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The Compost
Inside this issue:
Who Polluted the
Potomac?
1
MG Coordinator
Comments/
Woodchuck
2
2017 CC MG
Scholarship
3
Monarch Mania 4
‘Peter Rabbit’ 5
Calendar 6
Sensory Garden/
Detention Center
7
Growing Tips 8
Bug of the Week 9
Resources 10
Autumn 2017
Special points of interest:
Bay-Wise Program (pg 1);
CC MG Scholarship (pg 3);
Growing Tips (pg 8).
WHO POLLUTED THE POTOMAC?
Bay-Wise Master Gardeners led five “Who Polluted the Potomac”
sessions during the summer. We met with Boy Scouts at Smallwood State
Park and with other children at the four county libraries, including Waldorf
West, Potomac, La Plata, and P.D. Brown.
“Who Polluted the Potomac” is a simulation that shows how industry and
individual actions can affect the water quality of our waterways including the
Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
To demonstrate, two bowls of water are
placed in front of the audience. We begin with a
discussion of what the water looked like 500
years ago when John Smith explored the
Chesapeake region. We tell a story about the
changes that were initiated when first settlers
moved into the region and later when coal mines,
power plants, farming, and cities with many
homeowners changed the landscape.
Of course, people also contribute to the pollution
with activities such as washing cars, fertilizing
lawns and not picking up trash. Participants add
16 pollutants to one of the bowls of water as we
go through the simulation and discuss what could be done to prevent
pollution and to clean up the Potomac River.
As one bowl of water becomes more “polluted” the kids have a great
time getting “grossed out” and actively participate in the session with
ideas about cleaning up the Potomac. One girl even “outed” her Mom for
littering. We hope the kids will take future responsibility for their own
actions and inform their parents and other family members to show how we
can all contribute to improving our water ways.
This is a great activity for children of all ages so if anyone knows of a
group that would like to participate, please contact me at
[email protected] so we can schedule a simulation.
Article and photo courtesy of Janet McGrane, CC MG
(L-R) CC MGs Rosemary
Ewing and Janet McGrane
The Compost Page 2
COORDINATOR’S CORNER
It is hard to believe that it is fall already and that another summer has come and
gone! This summer, we were blessed with a good amount of rainfall so that I hardly
had to water my garden at all. Things then dried up a bit in the fall with below
average precipitation across the state in September.
Master Gardeners in September were busy as usual with the Charles County
Fair. The Saturday performance of Peter Rabbit drew a large crowd and many
people stopped by the MG booth in the 4-H Building. From the Fair to the Detention
Center and all the other MG projects, thanks to everyone for all your hard work on projects this
summer and fall!
As you finish entering hours for the year, please make sure to record contacts for your volunteer
work with the public. This is one of the ways that Extension on a national, state and county level can
demonstrate the many ways we are teaching and reaching those around us.
http://extension.umd.edu/mg/how-count-mg-contacts
By Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator
HOW MANY RUNGS CAN A WOODCHUCK CLIMB?
Recently, my husband and I installed a 6-foot, 2-in by 4-in mesh, galvanized steel fence around our raised annual garden bed to keep out the deer that frequent our neighborhood as if it were the St. Charles Mall.
In some places, the fence is as high as 16 inches off of the ground. The deer have tried but cannot get in. We have grown bush beans, pole beans, Swiss chard, spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens during the late spring and early fall.
This year, however, desperation, hunger, thirst, or just plain adventure has driven the
neighborhood groundhog to not only climb up the fence, but to climb down a six-foot metal post. And yes, we have already begun to research low-voltage electrical current sources for next year, since we do not eat Groundhog. The only vegetables the groundhog has not destroyed are the pole beans growing high on spent cornstalks and turnips.
Photo and article by Tima McGuthry-Banks, CC MG Intern
The Compost Page 3
Charles County Master Gardeners are pleased to announce the recipient for the annual Charles County Master Gardener Scholarship. Anthony Johnson II, graduated from Westlake High School, completed demanding academic courses, and attended programs that provided a background for his future studies and career. Anthony’s application included a detailed resume, an essay about his academic accomplishments and goals, letters of recommendation, and an official transcript of grades.
Anthony Johnson II excelled in the school’s academic program, which included many Advanced Placement and Honors classes. Even with challenging coursework, he maintained a 3.357 unweighted GPA out of 4.00. Also, as a well-rounded student, he lettered in football and ran in the indoor and outdoor track state champion team.
In addition to his rigorous scholastic program and sports activities, Anthony focused his attention on studies that could lead to his career as a marine scientist. In the summer of 2015, he attended Gains in the Education of Math and Science Camp in Silver Spring, MD, where he learned about aerodynamics, including factors in flight capabilities. That same summer, he participated in Splash into Science – Florida Educational Excursion in the Florida Keys where he learned to observe, identify, and evaluate the health of marine flora and fauna. Later in the summer, he attended O.C.E.A.N.s Youth Program at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC, to explore a variety of marine habitats, analyze sonar data, and study wave formation. During the summer of 2016, he studied at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, MD, where he worked with a research scientist and graduate students to study the MD blue crab population, maintain records of data documentation, prepare written reports and present to research scientists, graduate students, and interns.
According to Eric Scott, Assistant Research Professor at the UMCES-Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, “He was responsible for not just producing data, but … thinking about what it meant…He did an excellent job and was the only high school student among 14 college interns. Two attendees of that research symposium told me that they thought Anthony’s was one of the clearest of the day’s presentations.”
The Master Gardener Scholarship of $1,000.00 will help this student continue his pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Science and a minor in Biology at Coastal Carolina University, South Carolina. The Maryland Master Gardener Program is a volunteer educational organization of the University of Maryland Extension (UME). According to the UMD website, the Master Gardener program “…puts research-based knowledge and environmental power into the hands of people who want to create sustainable gardens and landscapes, and protect and improve natural re-sources. Master Gardeners are citizens from all walks of life who combine their love of plants, people, and the environment to help residents solve problems and make environmentally-sound decisions on public and private properties.”
2017 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
By Kathleen Jenkins, CC MG & Scholarship Committee Chair
Anthony Johnson II
The Compost Page 4
MONARCH MANIA
Charles County Master Gardeners participated in Cobb Island’s 6th Annual Monarch Mania, held on Saturday, October 7. The purpose of the event was to educate about, and to tag and release Monarch butterflies that are migrating to Mexico. MGs created a beautiful pictorial exhibit to show the life cycle of monarchs. In addition, children enjoyed making caterpillars and taking photos with the monarch butterfly and praying mantis head cutouts.
Conservationist Mike Callahan, Audubon Society, lead the educational talk. He stated that monarchs are migrating through the area toward Mexico, and often stay along the land-mass and the waterways. He explained that they travel from St. Mary’s County and land here in Cobb Island, nectar, and then eventually move on. He found that some of them are even spending the nights here.
In addition, Callahan described how the monarch population has been affected by human interference. He stated that the plant of choice for the monarch butterfly is
milkweed. One of the greatest dangers to monarchs is the use of herbicides which kills them. Milkweed growing on the sides of the road is often cut down because
people hear the word ‘weed’ and think it is something they need to destroy when in reality it is the only plant monarchs can lay their eggs on to feed. Callahan encourages everyone to plant milkweed to help save and promote the population of monarchs.
During the event he demonstrated to the audience how to gently tag the butterfly’s wing with an identification sticker which will later help researchers learn more about the monarchs’ migration patterns, a journey of up to 2,800 miles. About 30 monarch butterflies were tagged and released. As the butterflies continue to travel south, anyone who comes across a tagged monarch will find contact information for “Monarch Watch” to report where it was found, aiding conservationists with their research to protect the treasured insects.
Article and photos courtesy of Terry Thir, CC MG Chair
(L-R) CC MGs Jan Lakey-
Waters and Terry Thir,
holding tagged monarchs
pending release
(L-R) CC MGs Terry Thir, Sandra Reissig, Janet Beck, Doris Santimays and
Janet Jenkins
Rajinder S. Walia enjoying her
moment as a butterfly
The Compost Page 5
Charles County Master
Gardeners presented the puppet
show “The Misadventures of
Peter Rabbit in Farmer
McGregor’s Vegetable Garden”
on Saturday, September 16 at
the Charles County Fair.
Farmer McGregor and Peter Rabbit talked to
kids about vegetables and how they are grown, what are good bugs and bad bugs, and convey the
nutritional benefits of vegetables in our diet and more. It was a fun, hot day. In addition, kids
enjoyed our butterfly and praying mantis head cutouts. Our puppeteers for this show were: James
Corby, Famer McGregor; Gail Walker, Peter Rabbit; Terry Thir, Ripley Rat; Dianne Shisler, Mother
Rabbit; Janet Jenkins, Busy Bee; Pam Sarvis, Butterfly; Rose Markham, Praying Mantis; Sherrie
Zimmer, Japanese Beetle; Karla Costello, Lady Beetle; and moderator LaVerne Madison.
PETER RABBIT CALLING AT THE FAIR
Photos and article courtesy of Terry Thir, CC MG Chair
Aaron Dixon interacts with “Farmer McGregor”
The Compost Page 6
10/30
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Meadow Making Part 5:
Sowing Native Seeds
Middletown Municipal Center,
31 West Main St, Middletown,
MD $25 - $35
11/14 2-3:30 pm Boxwood Pruning
Workshop
Luke Gustafson
11/28 10:00 am General
Membership Meeting Extension Office, La Plata
11/28 11:00 am Shade Gardening
with Native Plants
Karen Anderson, Calvert
County MG
Extension Office - After
General Membership meeting
12/04
10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Winter Native Tree
Identification
University of MD
Extension, Carroll County
700 Agricultural Center,
Westminster, MD $5 - $30
12/05 6:00 pm Holiday Party TBD
12/15
Deadline to submit Volunteer
and Education hours
electronically
01/23 10:00 am General
Membership Meeting Extension Office, La Plata
TBA Master Gardener Basic
Training
02/27 10:00 am General
Membership Meeting Extension Office, La Plata
CCMG CALENDAR November 2017 - February 2018
Don’t forget to submit your volunteer and advanced
education hours to Pauline Spurlock online!
St. Ignatius Church, Port Tobacco, MD open to the public
The Compost Page 7
SENSORY GARDEN AT LA PLATA LIBRARY
CC MGs Mary Gaskins, Rose Markham, Janet McGrane,
Jan Lakey-Waters, Terry Thir and Sarah Guy from the La Plata
Library recently installed a sensory garden in front of the library.
The intent is to invite visiting children to learn about and
experience textures and smells of certain plants. Lambs ear was
planted for touch, lavender and rosemary for smell and taste,
chicks and hen for texture and much more.
We hope to offer
educational talks with
children on gardening.
Article and photos
by Terry Thir,
CC MG Chair
DETENTION CENTER UPDATE
The CC Detention Center Garden was put to bed for the season just before the Charles County
Fair in September. It yielded a wonderful crop of vegetables and even earned ribbons at the fair for
the sunflowers grown there!
Congratulations to the hardworking MG
team that worked at the garden all spring and
summer.
Photos by Bob
Peregoy, CC MG
The Compost Page 8
Cover Crops in the Veggie Garden
At this time of year, most all of the warm season crops have come to an end, and we’ll have to wait for next season to harvest garden-ripe tomatoes and the like. If you planted kale and other cool season vegetables at the end of summer then you still have something growing in your garden, but if you are like me, there is still plenty of open space in the garden after pulling tomatoes, peppers and summer squash. Why not use that space to grow something during the cooler months that will hold the soil, build organic matter, keep weeds down and provide nutrients to your garden?
Cover crops are plants grown not to harvest but improve the soil and provide other benefits to the garden. Maryland is one of the leading states on cover crop research and use in agriculture, and you have probably seen cover crops growing in fields throughout the state. We can use many of the same approaches in the home garden.
Some cover crops, like oats and daikon radish, are intended to die off during the coldest part of the winter, leaving a thin layer of organic matter on the soil surface. Others, like rye and also legumes like crimson clover, survive the winter and will need to be mowed before you plant your garden in May. Fall cover crops should be planted from late August up until early October so they have a chance to grow before shorter days and cooler weather slow them down.
Although it is too late to plant a cover crop for this fall, consider adding them to your garden calendar for next season. You can also plant summer cover crops, like buckwheat, that grow quickly and can keep unused garden space from quickly being overtaken with weeds. When you are ready to plant your next vegetable crop, buckwheat is easy to mow. As with any plant, make sure to take them out before they set seed or else the cover crop can become a weed itself.
Check out the links below to learn more about cover crops and how you might be able to add them to your home garden!
GE 006, Protect and Improve Your Soil with Cover Crops (https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_images/programs/hgic/Publications/GE006_ProtectAndImproveYourSoilWithCoverCrops.pdf)
Managing Crimson Clover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ff1KV0dGw
The Science of Soil Health: Going Deeper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzfFFNG5mnQ
GROWING TIPS
Photos and article by Luke Gustafson, CC MG Coordinator
Daikon “tillage” radish in mid-October, 25 days after seeding.
Page 9 The Compost
Beautiful in yellow and black:
The locust borer, Megacyllene robiniae
One of the hallmark events of late summer and autumn is the
blooming of goldenrod. Spectacular arrays of brilliant yellow flowers
attract throngs of insects intent on collecting and consuming the
nutritious pollen found in hundreds of small flowers on each plant.
Goldenrod gets a bad rap each fall as people with allergies complain
about pollen produced by goldenrod. The truth is that the pollen of
goldenrod is quite large, rather sticky, and adapted for transport from
plant to plant by the activities of insects rather than the wind. The most
likely way for someone to get a dose of goldenrod pollen would be to
stick their nose into the small flowers like a bee. Don’t do that. The real
culprits for many of the seasonal allergies at this time of year are the ragweeds with their airborne pollen.
Earlier this season we met other goldenrod visitors, including blister beetles and ambush bugs, but this
year is especially good for viewing one more member of the goldenrod gang, the locust borer, Megacyllene
robiniae. The adult stage of the locust borer is a spectacular insect called a longhorned beetle, so named for
the very long antennae adorning its head. The yellow lines found on its back are a beautiful match to the
brilliant yellow of the goldenrod blossom. On sunny days, goldenrods are abuzz with many kinds of stinging
insects such as paper wasps, bumble bees, digger wasps, and potter wasps. The yellow and black pattern
on the back of the locust borer is a fine match to the pattern of some of these stinging insects. Birds that
might like to eat a tasty beetle probably think twice when they see a yellow and black insect that might
deliver a memorable sting. This is one way the locust borer likely gains protection from its enemies.
After dining on goldenrod pollen and finding a mate, the female locust borer beetle flies to the trunk of a
black locust tree and lays eggs in crevices or wounds in the bark. These eggs hatch into larvae called locust
borers that tunnel beneath the bark of the tree, destroying vascular and structural tissues beneath. In this
way, they harm black locusts much like the emerald ash borer and
Asian longhorned beetle we met in previous episodes. If trees are
small or the borers numerous, branches or entire locust trees may be
killed when attacked by the locust borer. However, it is not unusual to
see veteran black locust trees with numerous locust borer wounds
surviving nicely along hedgerows, lanes, and trails throughout eastern
forests. Now until the first hard frost is an excellent time to spend a
few moments in the goldenrod patch to try to catch a glimpse of these
magnificent creatures.
References
We thank the Robinson Nature Center for providing habitat for these
beetles and inspiration for this episode.
BUG OF THE WEEK
By Dr. Michael Raupp, Professor and Extension Specialist, Ornamental Horticulture, IPM
Black and yellow bands on the
beetle mimic bands on the stinging
wasp next door, warning birds and
other predators to stand down.
Larvae of the locust borer are known as
round headed borers. Their galleries
structurally weaken trees and can kill
branches and sometimes entire trees.
Find us on the Web at:
http://extension.umd.edu/charles-county/home-gardening
Submit articles, photos, reports, events, and other items for publication to Tina Bailem at [email protected] by January 15, 2018
for the Winter 2018 newsletter. If you send a photo, please include a brief description of the activity and names of persons included in the photo, as well as the photographer’s name.
If you send a photo of a plant, please include the scientific name.
The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate
against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual
orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or
national origin, marital status, genetic information, political
affiliation, or gender identity and expression.
Published Quarterly by the Charles County Master Gardeners, University of Maryland Extension, Charles County Office, 9375 Chesapeake Street, Suite 119,
La Plata, MD 20646 Phone 301-934-5403 or 301-753-8195
Luke Gustafson, Charles County Master Gardener Coordinator
Terry Shelton Thir, Steering Committee Tina Bailem, Compost Editor
Janet McGrane, Compost Calendar Cindi Barnhart, Compost Advisor
Check out the new Charles County Master Gardener page on Facebook! If you haven't already, please like us and share with your friends. This will be a great way to expand our reach into the community!
https://www.facebook.com/charlescountymastergardeners/
