MG certification. Visit https://www.four-h.purdue.edu/mg/ and update your hours today. Contact the Extension Office with questions: 765-747-7732 Questions? Call Nancy Reynolds: 765-759-7971 or 765-729-1703 Master Gardener Newsletter October 2014
Delaware County Master Association Meeting Minutes, September 24, 2014, home of Master Gardener Mary Ippel Thirty-three members and family members were present for a carry-in dinner at the home of Mary Ippel with the opportunity to view one of the most beautifully maintained home vegetable gardens in Delaware County. The evening could not have been more perfect for the event. New President Dottie Kreps opened the meeting with brief remarks while First Vice President Nancy Reynolds introduced the speakers. Bill Mann assisted by HC Cross presented a program on how to correctly prune apple trees. Mann, who founded the Delaware County Master Association and who was in charge of the Minnetrista apple orchard and grounds until his retirement, expertly demonstrated correct pruning techniques on several small established growing apple trees. Mann explained to Master that they will find help online for pruning but his demonstration enabled immediate understanding of how to prune for good air ventilation within the tree and fruit production. He showed Master how to select branches for strength in adverse weather conditions and for support of strong fruit production. He then answered questions relating to when to prune, how to limit growth to a height that allows easy harvest, and steps to take for insect control. The program was excellent and demonstrated how much the experienced senior members of Master have to offer in the education of new Master and Delaware County residents. The meeting adjourned just before sun down. Respectfully Submitted, Mel Sharpe, Secretary Dear Purdue Master, Master Gardener Study Abroad 2015 We are excited to announce the dates for the 2015 NEW Purdue Master Gardener Study Abroad - Northern England and Wales: July 6-18, 2015 (arrival in England July 7) We are still finalizing the details and are really excited about this all NEW itinerary focused on Yorkshire, Lake District, West Midlands, and Wales. As we have been doing in recent years, we will meet up as a group at a hotel near the airport (London Heathrow). However, we will NOT be including London in this program. We will visit such notable sites as Chatsworth, Levens Hall, Scampston Walled Gardens, Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey, Castle Howard, York Gate Gardens, Biddulph Grange, David Austin Roses, Bodnant Garden, Powis Castle, Kenilworth Castle with its reconstructed Elizabethan Garden, and the Ryton Organic Gardens. Purdue Master and Purdue MG Study Abroad Alums will have priority opportunity for enrollment. We will let you know when we have more details. Meanwhile, save the dates! Cheers! Rosie and Mike Rosie Lerner Consumer Horticulture Specialist 765.494.1311 - Voice Dr. Michael N. Dana, Professor 765.494.5923 - Voice dana@purdue.edu Purdue Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture 625 Agriculture Mall Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907-2010 765.494.0391 - FAX Master Gardener Newsletter 2 October 2014
Treasurer s Report Submitted by Becky Byrum Date of Report Budget 1/31/2014 2/28/2014 3/31/2014 4/30/2014 5/31/2014 6/30/2014 7/31/14 8/31/14 9/30/14 Year Total Balance brought forward $6,662.94 $7,320.91 $6,951.62 $6,834.44 $5,043.33 $7,382.40 $7,887.79 $7,487.86 $7,402.85 Income $980.06 $58.06 $198.06 $1,011.05 $2,955.00 $1,240.25 $100.07 $0.06 $0.06 $6,542.67 $322.09 $427.35 $315.24 $2,802.16 $615.93 $734.86 $500.00 $85.07 $39.55 $5,842.25 Balance on hand $7,320.91 $6,951.62 $6,834.44 $5,043.33 $7,382.40 $7,887.79 $7,487.86 $7,402.85 $7,363.36 Income MG dues ($10)150 members $1,500.00 $340.00 $30.00 $30.00 $10.00 $410.00 Banquet $1,000.00 $640.00 $28.00 $168.00 $98.00 $934.00 Garden Fair $400.00 $425.19 Garden Walk $600.00 $815.00 Teen Master $563.00 $563.00 Mini Master $350.00 $350.00 Plant Sale $3,000.00 $2,944.95 $100.00 $3,044.95 Misc. Interest $0.06 $0.06 $0.06 $0.05 $0.05 $0.06 $0.07 $0.06 $0.06 $0.53 Total $6,500.00 $980.06 $58.06 $198.06 $1,011.05 $2,955.00 $1,240.25 $100.07 $0.06 $0.06 $6,542.67 Education & Projects Mini Master $450.00 $20.00 $46.34 $415.50 $33.96 $515.80 Teen Master $450.00 $20.00 $156.59 $776.63 $953.22 Farm Fest $300.00 $300.00 $122.08 $8.00 $430.08 Projects $2,075.00 $500.00 Trees Committee $250.00 Fund Raising Garden Fair $100.00 $208.00 $208.00 Garden Walk $300.00 $515.86 Plant Sale $200.00 $125.00 $429.60 $554.60 Association Banquet $1,000.00 $14.00 $29.01 $1,330.78 $54.57 $1,428.36 Board $150.00 $52.00 $66.25 $26.01 $11.00 $155.26 Booklets $275.00 $268.09 $268.09 Insurance $100.00 $47.00 $47.00 Meetings $200.00 $92.40 $6.16 $98.56 Misc. $300.00 $39.55 Picnics $250.00 $42.80 $85.07 $127.87 Postmaster/Ne wsletters $100.00 Total $6,500.00 $322.09 $427.35 $315.24 $2,802.16 $615.93 $734.86 $500.00 $85.07 $39.55 $5,842.25 Master Gardener Newsletter 3 October 2014
Delaware County Master Gardener Membership Form 2015 To be sure you are listed in the 2015 Master Gardener member booklet, please enter your volunteer and educational hours with the County Extension (a paper form will be available at monthly meetings; click on https://www.four-h.purdue.edu/mg/ for the electronic form) and pay your dues no later than December 31, 2014. Make check payable to Delaware County Master Gardener Association, Inc. and mail to Becky Byrum, 421 S. Bridgewater Lane, Muncie, IN 47304. Dues are $10 per person. Thank you! Name Address Telephone Email Optional, check appropriate: Please do not include my address phone number email in the member booklet. Please indicate areas of special interest to you: Vegetable gardening Flower gardening Herb gardening Organic gardening Trees & shrubs Fruit trees & bushes Patio gardening Native plants & grasses Water gardening Seed collection & storage Soils & plant nutrition Insect control Composting Plant diseases & prevention Landscape design & maintenance Attracting wildlife Sustainable gardening Urban gardening Home greenhouse gardening Houseplant care Other: ***************************************************************************************** Official use only Received Check # Cash Master Gardener Newsletter 4 October 2014
Purdue University Consumer Horticulture Garden Calendar: October 2014 HOME (Indoor plants and activities) Keep poinsettia in complete darkness for 15 hours each day - for example, between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. - for eight to 10 weeks until red bracts begin to show. Pot spring-flowering bulbs to force into bloom indoors. Moisten soil and refrigerate 10 to 13 weeks. Transfer to a cool, sunny l ocation, and allow an additional three to four weeks for blooming. Houseplants, especially those grown outdoors during the summer, commonly drop some or many of their leaves in response to the lower natural light intensity in autumn and reduced light intensity indoors. Water indoor plants less frequently, and discontinue fertilizer as plants slow down or stop growing for the winter season. YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits) Keep plants, especially newly planted stock, well watered until ground freezes. Have soil ready to mound roses for winter protection. Do not mound or cover roses until after leaves drop and soil is near freezing, usually late November or early December. Strawberry plants need protection from winter's extremes, but applying winter mulch too early may cause crowns to rot. Apply winter protection when plants are dormant but before temperatures drop below 20 degrees F, usually late November or early December. Rake or shred large, fallen tree leaves such as maple, to prevent them from matting down and smothering grass. Raking smaller leaves, such as honey locust, is optional. September and October are good months to apply broadleaf weed killers. Be sure to follow all label directions, and choose a calm day to prevent spray drift. Continue mowing lawn as needed. GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits) Harvest root crops and store in a cold (32 degrees F), humid location. Storing produce in perforated, plastic bags is a convenient, easy way to increase humidity. Harvest Brussels sprouts as they develop in the axils of the leaves from the bottom of the stem. Brussels sprouts will continue to develop up the stem. Harvest pumpkins and winter squash before frost, but when rind is hard and fully colored. Store in a cool location until ready to use. Harvest gourds when stems begin to brown and dry. Cure at 70-80 degrees F for two to four weeks. Harvest mature, green tomatoes before frost and ripen indoors in the dark. Warmer temperatures lead to faster ripening. Asparagus top growth should not be removed until foliage yellows. Let foliage stand over winter to collect snows for insulation and moisture. Remove plant debris from the garden to protect next year's planting from insect and disease buildup. Compost plant refuse by alternating layers of soil, plant material, and manure or commercial fertilizer. Have garden soil tested for fertilizer needs every three to five years. Plowing and incorporating organic matter in the fall avoids the rush of garden activities and waterlogged soil in spring. Fallprepared soils also tend to warm faster and allow earlier planting in spring. Carve a Halloween jack-o'-lantern. Dig tender, garden flower bulbs for winter storage. Gladiolus corms should be dug when leaves begin turning yellow. Caladiums, geraniums and tuberous begonias should be lifted before killing frost. Dig canna and dahlia roots after a heavy frost. Allow to air dry, then pack in dry peat moss or vermiculite, and store in a cool location. Complete planting of spring-flowering bulbs. Writer: B. Rosie Lerner Master Gardener Newsletter 5 October 2014