Row Covers & Frost Protection of Peony Seeds; Gardening Guidebook for Fairbanks, Alaska

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TananaValley

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Editor: Michele Hébert,

Land Resources Agent

Production, Layout & Design by Ronda L. Boswell

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service programs are available to all, without regard to race, color, age, sex, creed, national origin, or disability and in accordance with all applicable fedeProvided in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Anthony Nakazawa, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, Unof Alaska Fairbanks. No endorsement of firms and products mentioned is intended, nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned in the Master Gardener Update.

Master Gardener Master Gardener

Page 2 The Sourdough GardenerPage 2 Master Gardener Harvest Potluck & AwardsPage 3 Growing Peony SeedsPage 4 Potato ScabPage 4 A Guide to Practical (Potato) ParentingPage 5 Three Cheers for Volunteers! A Salute to Master GardenersPage 5 Master Gardener of the MonthPage 6 “Heard it through the garden hose...”

Page 6 Women: Further Your Gardening Education

October 2003

Tanana

Valley

W W W W W ell, Mother Nature preve

our visit to the tree farm this ybut we will put it on the calefor next year. For those of you did not join us for seed collecat the UAF Georgeson BotanGarden, you missed a great and opportunity. We had fun c

ting and learning about seed collecting, saving and starting. Many thanks to Pat Hollofor helping us and teaching us. Boy, October looks to start out with a bang! Our regular meeting on Oct. 7 at 7 will take place at the UAF Greenhouse. We will take cuttings and again, Pat has voteered to let us in and help us. Bring anything you need to take your cuttings home. 9 will be the first Annual Master Gardener Awards Potluck. We plan to submit our ners’ names and projects to the International Master Gardeners Award of ExcelleProgram. This is exciting to recognize our programs and to begin to participate atinternational level. WOW, watch us now! In November, we will be back to a regular meeting at the UAF UniversityPark Building and will have a guest speaker. We will discuss the advan-tages of becoming an incorporated nonprofit. Please plan to attend and putyour 2 cents worth in. Hope that everyone has closed up the garden, and has frozen and cannedstuff for the coming winter. If you need any information about meetings, callor e-mail any board member. See you at the UAF Greenhouse! ✿

Cooperative Extension Service • Tanana District Office • P.O. Box 758155 • Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-8155 • 907-474-1530

Oct. 7 Master Gardeners will take clippings at UAF Greenhouse, West Ridge, 7-9 p.m.Oct. 9 Master Gardener Harvest Potluck and Awards, 6:30 p.m., Fairbanks Community Food Bank.

Oct. 16 The Herb Bunch meeting, 7-9 p.m.,UAFUniversity Park Building, Room 154.

Oct. 28-29 4th Alaska Noxious and InvasivePlants Management Workshop,Anchorage.

Nov. 4 Master Gardener meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF University Park Building, Room 154.Nov. 20 The Herb Bunch meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF University Park Building, Room 154.Dec. 2 Master Gardener meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF University Park Building, Room 154.Dec. 18 The Herb Bunch meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF University Park Building, Room 154.

2004Jan. 28-29 23rd Annual Alaska Greenhouseand Nursery Conference, Anchorage. Prez Sez.. . .Prez Sez.. . .Prez Sez.. . .Prez Sez.. . .Prez Sez.. . .

By Virginia Damron, President

Master Gardeners of the Tanana Valley

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Master Gardener Update October 2003

2

THETHETHETHETHE

SOURDOUGHSOURDOUGHSOURDOUGHSOURDOUGHSOURDOUGHGARDENERGARDENERGARDENERGARDENERGARDENER

F r o m :

F r o m :

F r o m :

F r o m :

F r o m :

(a.k.a. George Wilson)

T T T T T he serious gardener knows that

it is far more cost effective to raise

healthy plants than to diagnose and

care for sick ones. Basic plant health

begins with a growing media which

has the ability to hold moisture, pro-mote adequate drainage, is in the cor-

rect ph range, and has the correct lev-

els of major and micro nutrients.

In today’s garden supply stores and

catalogs, we are bombarded with an

ever-increasing array of gadgets and miscellaneous parapher-

nalia which drain our budget and have nothing to do with plant

health. However, we live in an age when technology–avail-

able a short time ago only to professionals–is now available to

all of us at a reasonable cost. Soil samples, which once had to

be sent to a lab, can now be tested by the home gardener with

acceptable accuracy. A simple test to establish organic content

of soil, as well as its ability to hold moisture and drain properly,

needs only a cup of soil, a quart jar with a lid and tap water.

For testing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K),

you need a kit. So for a small investment and a little of your

time, you can eliminate many problems you may encounter

later in the growing season. Test your soil before you purchase

lime, fertilizer and other soil amendments. Depending on the size of your garden, you should prepare a

sample that is representative of each 15- to 25-square-foot sec-

tion. If your soil has been properly prepared by tilling to an

adequate depth, you should be able to attain an acceptable

sample. Take a 12” long piece of 3/4” EMT or copper pipe,

then push it down into the soil and gently remove it. Hold itover a container and tap it until the sample falls from the tube.

After you have gathered your complete sample, mix it thor-

oughly. Take your sample when your garden is comparatively

dry. Spread the sample out in a pie pan or on newspaper to re-

duce moisture to approximately 5 percent–anything above 7 per-

Plant Health through Instrumentationcent moisture will cause soil particles

to cling together.

Another helpful test can be per-

formed with an EC (electrical con-

ductivity) meter. This test will indi-

cate a higher than desirable level of salt build-up, usually from chemical

fertilizers. A Brix Scale Refractome-

ter can tell you, early on, a great deal

about plant health. Remember, if you

notice a problem with a plant, a mag-

nifying glass can reveal far more than the naked eye, and dis-

ease and infestation spread rapidly.

I feel the best soil test kit available to the home gardener is

the LaMott, and the best selection and prices can be found at

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply in Grass Valley, Calif.

There is commercial compost on the market which can have

devastating results. Make your own compost–it is superior and

less expensive. I still like barnyard manure; don’t worry about

the weeds because we will always be required to weed. We can

reduce a lot of weeding with IRT mulch and conserve mois-

ture. Remember, you are cultivating while weeding.

When you build a compost pile, add one 5-gallon bucket wa-

ter with a tablespoon of Epsom salt and one teaspoon Borax.

You will never have too much compost and the best way toaccelerate the composting process is to reduce the size of what

you add to it. Before anything goes into a compost pile, put it

through a chipper shredder. My favorite way to get free com-

post is to gather it from the forest. With a leaf rake and large

trash bags, you can get an abundance of the best soil-building

compounds you will ever find on the surface and for the firstinch down you will notice there is a dark in color, wholesome-

smelling, loam-like material. Since it is free for the taking, it is

a real bargain.

Good soil, good water, adequate sunlight and TLC are a

gardener’s elements to success. ✿

Bring your extra garden produce or a can of foodto share with the food bank.

Please bring a dish to share:

~ A to G, main dish~ H to N, salads and vegetables~ O to U, bread and chips~ V to Z, desserts

RSVP to Michele Hébert at 474-2423 [email protected].

Master Gardener Harvest Potluck and Awards

October 9, 20036:30 p.m.

Fairbanks Community Food Bank ✂

✔ Mark Your Calendar




3

Growing Peony Seeds Growing Peony Seeds Growing Peony Seeds Growing Peony Seeds Growing Peony Seeds By Andrea Moore, Commercial Peony Grower

he seeds of your plant are not ripe until fall, so leavethe pods on until the pod seam starts to open. Then re-move the seeds and allow them to dry several days be-

fore planting. The usual ripening time for most peony seeds islate summer to early autumn, or August to October. You maychoose to plant the seeds immediately if they ripen early enough(August) or wait to plant them the following spring.Planting seeds the following season givesthem a whole spring and summer beforewinter arrives.

Basically, peony seeds are doubledormant. They require one period of warmth to grow the root and a pe-riod of two to three months of temperatures below 35 degreesFahrenheit to break the dor-mancy of the shoot. After theshoot is growing, the plant willgrow slowly the first year andpick up speed as it matures. I start 10 to 25 seeds inplastic bags containing moistvercumulite or peat moss.Always label and date the

package and put it at tem-peratures of 70 to 72 degreesFahrenheit until the roots areabout 1 1/2 inches long. Thiswill take about three to eightmonths. Then plant the youngplants carefully in small potswith a light potting mix and putthem in the refrigerator or in acool greenhouse during the win-ter for approximately three months.The ideal temperature is between 30to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. After that,they are placed in a warm, shaded loca-

tion outside or on a windowsill for fourmonths until the shoots appear. In fall, putthem outside in a protected place such as in raisedbeds that are heavily mulched. Some will survive the follow-ing winter and a few will not. If the seeds are from a valuablespecies, give them extra protection the first winter by puttingthem in a heated storage area with the heater set at just abovefreezing.

After the seedlings have survived the first winter, plant in thefield in rows under high shading and do not allow them to dryout during hot weather. Good drainage during all phases of seedling growth is very important! Also, I would protect yourseedlings from continuous long rains in early spring with plas-tic row covers. Also use a floating row cover if early spring

freezes are expected. Another way to grow seeds–for those in

temperate (Northern) areas–is to let naturedo its job. I have heard this works very

well and is the way most people ger-minate their seeds. Plant peonyseeds is in spring and early sum-

mer; this gives the seeds time togrow their first root. Then, dur-

ing the fall and winter, thedormancy of the shoots isbroken and the plants formtheir first shoots. Place seeds for outdoorgermination in clay potswith well-drained pottingsoil. Sink the pots into thesoil so the rims are covered.

In late fall, dig the pots upand check the seeds for rootgermination. Dump theslightly moist pot over andthe seeds and soil just fallout. Many of the seeds willhave grown roots; take these

seeds and plant them about 2inches below the surface of the

soil in clay pots, then sink intothe soil again and mulch heavily

for the winter. The followingspring, if all goes well, the seeds

should send up their first shoots. Dur-

ing the first year, move the pots to a loca-tion with high shade (or half day or more of

shade) and keep evenly moist. Seedlings are notas tolerant of heat and drought as adult peonies and need pro-tection from harsh weather. It may take five or more years before your seedlings flower,so they are a long-term investment of time and effort. But, if you are successful, you are the only person in the world withthat one particular plant you have grown!

Growing peonies by seed is time consuming, but very rewarding. I think,

all in all, it is one of the most enjoyable parts of growing peonies. I

enjoy seeing new peonies emerge, knowing someday if all goes well, theywill be large, beautiful plants that can literally stop traffic!

~For more information, visit www.naturespromise.com/growingseeds.html. If you have any questions, you may e-mail me at [email protected]. ✿




4

Wha t is p ota to sc a b ? otato scab is caused by an indigenous soil-borne bacte-ria. Growth of this pathogen is favored by dry, alkaline

soil, especially during the early part of the growing sea-son. Irrigating may reduce scab. Scabby potatoes can be eaten,but scabs should be removed.

Typ e s of po ta to sc a b Two types of scab are present in our soils. One type, deep orpitted scab, produces brown lesions, which are small at firstbut then enlarge and become corky. The lesions frequently ex-tend below the skin of the potato and leave deep pits when thecorky tissue is removed. Thin-skinned potato varieties are sus-ceptible to this type of scab. Another type, surface scab, has numerous small russetedlesions that can nearly cover the surface of the potato. Withthis type of lesion, slight protuberances with depressed centersmay form. These lesions are covered with a small amount of

corky tissue. Russet varieties are susceptible to surface scab. Animals that consume raw potatoes infected with scab canpass the pathogen on in the manure and possibly infect previ-ously uninfected areas if the manure is used as a fertilizer.

Pota to sc a b a nd yie lds Potato scab appears to have some influence on total yields.Severely blemished tubers drastically reduce attractiveness andmarket value. In restaurant use, waste from scabby potatoessometimes amounts to one-third of the total weight of the po-tato. In some instances, scab may predispose tubers to chew-ing insects. In addition to potatoes, scab may infect beets, rad-ishes, turnips, rutabagas and carrots. Crop rotation and selec-tion of planting sites in the home garden is important.

Variety Tuber Description

• Alasclear ..............Round, white-skinned • Krantrz.................Oblong russet • Highlat .................Oblong russet • Highlite................Oblong russet

ell, Girl Potato and Boy Potato had eyes for each other, and finally they got married, and had alittle sweet potato, which they called “ Yam.”

Of course, they wanted the best for Yam. When it was time, they told her about the fact s of li fe . Theywarned her about going out and getting half-baked, so she wouldn’t get acci- dently mashed, and get a bad name for herself like“Hot Potato,” and end upwith a bunch of Tater Tots. Yam said not to worry, noSpud would get her into the

sack and make a rotten potato out her! But, on the other hand, she wouldn’t stay home and become aCouch Potato, either. Shewould get plenty of exer- cise so as not to be skinny like her Shoestring cousins. When she went off to Europe, Mr. and Mrs. Potato told Yam to watch out for the hard-boiled guys from Ireland. And the greasy guys from France called the French Fries. And when she went out west, they warned her to watch out for the Indians so she wouldn’t get scalloped. Yam

PPPPP otato SSSSScab

✿

~ Article from UAF Cooperative Extension Service Publication

said she would stay on the straight and narrow, and wouldn’t associate with those high class Yukon Golds, or the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise their trade on all the trucks that say “Frito Lay.”

Mr. and Mrs. Potato sentYam to Idaho P.U. (that’s Potato University) so thatwhen she graduated she’d really be in the Chips. But, in spite of all they did for her, one day Yam came home and announced shewas going to marry Tom Brokaw. Tom Brokaw! Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very

upset. They told Yam she couldn’t possibly marry Tom Br okaw becaus e he is just.................

(Are you ready for this? OK! Here it is!........ .)

A COMMON TATER!! ✿

~ Contributed by Joan Robson

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

A Guide toA Guide toA Guide toA Guide toA Guide to

PracticalPracticalPracticalPracticalPractical

(Potato)(Potato)(Potato)(Potato)(Potato)

ParentingParentingParentingParentingParenting

C ontrol ling p ota to sc a b There is no single control measure that seems to work to con-trol scab. The following measures, when practiced together,have proven helpful:

• Add 2 lbs. of elemental sulfur per 100 square feet in fall or spring.• Avoid the use of fresh manure just preceding potato crop.• Rotate crop. Plant potatoes in the same ground only once every four or five years.• Wash tools with water to remove soil residue to decrease transferring the scab bacteria to uninfected areas.• Plant scab-resistant varieties.• Provide adequate irrigation once plants emerge.• Avoid putting scab infected potatoes or peelings into garden compost.

Sc a b - re sista nt p ota to va rie tie s Thin-skinned potato varieties are more susceptible to scabthan the heavier skinned varieties such as russets. The follow-ing varieties have shown some resistance to potato scab inAlaska field trials:




5

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

MasterGardenerof theMonth:

Wendy Anderson

T h r e e

T h r e e

T h r e e

T h r e e

T h r e e

c h e e r s

c h e e r s

c h e e r s

c h e e r s

c h e e r s

f o r...

f o r...

f o r...

f o r...

f o r... ! ! ! ! !

A Salute to Master Gardeners! A Salute to Master Gardeners! A Salute to Master Gardeners! A Salute to Master Gardeners! A Salute to Master Gardeners!

endy Anderson is a “MasterGardener Extraordinaire”who works hard to spread the

good news about gardening. A 1999 graduate of the Master Gar-dener program, Wendy has gardenedin the Fairbanks area since 1978. TheMaster Gardener class offered Wendyadditional understanding and enthu-siasm to share with others. Wendysays she learned a lot! One of her most impressive volun-

teer commitments is serving as coor-dinator of the Fairbanks CommunityGarden. For about 10 years, Wendyhas worked hard to keep the gardenrunning and making improvements asideas arise. Wendy developed a web site for thegarden, which tells about its history,membership and current events. Sheorganizes annual work parties andhelped develop a children’s garden.The most recent project was buildinga moose fence to keep out Alaska’slargest pest!

Wendy’s favorite crop to grow isherbs, while her most interesting gar-dening experience took place on topof the pipeline off Steele Creek Road.She says “It grew fabulous!” Longtime Master Gardener PalmerPeterson shares this comment: “I ad-mire Wendy Anderson for her tirelessachievements involved in her keep-ing the Fairbanks Community Gar-den going at such a high level of accomplishment.” ✿

“HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?” – A children’s garden and play space is located in

the center of the Fairbanks Community Garden and is maintained by volunteers. It is a won-

derful place to meet friends, nibble raspberries and smell the flowers.

he Fairbanks Community Garden started about 1979 when The Alaskan Fed-eration for Community Self-reliance, Inc., received a free lease of land fromFern Palfy, who owned the land where the Fairbanks North Star BoroughAdministrative Building sits today. The community garden sprouted and flour-

ished in this location for several seasons. In 1983, the garden moved from Pioneer Road to its present location in HamiltonAcres. The 2.5-acre site is leased free from the borough. The garden received a one-time state grant of $20,000, which was used to clear land, install electricity, put in awell, build a fence, and generally prepare the garden site for use.

Today, the Fairbanks Community Gar-den is an entity in its own right. Whenthe original 10-year lease was up, the gar-deners got together, formed their own

nonprofit organization, and re-leased theland. The garden is currently run throughthree elected officials and is funded bythe collection of plot fees each spring. Garden plots rent for $25 per year.There are 85 plots available, averaging600 square feet. The site includes waterspigots near each garden and basic toolssuch as shovels, rakes and hoses. Formore information on the Fairbanks Com-munity Garden, visit www.home.gci.net/ ~fairbankscommunitygarden or callWendy Anderson at 456-5494.✿

SPRING CLEAN-UP DAY – Joe and Dan

prepare the Fairbanks Community Garden for

another productive summer season.

C om m unity G a rd e n Sprouts Suc c e ss



October 2003Master Gardener Update

6

" Heard it through the

garden hose..."

Snippets from Barb Fay’s Herb Notebooks

Have you been using herbs in your barbecuing endeavors?

Here are some suggestions of ways they can be used:

~ As a smoke-producing material

~ As a brush for basting sauce

~ In marinades and oils

~ In dry rubs

~ Sandwiched between items of food on your skewers

~ Herb stems as skewers

Here is a good recipe for a dry rub:

Lemon Rosemary Rub

1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients. Mix until well blended. Rub

evenly over the surface of your favorite steaks for grilling.(Makes enough to season 2 lbs. of beef.) ✿

Dorli McWayne’s Parsley Pesto

As you harvest your herb garden this fall, try this recipe for

all your excess parsley:

2 C parsley, packed

2 C spinach or basil, packed

1/2 C parmesan or Romano cheese

3/4 C walnuts or pine nuts

1/4 to 1/2 C olive oil

3/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

Process in food processor. All ingredients are approximate

and can be altered. ✿

Women: Further Your Gardening Education

One of the world’s largest sources of funding exclusivelyfor graduate women, the American Association of UniversityWomen (AAUW) Educational Foundation supports aspiringscholars around the globe, teachers and activists in localcommunities, women at critical stages of their careers, andthose pursuing professions where women are under-repre-sented.

• American Fellowships support women doctoral candi-dates completing dissertations and scholars seeking funds for

postdoctoral research leave or for preparing completed researchfor publication. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanentresidents. One-year postdoctoral research leave fellowships,dissertation fellowships and summer/short-term research pub-lication grants are offered. • Career Development Grants support women who hold abachelor’s degree and who are preparing to advance their ca-reers, change careers or re-enter the work force. • Community Action Grants provide seed money to indi-vidual women, AAUW branches and AAUW state organiza-tions, as well as local community-based nonprofit organiza-tions for innovative programs or nondegree research projectsthat promote education and equity for women and girls. • Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships provide profes-

sional development opportunities for women public schoolteachers; improve girls’ learning opportunities, especially inmath, science and technology; and promote equity and long-term change in classrooms, schools and school systems. • International Fellowships are awarded for full-time gradu-ate or postgraduate study or research to women who are notU.S. citizens or permanent residents. Supplemental grants sup-port community-based projects in the fellow’s home country. • Selected Professional Fellowships are awarded to womenwho are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who intendto pursue a full-time course of study (during the fellowshipyear) in designated degree programs where women’s partici-pation traditionally has been low. • University Scholar-in-Residence, located at a college or

university, undertakes and disseminates research on gender andequity for women and girls.

To order multiple copies of the AAUW Educational Founda-tion fellowships brochure that includes these general descrip-tions for each fellowship program listed here, [email protected]; call 319-337-1716, Ext. 60; or write to the cus-tomer service center at AAUW Educational Foundation, Dept.60, 2201 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52243-4030.✿

Documents

Row Covers & Frost Protection of Peony Seeds; Gardening Guidebook for Fairbanks, Alaska