Come On Out to the Fair

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What’s Inside

Come On Out to the Fair ....... 1

Aquaponics ............................ 1

The President’s Column ........ 2

Plant Clinic Activities ............. 2

The Plots Thicken ................... 4

Photo of the Month .............. 5

Announcements .................... 7

Membership Meeting ........... 7

Nominations For MG ............. 7

Stumped ................................. 8

Facebook and Twitter ........... 9

Continuing Education .......... 10

Ask and Answer ................... 11

Keyhole Gardening .............. 12

There's something fishy going on

Continued on page 3

By Anne Abend I don’t know about you, but when August arrives, I head to the Montgomery County Fair (Aug. 10-18), bypassing the midway and making a beeline directly to the Master Gardener demo gardens that beckon me to the oasis of greenery that our MGs have created there. Now in its 64th year, the fair’s theme this year is “Sew It, Grow It, Show It.” The demo gardens, free to the public, provide an excellent opportunity to teach and promote the goals of MGs and the UMD Extension. As thousands of visitors come through the site, MGs field questions about IPM, plant disease, compost, rain gardens, native vs. non-native plants, etc. No other event gives Master Gardeners of Montgomery County such exposure.

By Stephen Robinson When I retired, I focused on making my house energy efficient that included installing LED lighting, solar panels, and a ground-source heat pump. On this journey, I read that the average distance my

groceries traveled before hitting my table was about 1,100 miles. This fact was my motivation to raise vegetables to offset this large fuel use. I looked for ways to raise vegetables in my basement where hopefully the stink bugs could be kept at bay. I found Aquaponics on the internet while searching for Hydroponics. The difference between the two is simple. Hydroponics uses chemicals to fertilize the plants while Aquaponics uses fish. Aquaponics is the blending of Aquaculture and Hydroponics that results in a potentially zero pollution source environment. Aquaponics gives new meaning to fish

food. Photo by Stephen Robinson

Continued on page 6

The President’s Column by Julia Horman

A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 2 The Seed

The Seed Team

Nancy Moses Greenblatt Editor-in-Chief Deborah Petro Julie Super Production Co-Editors Katie Mcle Senior Editor, Editor, Ask & Answer Julie Mangin Photo Editor Lauren Rubenstein Editor, Continuing Education Classes Diyan Rahaman Editor, STUMPED Tech Support Betty Cochran Copy Editor Darlene Nicholson Photographer Anne Abend, Faye Miner, Rachel Shaw Contributors

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Get Smart to the ‘Max’

Now that this year is well past the half-way point, I think it’s time to resurrect those 2012 resolutions and take a look at how we’re doing. You may recall that one of my resolutions was to encourage more self-education within our organization and it seems like everyone is getting into the act. Our Monthly Program Committee is finding speakers on new, relevant subjects. We hear Committee Chairs referring to MG educational opportunities as they describe their volunteer activities. Lauren Rubenstein offers something for everyone in The Seed’s Continuing Education columns. It doesn’t sound like

an exaggeration to say that MC-MG is developing a sustainable focus on the education of its members. Outstanding evidence of this focus could be seen in June when Sue Kuklewicz, Bob McDowell, Mary McKnight and Paula Knepper were part of the team that presented the MG Advanced Training course Ask a MG Practicum. It was a great program with field training and lectures on plant pathology and entomology by Dave Clement, Ph.D. and Mary Kay Malinoski. On the final day, our MC-MG team took over. We had Bob on “Weeds” and Mary on “Native Plants.” Sue and Paula presented the practical side of Plant Clinics, and engaged the participants in a lively discussion of different types of clinics, interaction with visitors and the use of attention-getters. The MC team even organized a fun and helpful “weeds and natives” scavenger hunt in the Demo Garden. Thanks to Sue, Bob, Mary and Paula for their efforts in bringing Advanced Training to Montgomery County.

Russell Belcher brought pictures of his troubled persimmon tree to our plant clinic at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase. MGs Linda Daniel (left) and Caroline DeCesare listen to his concerns. Photo by Julie Mangin

Plant Clinic Activities

A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 3 The Seed

In Aquaponics, food fed to fish (in my case tilapia) results in a 50-50 split between fish growth and fish waste. I used tilapia because they are fast growing, reproduce in tanks like mine, and are efficient feeders. The fish waste then decomposes when it is pumped into the plant grow beds where a growing and evolving colony of bacteria and fungi break down the waste into the nutrients needed by the plants. The nutrients are taken up by the plants thus cleansing the water for the fish. The goal is nutrient poor water at the end of the cycle, with healthy well fed fish, and healthy nutrition rich veggies in the grow beds. It has taken about a year for me to achieve this state of balance. The Development Process I built a 170 gallon fish tank and a 12-square foot grow bed using a recycled IBC tote. I filled the grow bed portion with two-thirds pea gravel and the top third with Hydroton for ease on the hands when planting. The grow bed medium does three things: anchors the plants, retains moisture while providing an efficient root respiration zone and provides a high surface area matrix for bacteria and fungi to develop. The biological filtration matrix that develops is the heart of the Aquaponics system. It takes about a year for it to fully develop and efficiently provide the full range of nutrients available within the fish waste. In the mature filter, only iron must be added since it is deficient in the fish feed. At startup, the grow bed is just a box of rocks, nothing more. When the fish are added to the tank, the nitrogen cycle begins. This cycle passes through two toxic phases: ammonia buildup, followed by nitrite buildup. Both of these buildups kill fish in tiny concentrations, so the introduced fish are sacrificial. About six weeks later, the levels of nitrite begin to drop and nitrate begins to develop in the tank. Plants such as lettuce and certain cabbages can grow with little more than this level of filter development, but they don’t grow very well. I used a 600 watt Metal Halide HID bulb to stimulate plant growth, and got a few salads at about two months into the process. Lettuce is a light feeder and doesn’t need a lot of nitrogen. As the fish grew and waste levels increased, the nitrate levels began to rise and the lettuce couldn’t keep up. I tried adding heavy feeders like tomatoes and squash, but I finally had to remove them. As new leaves would form on these plants, the old leaves would yellow and die off. I thought that the potassium liberating organisms in the bio-filter were not present in enough quantity to supply the potassium needed by these large plants. I went to the supermarket and bought NoSalt (potassium chloride) and added it to the tank. The plants improved immediately, but I didn’t feel this was a good answer because of the salting up of the tank that was happening with the chlorine ions. I decided to wait for my bio filter to evolve. The Fruitful Results I spent the following months attempting to speed up the decomposition of the solid waste in the grow beds. If I could get the waste to release its nutrients, the plants could finally make use of all that nitrogen. It was a real balancing act and much trial and error. I tried red worms in an attempt to speed up the decomposition of the solid waste in the grow beds. I also started dosing with Seaweed extract, which contains a balance of macro and micro nutrients, and even added tomato seeds to restart the culture. In short, that seemed to do the trick. For those interested in Stephen’s one-page description of how he constructed his Aquaponics basement garden, contact him directly at olhickory@verizon.net

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Aquaponics: A gardening trip down a new path Continued from page 1

Circle of Life: The Aquaponics system is a chemical balancing act. Water from the 170-gallon fish tank feeds plants; water cleaned by the plants returns to feed fish. Photo by Stephen Robinson

A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 4 The Seed

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The Plots Thicken:

Gardeners’ diaries from the demo gardens

The Seed is running a gardener’s diary of our demo gardens with short entries from each location. Follow along on the summer adventures. Edited by Rachel Shaw.

Derwood Demo Gardens: Submitted by Maria Wortman and Darlene Nicholson We are thankful that the main fenced portion of the garden was untouched by the storm of June 29, although the shade garden lost several large trees. The Butterfly Garden is vibrant with colors: purple bee balm and Verbena bonariensis, pinkish-purple scabiosa, orange butterfly weed, blue Stokes aster, golden ‘Sienna Sunset’ coreopsis, white elderberry, yellow marigolds, red zinnias, buttery-yellow daylilies, deep pink swamp milkweed, and pink cleome. On a recent workday the Butterfly Garden could have been renamed the Bumblebee Garden, for all the buzzing activity on the monarda. We recently spotted the striking, iridescent dogbane beetle. The beetles are cousins of the dreaded Japanese beetle, but they are much nicer and more restrained. The dogbane beetle feeds only on dogbane and milkweed, and their activity does no great harm to the plants. The Vegetable Garden is not only productive, but it’s beautiful, too. The ‘Clary’ sage in the Kitchen Garden area is blooming with lovely lilac flowers. The calendula flowers are the definition of “yellow,” and the bright red flowers of the scarlet runner beans really pop. The leaves of the purple mustard, which has been allowed to go to seed, contrast beautifully with its bright yellow flowers. Even the vegetables themselves are pretty, and we are harvesting lots of them: onions, beets, lettuce, mustard, Swiss chard, beans, yellow squash, peppers, and potatoes. We’ve added several types of basil to the garden: Thai, lime, holy, and globe. Looking forward to pesto making later! We also dug the garlic, which came in at least two weeks early, due no doubt to the short winter and very early beginning of the growing season. We are interested in which of our four varieties of beans are easiest to grow, less susceptible to pests, and tastiest. Some varieties seem more susceptible to the Mexican bean beetle than others. This beetle is one of the few lady beetles that feed on plants rather than on other insects. The larvae are fuzzy-looking and yellow, while the adults are copper-colored with black dots. We are often asked what we do with the produce we grow. The answer is that those of us who are working in the garden get to take a bit of the produce home with us to sample and the rest is donated to Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg. Continued on page 5

Despite the July heat, a lovely lily graces the wildlife garden at Derwood. Photo by Darlene Nicholson

Robin Ritterhoff with nature's bounty from the Derwood Demo Garden.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 5 The Seed

Black Hill Butterfly Habitat: A Discouraging Picture Submitted by Marsha Von Duerckheim Volunteers at the butterfly habitat project had a walk-and-talk in mid-July with Black Hill Park naturalist Denise Gibbs. She updated us on the butterfly situation in Maryland this year, and the picture is discouraging. At mid-July, the Master Gardener-maintained meadow looks glorious, thick with butterfly host plants and nectar sources. Alas, the only thing missing are the butterflies! Professional butterfly watchers in the eastern U.S. have noticed far fewer numbers this year than ever before, continuing a trend. Weather, as usual, is probably the culprit. A warm early April produced earlier than usual broods of butterflies, who probably suffered from the cold and damp weather that followed. The unusually early blossoming and related early fading of many species of flowers has probably also meant that plants were not at peak availability when butterflies normally needed them. On a brighter note, our local butterflies seem to have survived our recent extreme weather—the blistering heat wave with temperatures of 100+ in early July and the devastating storm. Both butterflies and caterpillars have been observed to survive temperatures up to 105 F, if they have shade. And roosting butterflies, particularly Monarchs, are known to regularly resist winds up to 60 mph.

It’s a mystery. It seems that fritillaries are feasting on milkweed at the Black Hills butterfly demo garden, but where are the monarchs? Photo by Marsha Von Duerckheim.

The Plots Thicken:

Gardeners’ diaries from the demo gardens Continued from page 4

Photo of the Month

Verbena ‘Peaches and Cream’ loves the heat on Katie McIe’s deck. Photo by Katie McIe, July 2012

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 6 The Seed Come On Out to the Fair Continued from page 1

Tom Stanton and Mike Parizer chair the Fairground Demo Gardens. They and their committee of volunteers have spent the past year redesigning and refining the existing three gardens: The Heritage Garden, the Agricultural Triangle, and the 4-H Garden. For the 4-H Garden, the Landscape Design Committee suggested a plan that is lovely in its simplicity. The new 4-H garden hosts junipers, black-eyed Susan, hibiscus and lambs ear enjoying a sun bath. For fun, liriope was used to spell out “4-H” in the garden’s center. The Heritage Garden shows off colorful annual vinca, astilbe, and a laceleaf weeping Japanese red maple. The two flower boxes—one in part shade and the other in full sun-- were renewed with reblooming Stella d’Oro daylilies, vinca, clematis, and various grasses. In the primary demo garden of the Agricultural Triangle, the plants were reassessed: overgrown varieties such as asters, joe pye weed, and grasses were thinned or replaced with smaller plants, though the emphasis on native plants remains. The rain garden was cleaned up and a new small grass, “Little Bunny,” growing only 9-10 inches, is on probation in a raised bed.

The vegetable bed is back again, having disappeared for several years because of blight. Red plastic mulch around the tomatoes is a test to see how they grow. The salad table will be filled with late season veggies that can survive the August sun. So there are many reasons to see you in August. Come on out to the fair.

Lynn Jones (left) and Carolyn Oakford tame the heliopsis which has flopped over. Photo by Julie Mangin

Laying soaker hose in the fairgrounds demo garden are (left to right) Mike Parizer, Tom Stanton, John Fegan, and Frank Lostumbo. Photo by Julie Mangin

August Open Garden Friends Garden in Sandy Spring

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 10:00 am -1:00 pm Rain date, Thursday, August 9, 2012 For our August Open Garden, we have once again been invited to visit the gardens at the Friends House Retirement Community. If you are a gardener with an interest in planning or managing community gardens, you will find Friends House garden to be an exemplary model. Over the past three summers, visitors to the Friends House community garden have been impressed and inspired by the beautifully managed vegetable, fruit, herb and flower gardens planted and managed by Friends House residents and Master Gardener volunteers. The gardens are located on several acres that were once Quaker farmland in historic Sandy Spring, Maryland and continue to reflect the serenity and beauty of a rural setting. Organic and sustainable gardening practices are followed whenever possible. Residents recycle kitchen and garden waste to make beautiful rich compost and seedlings are started in the greenhouse. Bees on the property help provide pollination and care is taken not to use pesticides or herbicides. Residents not only enjoy the delicious benefits of fresh vegetables, berries, herbs and flowers from the cutting garden but also experience the joy and satisfaction of working outdoors. Resident gardeners and Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to lead tours, offer gardening advice and answer questions. There will be varietal tomato tasting and homemade refreshments using the garden’s herbs and fruits. Handcrafted natural soaps and honey extracted from the garden’s apiary will also be made available for sale. Proceeds from the sales are used to help support garden expenses. Directions to Friends House Retirement Community 17340 Quaker Lane, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 From Olney: East on

Olney – Sandy Spring Road (route 108); right on Norwood Road; left on Quaker Lane.

From New Hampshire

Avenue north (route 650): Left on Norwood Road, veering right on Norwood Road at Dr. Bird Road; right on Quaker Lane.

Visitor parking for the garden is approximately .2 mile on the right. There will be signs directing to the gardens. For more information call Joe Schechter at 301-388-0431.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 7 The Seed

Announcements General Membership Meeting Derwood Thursday, August 2, 2012 9:30 a.m. Mingle 10:00 a.m. Meeting Speaker: Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of City of

Trees and two books about Sugarloaf Mountain.

Topic: Historic and Botanically Diverse Trees of Washington, D.C. Melanie will give a

slide lecture of trees in Rock Creek Park, and at the White House, Capitol, Tidal Basin and other storied locations in and around the nation’s capital. Click for directions.

MG BENEFIT

Nominations for 2012 Outstanding Master Gardener Nominate a fellow MG for an Outstanding Service Award. Anyone can nominate a Master Gardener. Please note, however, that Board members and committee co-chairs are not eligible to receive awards. The deadline for entries is October 1. Please use this form when making your nominations. Awards are presented at the annual Holiday Party in December.

MG BENEFIT

Stumped

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 8 The Seed

Fascinating Freaks

Not all of the plant samples submitted to the Plant Clinics or the Derwood Extension office are perfect specimens. In fact, the most interesting ones have been real freaks of nature. Below are two examples of plant deformations that make for fascinating specimens. Fasciated Susan

When a resident submitted an unusual Black-Eyed Susan with a double flower and broad flat stem, he thought we needed to see this unique specimen.

Fascia is Latin for ‘to fuse’ and fasciations are widespread phenomena reported in more than 100 vascular plant species. The term refers to a flattened or ribbon-like appearance. Woody plants, annuals and even cacti are affected. In some plants fasciations occur on woody stems; other plants exhibit this condition in the flower stalk, fruit or flower clusters. Stems, fruits, flowers and roots can also become fasciated. While fasciations are known to be caused by a bacterium called Rhodococcus fascians, there are

also many annual plants that contain a gene responsible for the fasciation of vegetative or flower stems. Some examples where this gene is inherited would include crested cockscomb celosias and beefsteak tomatoes. Reference: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/fascia.shtml

Witches’ Broom

This specimen of a white pine branch containing a ball of small shoots was brought in to the Derwood Extension office by a resident wanting to know what was causing this anomaly.

Witches' brooms are characterized by a proliferation of shoots growing close together. The shoots are usually shorter, stockier, and have an upright but more compact growth habit than normal. Eriophyid mites may cause witches' brooms in hackberry, scotch pine and poplar. Fungal, viral, or mycoplasma-like organisms (MLOs), mistletoe, environmental damage, or a mutation in vegetative cells may also cause witches' brooming. In most cases the causal agent kills a growing point and results in the prolific growth of side shoots.

Reference: http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/index.cfm

Photo: Colorado State University Extension

The Seed New Format,

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Photo: University of Maryland Extension

How to Submit Articles and Pictures

mcmgnewsletter12@yahoo.com MGs are invited to submit

articles and pictures for the newsletter, but keep in mind that submittals may be edited and/or not used until a later month. Please limit stories to 350-400 words.

Photos must come with basic information that includes name of the person in the photo, subject matter or caption and either a signed photo permission slip from those in the picture or an email from them saying they allow us to use their picture in the newsletter. Click here for website and scroll to bottom of page for link to the form.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 9 The Seed

Facebook and Twitter—How to Keep Spreading the News

By Beverly Carragher Montgomery County Master Gardeners are off to a good start in reaching the community on Facebook, where our new page has 184 subscriptions (“likes”) so far. Here are suggestions on how you can spread the news about our programs and gardening even more with literally the push of a button.

Share It or Retweet It When a Facebook item on our page about one of our events (e.g. demo garden open house) piques your interest, just hit the “share” button and you send the entry to your Facebook friends, even if they are not MGs.

If you prefer Twitter to Facebook, consider retweeting our content to your followers. Our Facebook items are automatically referenced in a tweet on Twitter. Six other MG groups in Maryland also have Facebook pages, so increasing our exposure to your Facebook friends raises our profile among six other MG groups in Maryland with their own pages. In addition, our Facebook page needs content from you! The most compelling content is an item tied to a picture. For example, pictures taken at MG events have received positive responses. You will always be credited by name for material that you supply. Send your items to bevc70@yahoo.com. Sign up If you have a Facebook page or are on Twitter, consider using them as additional ways to promote MCMG. Our pages on these sites can be reached through the icons on the first page of this newsletter. Participation is 100% free, although setting up and staying current will take some time and effort. Also, you may have online privacy concerns. However, the information you have to provide to get started is very limited, and you can adjust your privacy controls to restrict who has access to the information. (Of course, all forms of online communication require reasonable caution.) I hope I have convinced you that ratcheting up the level of your own Facebook and Twitter participation is an effective way to spread the word about MG activities and expertise. Feel free to ask me any questions or to make suggestions—and if you have not done so already, please click the “like” button on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!

Continuing Education Corner Find More Classes Here

The Accokeek Foundation

Brookside Gardens

Casey Trees

City Blossoms

Green Spring Gardens

Horticultural Society of Maryland

Maryland Native Plant Society

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Montgomery College

Neighborhood Farm Initiative

Prince William Cooperative Extension

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

US National Arboretum

WEBINARS

NC State Permaculture Class Seed Savers Exchange

Ongoing through Oct. 14, 10am–4pm. Exhibit: Becoming a Bonsai. US National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Special Exhibits Wing. Pictures and text illustrate the principles and steps involved in transforming a common crape myrtle into a charming bonsai through pruning, wiring, styling, and repotting. Free.

August 1, 10 am-noon. Concrete Leaf Painting Workshop. Ann Baker, Brookside Gardens Staff Registered for the Concrete Leaf Sculpting Workshop or have an unpainted or tired-looking concrete leaf at home? Join Ann Baker to finish that unique piece of sculpture with some acrylic paint and sealant to help your leaf add interest to your garden for years to come. Fee includes a wide variety of paint colors. Course number 183651. Fee: $18, FOBG: $15; registration required. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center Adult Workshop. www.ParkPASS.org Aug. 4, 10 am-noon. Cultivating Japanese & Siberian Irises. Dr. Fitzpatrick will lecture on cultivating Japanese and Siberian irises, known as beardless irises. The presentation is followed by demonstrations of dividing and planting. Participants will take home divisions for their own garden. MD Horticultural Society. Held in the Greenhouse Classroom on the grounds of Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore. Limited registration. $15 for members; $20 for non-members. http://store.mdhorticulture.org/index.aspx to register online; http://www.mdhorticulture.org/workshopRegister/handson-register.htm to register by mail. August 6-8, 9:30am – 3 pm Butterflies of the Maryland Piedmont. This course/workshop was created especially for those who would like to learn or improve their butterfly identification skills, and explore the life histories of local butterflies. Our workshop will emphasize outdoor field study through visits to local parks, butterfly gardens, and a rearing facility. You’ll learn how to handle live

butterflies for close examination, how to rear butterflies, as well as scientific methods for monitoring butterflies. We’ll focus on butterfly conservation, discussing and demonstrating ways you can help butterflies at schools, parks, churches and backyards. Fee includes van transportation, butterfly field guide, caterpillar field guide, and caterpillar rearing cage. For more information contact Black Hill Visitor Center, 301-528-3492 orwww.BlackHillNature.org. $150. Ages 18 & up. Space is limited to 10individuals. ParkPASS #178050. Rain dates: Thursday, August 9 and Friday, August 10 Aug. 11 or Aug. 12, 9 am–4 pm. Workshop: Bonsai Basics with Tropicals. US National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Lecture/Demonstration Center. Create your own bonsai in this all-day class designed for the beginner. Learn the horticultural, aesthetic, and cultural elements of bonsai; apply your new knowledge during the hands-on workshop. We will use tropical ficus, which can be grown indoors year-round and must be grown indoors during the winter. All necessary materials are provided. Some tools will be available; please bring tools if you have them. Bring lunch for a noon break. Fee: $129 ($103 FONA/NBF) Registration required.

Aug. 21, 9:30 am. Turf Maintenance. Ladew Topiary Gardens, Visitors Center. Learn advanced gardening skills directly from the professional gardeners who keep Ladew looking beautiful in these “behind the scenes” gardening demonstrations. Members free; Non-members $10, includes admission to the Gardens and Nature Walk. Meet in the Visitors Center. Reservations are preferred, walk-ins are welcome. 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. 410.557.9570, ext. 224. Aug. 25, 10 am. Moss Workshop. If mosses intrigue you when you hike but you wonder exactly what you are seeing, this is your chance to figure it out in a fun environment. Meet up $10.00, RSVP required. Natural Historical Society of MD. Banneker Historical Park & Museum , 300 Oella Ave, Catonsville, MD Classes continued on page 11

MG BENEFIT

A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 1 0 The Seed

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 1 1 The Seed

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Continuing Education Corner Continued from page 10

State MG Advanced Training

State MG Advanced Training for 2012, Click here for more details.

Download registration form click here.

Ask & Answer

Q. During the recent storm, a large oak tree fell in my yard and smashed several of my landscape shrubs. Should I replace them? Perplexed in Potomac A. Some fallen trees, broken limbs, smashed shrubs and shredded flowers can be saved, especially if you act quickly. Others will go for compost. Here’s a round-up of advice from other extension services. Remember to water stressed plants and those that were planted this season. Trees and Shrubs. Cut splintered, cracked or broken limbs off cleanly, back to the nearest healthy wood, side limb or bud. Do not cut into the collar because it would not heal properly and be susceptible to rot. Some shrubs such as forsythia, privet, many viburnums and some conifers (yews), can take a hard “rejuvenation” pruning to about 12 inches above ground. Bent branches of boxwood or other flexible woody plants are best left for the sun to heal. If a limb is bent, don't cut it off entirely. Instead, remove extra weight from the limb by first cutting off smaller side limbs. Then leave it alone. With time, the limb may straighten out. If impatience gets the best of you, prop up a bent branch just part of the way. Weekly, move the branch upward about six inches until the branch returns to its normal position. Roses and other perennials. If roses are damaged, prune canes below the break now, according to Bill Connors, our MG rosarian. Your perennials follow the wisdom of Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator: “I’ll be back!”

Two of five trees felled by storm in a MG's back yard.

September 5, 9:30 am 3:30 pm. Plant Diseases. David Clement, Ph.D., Regional Specialist in

Plant Pathology, Home and Garden Info. Center. Learn about the bacteria, fungi and viruses that

cause plant problems including their symptoms, cycles and controls. In addition to the lecture and

handouts you will get hands-on training with samples. Held at Montgomery County Extension

Office. Registration Deadline: Aug. 29, 2012, Fee: $35. Use registration form. Mail to: MG

classes, HGIC, 12005 Homewood Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 P A G E 1 2 The Seed Our Mission: To support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents about safe, effective and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and communities. Our Vision: The Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship. Disclaimer: All opinions regarding businesses or their products are those of the authors and not of the University of Maryland. Non-discrimination policies: University of Maryland Extension programs are open to everyone without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability. Montgomery County Master Gardeners 18410 Muncaster Road Derwood, MD 20855 301-590-2836 Email: mgmont@umd.edu Website Direct correspondence to: Stephen Dubik University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Coordinator and Horticultural Consultant

Mom gets a sustainable, maintainable garden

By Denise Mullins

I first learned about the keyhole garden a few months ago when I began researching how to design a raised garden bed for vegetables. In Africa today where the soil is pour and extremely dry, the non- profit group “Send a Cow” teaches villagers to build a style of raised bed that utilizes a centered basket for composting food waste and grey water. These small, circular shaped beds, which when viewed from above look like a keyhole, have a small pathway that reaches the center basket. When filled with a variety of edible plants, this “keyhole garden” provides a nutritious bounty in a relatively small space. I decided to introduce my mother to this garden that recycles as it grows and is easier for her to maintain than traditional vegetable gardens. After planning, raking, digging, and some stone work we had created a lovely keyhole garden. I planted garlic and onions towards the front of the bed and Mom planted beets, lettuce and radishes in the rest of the area. Within three weeks, Mom called bragging that the plants were growing and she was eating her delicious radishes. She can sit on the stone sides of the five-foot wide bed and weed and harvest as much as she wants.

For details on how to build this garden, email Denise Mullins at mullinsdenise10@yahoo.com for the full article and pictures.)

A keyhole raised garden bed recycles nutrients “cooking” in the center of the five-foot diameter circle. Photo by Denise Mullins