Greetings from the President
August has been relatively nice to us this year. Not too hot, very few hazy, hot, humid days, and lots of sun and rain when we needed it. If you were diligent in cutting back your mums during June and July, you should just be seeing bushes full of buds and maybe even a few peeking open. If you have a vegetable garden, don’t forget to put in a fall crop of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and other winter vegetables.
If your lawn is looking a little scraggly, now is the time to re-seed, patch bare spots, or start all over if it’s really bad. Hold off on the fertilizer until the end of September. If you haven’t put lime down in a while, consider adding some to sweeten your soil. Check out the nursery catalogs for spring bulbs to brighten up your home next April. Don’t overlook the garden centers for bargains on out of bloom perennials which will look terrific next year.
Paula will be presenting a comprehensive budget at this month’s meeting at Guy’s house. This will be our last meeting at a member’s garden. Next month we will return to the Hagerman Fire House at 7:00 PM. We will also be asking for volunteers to serve as a nominating committee for next year’s slate of officers. Nominations will be taken at September’s meeting, and voting will take place in October. Enjoy the fine weather and the waning days of summer.
- Carol
Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens
But remember: Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. ~Sicilian Proverb
Mark the Date Tuesday, June 26, 2008, 6 PM, in the wonderful garden of Guy Vitale and Mark Jeffers, 36 Grove Avenue, E. Patchogue, just off Main St., the first house south of the LIRR tracks on the west side of the street.
Flowerpot's Spontaneous Combustion Blamed For Fire!
AP: Fire Chief John Maczko said a fire that destroyed a Mendota Heights home last week was caused by a flowerpot on the home's deck that spontaneously combusted. While rare, spontaneous combustion can happen with the right mixture of soil, moisture, and heat. Investigators said the soil was in a plastic pot that had become hot after several days of high temperatures and humidity. [Thanks, Guy—Beware! Ed.)
Like most gardeners, I am always in search of more effective ways to control weeds in my garden. I've relied on basic gardening practices such as not disturbing the soil and keeping the soil covered with 2-4 inches of mulch (usually free from a local tree service). I've also used seaweed very effectively as a mulch. When weeds do emerge, I hand pull and now suffer from painful thumb joints, a condition which I have named "weeder’s thumb". There are several products now available that claim to control weeds. The two types are pre-emergent (prevents seeds from germinating), and post-emergent (kills actively growing plants). Preen, a pre-emergent synthetic, is familiar to most of us; my use of it has been minimally successful, but I have heard other gardeners swear by it. It did prevent my hollyhock seeds from germinating. Corn gluten is a pre-emergent control that has been touted by organic gardeners. I used it once, found that it attracted flies, and removed most of it. Recently some post-emergent products have been attracting the attention of gardeners, e.g., vinegar, but household vinegar is only 5-6% acetic acid, and mixed results have been reported. Mixing dish soap with the vinegar, clipping the leaves from the weeds, and directing the spray directly into the soil and to the roots may be more effective. Sounds like more work than hand pulling! There are vinegar products on the market which contain 20% acetic acid plus clove oil. However, this concentration of acetic acid may be dangerous to use, causing, for example, skin irritation, burns, and respiratory problems. The Safer brand is marketing a weed and grass killer with the active ingredient
fatty acid salts. I have used this product with mixed results. It seems to be effective on crab grass and some smaller weeds. Whether it kills down to the root or just top growth remains to be seen. I have been able to find it in a ready-to-use spray, but not in concentrated form; thus, it is expensive to use. On line, I have come across a product, "Nature's Avenger Organic Herbicide”, a ready-to-use spray or a concentrate with active ingredient natural citrus oil (17.55 d-limonene) that strips the waxy coating from leaves causing dehydration and death. It is not clear whether it kills root or only top growth. Most of us are familiar Roundup or other glyphosate-based herbicides absorbed through leaves that gum up enzyme (EPSP synthase) production so that plants cannot produce the proteins necessary for growth. Plants die between 7 and 14 days after application, depending on weather. I have found when it is hot and dry weeds disappear more quickly. Monsanto, the manufacturer, claims it remains active in the soil for only a short time and has minimal negative impact on the environment, but several environmental groups are challenging this. [Thanks to Jo Miller for her contribution—Ed.]
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
Did You Know? Tobacco Can Now Save Lives!
For centuries now, medicines have been found within the plant world. Now through modern science, a genetically modified tobacco plant can help save lives. Surely not by smoking it but by detecting the location of land mines. The tobacco plant will have its leaves turn red when it is in contact with nitrogen oxide that leaks from the land mine (in a 10 week period of time). The United Nations and other organizations engaged in clearing the fields where land mines have been buried are looking into the scientific findings with much interest. They estimate that there are close to 80 million (yes, million) mines buried in locations that cover about 120,000 square miles. Engineers right now are still needed to physically remove the land mines but now the much maligned tobacco plant has a good use for mankind. Listen to the NPR story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93555918. Upon hearing the name, Bette Midler, you might think of the performer known for her singing, acting, or even her outrageous stage act. But now you might wonder, what does this have to do with gardening? The New York Restoration Project (NYRP) was founded in 1995 by none other than Bette Midler when she made New York her home base and started to notice many parks and open spaces that were neglected, trash strewn about, and clearly forgotten. The NY Restoration Project teams up with other private community-based groups and public agencies to bring parks back to use and to make community gardens green once again. Education is also a key element to this organization’s goals, with over 10,000 children given the recreational opportunities that were not there prior to its involvement. In 2002 Bette Midler was given the Governors Award for Parks and Preservation along with many other honors bestowed upon her since the inception of the NY Restoration Project. Besides having a wonderful singing voice, she has also lent her voice to gardening that we too hold dear. http://www.nyrp.org/.
On my usual drive to work I recently noticed a bare maple tree branch hanging low over the road without any leaves and looking quite heavy. As I kept driving my thoughts went from being glad the branch had not snapped off with dire consequences and then to thoughts of whom I should contact before an accident does occur. And then a few days later by chance, there in the local free weekly paper is an article by Maria Cinque with the headline, 'Reporting Dangerous Trees'. She mentions that it is a homeowner’s responsibility if the tree is on your property but otherwise it is under the jurisdiction of the state or county for the pruning or necessary removal. But it is our responsibility as concerned citizens to report a potential dangerous tree. Keep these phone numbers handy: For State roads: NYS Dept. of Transportation Maintenance: 631-952-6702. For County Roads in Suffolk County: Division of Highway Maintenance: 631-852-4075. If there are trees caught in electric lines, you should contact the Long Island Power Authority at 800-490-0075. In Patchogue Village, call Village Hall directly at 475-4847 and use the new "phone tree" to be connected to the Building & Housing Dept.; hazard trees are under their jurisdiction.
Timely Tips for September
Plants and trees that provide color in the month of September include beautyberry, crape myrtles, cotoneaster, viburnums, hypericum, hydrangeas, potentilla, pyracantha, and burning bush are a few. Look for them at local sales.
Do not prune azaleas, rhododendrons, or other spring flowering shrubs because they have already set their buds for next year's blooms. If you feel these shrubs do need to be pruned, you can prune them now, but be aware you will sacrifice next spring’s flowers.
Time to continue with fall crops. You can still seed beets, radishes, turnips, and leaf lettuce.
