Millipedes

Millipedes seem to be an extreme nuisance this year. Are you having this problem? Many folks are and are not sure how to deal with them. A lot of the problem is all the rain we have had this year so far.

Millipedes are an arthropod that have elongated cylindrical or flattened jointed bodies with two pairs of legs per body segment. They are reported to have 1,000 legs, but I have not personally counted them to see, I’ll leave that to someone else. I am almost sure that’s a myth.

Millipedes are slow moving that live in damp, decaying plant matter, storm houses, all around the house in mulch and loose compost. They are however a problem in greenhouses as they can cause extreme damage to seedlings because they like to feed on the new roots. They are harmless to humans other than being a nuisance getting into your house and being stepped on during the nighttime visits to the bathroom or to get a drink of water. Usually they enter houses that are on a slab or houses with a ground level patio. If you handle them you may notice a pungent odor from a fluid they secrete which is mildly acidic and may irritate your skin and eyes. 

Control of millipedes can be handled in several different ways. There are several chemical solutions that have excellent results. Talstar Concentrate in liquid form and Delta Dust a powder for cracks and crevices are excellent choices. Intice 10 Perimeter Bait is a granular boric acid product that also does well. If you have pets a better alternative is Diatomaceous Earth, as it is a product that is all natural. Millipedes are not insects and so the products like Sevin, Diazinon, Dursban, and Malathion have no effect on them. When using chemical sprays be sure and read the label and follow the directions for mixing. Remember, more is not better. Wear protective clothing when spraying, nitrile gloves, long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks and shoes; flip flops and sandals are not options for spraying chemicals. You should also wear a double charcoal filtered mask over your mouth and nose as well as goggles for your eyes.  

On a personal note after visiting a friend’s house and seeing the results of using Diatomaceous Earth, it is my recommended choice for killing them. Cleanup is simply using a broom and dust pan.

If you have any questions or solutions that you would like to share, please email me at thatgardeninguy@hotmail.com

Selecting The Right Tree for The Right Place

Selecting the Right Tree for the Right Place

Tim Burress

 Dr. John Kushla, guest speaker for the New Albany Garden Club, began his talk by quoting an ancient Chinese Proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is right now.” Since Arbor Day is just around the corner, Dr. Kushla gave a short history of Arbor Day and told that first time it was documented was in 1594 in Mondonedo, Spain. The first American Arbor Day was April 10, 1872 and was celebrated with it’s founder J. Sterling Morgan in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Over one million trees were planted that year in Nebraska. Arbor Day was made a national holiday in April 1885, with each state having it’s own designated day. Mississippi celebrates Arbor Day the 2^nd Friday in February. On April 15^th 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt issued an Arbor Day Proclamation to the School Children of the United States. “When you help to preserve our forests or plant new ones you are acting the part of a good citizen. The value of forestry deserves, therefore, to be taught in the schools, which aim to make good citizens of you. If your Arbor Day exercises hep you realize what benefits each of you receives from the forests, and how by your assistance these benefits may continue, they will serve a good end.” Logging was a big industry and President Roosevelt that if the forests were not replanted there would be no more. Logging is a renewable industry as long as the trees were replanted in a timely fashion.

 Dr. Kushla tells us that there are several factors involved when planting a tree in your landscape. Design criteria for planting a tree involve climate, soil properties, growing space, water requirements, growth rate, size at maturity, clearance from buildings, overhead wires, and pavements, and insect and disease resistance.

 Dr. Kushla says to be sure and read the label that comes with the tree or at least do some research. Will this species survive the heat and humidity of Mississippi? Will it fit in the space that you want to plant it? Size at maturity should be what you look at when selecting a tree for your landscape. Next on your list is to look at how close to your home or pavements are you going to plant. Trees are for sure going to have a root system that will spread in circumference equal to the diameter of the canopy. Planting that tree too close to the house or driveway or sidewalk will certainly cause major problems later. Make sure water and sewage lines are not in the root area as roots can cause serious damage to these pipes. Will the tree get enough sun and have adequate water drainage? Water drainage is a key element also, as roots that stand in water for the most part will cause serious root damage. Check for clearance for utility wires, trimming a tree to keep it out of utility wires will most likely be one sided and very unsightly.

 Now that you have done all of these things it is time to plant. First and foremost, please call 811 before you dig, it’s the law. You can be fined severely for cutting utility lines in the ground and could cause an explosion in the case of a gas line. When digging your hole, dig the hole 2 to 3 times the size of the root ball wide and just a little deeper. Back fill the hole slightly so as to plant the tree just above ground level. Remove the pot or wrapping the tree is transported in and set tree in hole. Back fill and water with the dirt from the hole tamping it down as you go to eliminate as much of the air as possible. After backfilling add mulch approximately 3 inches thick being careful not to pile the mulch around the base of the tree. Leave mulch about 2 to 3 inches back from tree trunk. Keep tree watered during the first season until it is established.

 Enjoy your new tree for many years to come.

Dr. John Kushla is an Extension/Research Professor for Mississippi State University Extension and Forestry Service at Verona with specialties in Agroforestry, Christmas Trees, GIS, Forest Soils, and Pine Silviculture. He can be reached at 662-566-2201.

WNAU 1470 Radio

In the beginning sometime in the mid-fifties, Keith and Wynez Wroten came into town looking to set-up a radio station. Wroten, an engineer for WBIP radio in Booneville, handcrafted the tiny new station from scratch with the exception of the tower. WNAU was first located in a small building just west of the courthouse and across from the Cine’. The studio was downstairs and the upstairs was shared with a dentist, Dr. Gus Parr.  Downstairs Wroten built an office, guest studio, control room, and a recording studio. All music back then was on vinyl records (33 and 45 RPMs) as kids called them. Records played on air were furnished by the record companies in hopes of giving their artists more exposure through airplay time. Sometime around 1962, WNAU moved their operation to its present location on Moss Hill Drive and about 1965, Wroten added FM to the station. 

In the early years the radio announcers did double duty, announcing for half the day and then out selling ads the other half. The hours that WNAU were on the air could vary but was basically from 6 a.m. till 6 p.m. The format started out with the 1st hour being country music, followed by 2 hours of teen music, followed by a 15-minute newscast of local news and events. After that adult music as it was called was played until 11 a.m. with the infamous “Swap/Shop” next. Folks would mail in letters and postcards with things for sale, swap, or trade and the announcer would read them on the air. In the early 1980’s they started taking calls for items and “Swap/Shop” was changed to “The Interchange.” Postcards and letters were still taken, but phone calls were encouraged to get live interaction with the public. After this, local churches were given 15-minute segments until noon. At noon pop music was played until 1 p.m. after which country music was played for 2 hours, and teen music was played from 3p.m. until sign off. Now lest we forget, sponsors ads were played off and on all day between songs and comments. Later, in the early sixties, more equipment was added and the broadcast day was extended until midnight, with teenage music until ten p.m., then albums of big band music was played until midnight.

One of the early announcers (Bill Allhouse) made friends with some of the teen listeners and he began to survey the juniors and seniors of New Albany High School to find out what current music they liked and disliked. In early 1961, Allhouse became the night D.J. (6 PM till midnight.) In 1966, when he was offered the job of morning D.J. (6 AM till Noon) where he remained until 1971.

In July of 1968 the illustrious George Callicutt was hired as the afternoon D.J. During his career he worked all the time slots.  Back then the studio was downstairs with a big window separating it from the transmitter room. We didn’t have sufficient air conditioning and it got really hot in the control room and even more so in the transmitter room where heat is a downfall for the equipment. One particular hot, muggy day the back door was propped open and as George looked up, a cow from the neighboring pasture was standing there just inside the transmitter room. Needless to say, he shooed her away and closed the door without even finding out what her request was for the next song. In the early days commercials were read by the announcer live and only sometimes was a spot was pre-recorded. All the music was on 45 RPM records or long-playing vinyl albums. George said that it was ironic that the same songs that are played today are the same songs that were played in 1968 when he first started. George, semi-retired now, still does the Sunday morning gospel show, playing the old gospel songs that are dear to him and playing the sermons of a few of the local pastors.  He also keeps busy helping Terry with “The Interchange.”

In 1979, a young man by the name of Terry Cook hit the scene. Terry was an announcer for years on both the AM and FM side of radio. The FM side of the station was sold in 1993 and is also the time that Terry, Marty, Les Kitchens, Scott Spencer, and Chris Murphy bought the AM side of the station as well as the property. The format was changed to Southern Gospel and remained that way until the year 2000 when Hollis Brown bought in to the station.   The format was changed again to “Oldies music” and has remained to present day.  A few years later Hollis bought out the rest of the partners with the exception of Terry and in 2009 Terry and Ricky McCollum bought out Hollis.  One of the favorites at the station is “The Interchange.” Terry and George have taken this segment to a new level with call in’s. With the public now calling in live and actually getting regulars that call in “The Interchange” has taken on a life and personality of its very own. Terry with his sincerity and George with his dry wit just made a great combination, along with folks that called in, for instance there was Lester, who by the way had a personality of his own. The driver’s education teacher for Myrtle High School (Elvis Thomas) would always make the students pull over when Lester would call in because they all laughed so hard he was afraid of having a wreck. Terry has also always been sports minded and this being an all sports town and county, WNAU has always been the voice of local sports, along with Blue Mountain and North East Community Colleges as well as state playoffs. 

Some of Terry’s favorite interviews were Hamilton, Joe, Frank, and Reynolds (Pop music group), Roni Stoneman of Hee Haw fame. Rick Dees (Memphis DJ and “Disco Duck” fame) a real favorite making many appearances at WNAU as a guest, and Dick Hawley (Memphis TV Sportscaster) was a regular visitor. Many local artists have been on over the years getting their feet wet in the music industry.

“WNAU - what a place to work!!!!” shouted Kim Surber, that was my first job and what a busy place.  Our general manager was Eddie Ferrell and the electrical and construction person was Hollis Brown. I worked with Ann Hoffman-Champion in the front office.  Our sales reps were Gayle Mercier-Rutledge and a lady named Cindy. The wildest place was upstairs where the broadcasting was done. Pat Story, Rick McCay, George Callicutt, Andy Clemmer, were the seasoned announcers that I recall. Then there were the new kids on the block besides myself, Terry Cook, Mickey Basil, and Angel Bain. You know, high school folks just like me trying to make a little spending money and maybe save some for college. Snakes were a problem being there at the river and Hollis Brown was the man to get the snakes out of the transmitter room.  I got the opportunity to smell fried snake a few times. Ann was the person I worked closest with and really learned a lot from, especially how to deal with the fruit bowl of personalities at WNAU. Everyone there enjoyed a good laugh and you never know when it would be at your expense, but we really worked hard and we always pulled together to make the WNAU work for the community. My Dad, Bro. Jimmy McMillen, worked there some time in the late 90's and maybe the early 2000's. He was an announcer that was loved by this community. He worked closely with Terry and George. You knew my dad was going to be on the Exchange every day moving the items that were called in and carrying on some kind of fun with Terry.

WNAU is still a force in the New Albany/Union County area and the listener base has gone viral with the addition of the internet and social media. Today the WNAU is heard worldwide and gets calls from all over the U.S. Folks that tell me they listen to WNAU exclusively, because of the music, sports, and specialty shows. Listening is easy now, not only can you tune in locally at 1470 AM radio, but you can also listen in at www.wnau1470.com and click on the streaming button and also download the SimpleRadio app on your smartphone.

     

                                          Terry and That Gardenin' Guy live at the Farmers Market

                                          Dick Hawley from WMC Channel 5 with Terry Cook

                                                      New Albany Elvis dropped by for a visit

                                       Ricky Adair, Terry Cook, Joe Nobles, George Callicutt, Lindy Lambert

                                              Terry and George live at local ball game

                                          Terry and George doing The Interchange

                                               George and Terry

                                          Terry and That Gardenin' Guy recording

                                              Terry Cook Early Years

                                               Terry and Roni Stoneman of Hee Haw

                                                     Terry recording ad spots

That Gardenin Guy Christmas Special

The Healing Properties of Jewelweed

Jewelweed is best known for its skin healing properties. The leaves and the juice from the stem of Jewelweed are used by herbalists as a treatment for poison ivy, poison oak and other plant induced rashes, as well as many other types of dermatitis. Jewelweed works by counter-reacting with the chemicals in other plants that cause irritation. Poultices and salves made from Jewelweed have been and still are a folk remedy for bruises, burns, cuts, eczema, insect bites, sores, sprains, warts, and ringworm.  Jewelweed is a smooth leafed annual, growing 3-5 foot tall.  Its leaves are oval and round-toothed with the lower ones opposite, upper ones alternate.  The flowers which are a bit trumpet shaped, hang from the plant much as a jewel from a necklace.  Pale Jewelweed has yellow flowers, spotted Jewelweed have orange flowers with dark red dots.  The seeds will 'pop' when touched and that is where the common name name “Touch-Me-Nots” came from.  The Spotted Jewelweed variety is most commonly used for treating poison ivy rashes although the Pale Jewelweed has been noted to have some medicinal properties also.

Jewelweed blooms May through October in most of the southeast.  It is found most often in moist woods, usually near poison ivy or stinging nettle. It is said that wherever you find poison ivy, you will find Jewelweed, however this is not always true as Jewelweed will not grow in dry places for long, and does not do well in direct sunlight.  Poison Ivy will grow in sun or shade.  Jewelweed often grows on the edge of creek beds. There is plenty of jewelweed in the wild, and it is not hard to find once you learn to identify it.  I have also read that the garden variety of impatiens may have the same properties, but not as concentrated.  However, the garden variety is much more suitable for cultivation as its growth is easier to contain.

When you are in the field and find you have been exposed to poison ivy, poison oak, or stinging nettle you can reach for the jewelweed plant and slice the stem, then rub its juicy inside on exposed parts.  This will promptly ease irritation and usually prevents breakout for most people.

Jewelweed or an infusion made from boiling the leaves of Impatiens may be frozen for later use.  Brew chopped spotted jewelweed in boiling water until you get a dark orange liquid, strain the liquid, and pour into ice trays.  When you have a skin rash, rub it with a jewelweed cube and you will be amazed with its healing properties. It will keep in the freezer for up to a year.  You can also preserve the infusion by canning it in a pressure cooker.

Jewelweed does not dry well however, due to its high moisture and oil content.  Do not make alcoholic tinctures from Jewelweed because some people have had a bad reaction using jewelweed with alcohol.  You can also make jewelweed soap.

"The Results of a Clinical Study, in which a 1:4 jewelweed preparation was compared with other standard poison ivy treatments for its effectiveness.  Of 115 patients treated with jewelweed, 108 responded more readily to the topical application of this medication and were entirely relieved of their symptoms within 2 or 3 days after the institution of treatment. It was concluded that jewelweed is an excellent substitute for ACTH and the corticosteroids in the treatment of poison ivy dermatitis. The active principle in jewelweed responsible for this activity remains unidentified.

That Gardenin Guy Halloween Show

SPOOKY BLOOMS "These aren't your typical Halloween decorations"

  Halloween comes only once a year with all its eerie, spooky and scary ideas and myths. How does your garden fit in with the Halloween season? Do you have spooky plants, eerie plants, scary plants or plants with a mythical story behind them? Will they grow and sneak up behind you while wrapping themselves around your leg, or will they bite you or smell of death?
  Planting a Halloween garden can be a challenge here in North Mississippi, but can be attained easily in South Mississippi. For the most part, you need an enclosed garden or a way to create a microclimate within your garden. Hmmm, something a Witchy Woman or A Spooky Little Girl or a Black Magic Woman could create for you? Chances are that you already have plants in your garden with ghoulish qualities.
  Are you a witch or warlock? Have you planted the right things to concoct all your potions for love, pranks or just for fun? Did you know that in days of old, you could be labeled a witch or warlock simply by the plants you grew in your garden? You know, those plants believed to be used to make potions and cast spells. Things like witches’ thimble, more commonly known as foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), a biennial with tall spikes of bell-shaped flowers in white, pink, purple or red. The entire plant is toxic and while death is a rarity, there have been some cases reported. Some symptoms of ingestion are wild hallucinations and unusual color visions with objects appearing yellowish to green, and blue halos around lights. Devil’s nettle or yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is used to make a poultice for healing wounds. The ancient Greeks used fool’s parsley, or hemlock (Conium spp.), to poison condemned prisoners, the most famous being Socrates. Aconite, better known as monkshood (Aconitum napellus), easily mistaken for horseradish, can make one nauseous and even cause death. Its spiky blue flowers are shaped like a monk’s hood and the root looks like a white carrot. Verbena was used to make a powerful love potion. Opium from poppies (Papaver somniferum) was used for sleep potions and morning glories (Convolvulaceae) for casting wicked spells. There was also an abundance of birth flowers from every month to make sure they could cast a spell over anyone. They planted three or four rows of red-blooming flowers to keep the witch hunters away.
  Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s ride into the night for a look at what might be lurking in your garden. Watch your step as we walk about, careful not to step on a frog or a spider because if you do the “Wicked Witch of the Garden” just might be whipping up a potion from a strand of your hair along with frog eyes or spiders’ legs. The moonflower (Ipomoea alba), a night-blooming relative of the morning glory, fills the garden with its fragrant, large 5-6-inch white flowers that open at dusk to light your way. Moonflower planted from seed each year is a quick-growing climber with large heart-shaped leaves. Night-blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is a member of the cactus family. The plant itself is not that pretty, but the flowers completely make up for that. They’re huge, fragrant and snow white, coming from “pods” that emerge from the main stem. Cereus flowers are pollinated by moths, so the blooms appear only at night. It can’t tolerate freezing temperatures, but it makes a great potted plant that can be taken outside in the spring and back inside for winter. Dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), a silvery gray plant that can be paired with anything, somewhat resembles the skeleton of a plant that used to be there. The passion vine (Passiflora incarnata), a butterfly plant that resembles a giant purple spider, can grow to 25 feet in a single growing season. Do you have that little plant called monkey cups or pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.)? These are carnivorous and feed on small insects for the most part; however, they can grow large enough to capture small birds or mice.

  There are many night-flowering plants to enhance your garden: evening primrose (Oenothera spp.), with sweetscented blooms of soft white, pink and bright yellow that open in the evening; angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp.) has huge 6-inch white fragrant flowers; night phlox (Zaluzianskya capensis), whose blooms are closed by day and open at night to fill the air with it honey/almond/vanilla fragrance; four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa), with a jasmine-like trumpet-shaped bloom that opens late afternoon through the night; ‘Moon Frolic’ and ‘Toltec Sundial’ daylilies (Hemerocallis) only bloom at night; and the yucca (Yucca filamentosa) blooms are open day and night, but only release their fragrance at night. The last one on my list to grow is the ‘Casper’ pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), a small, white smooth-skinned variety.

The moonflower is a night bloomer that reflects the moonlight
so much that it appears to emit its own light.

   With the setting of the sun, the nighttime garden awakens. Many plants bloom exclusively at night while many more wait until the cool of the evening to release their fragrance. White-flowering plants and those with variegated foliage begin to appear as if they’re lit up as they reflect the moonlight. For those of us who work by day, the garden can be a peaceful refuge in the evening and night. Our nighttime gardening friends, nectar-feeding moths and bats, come out to feed on the nectar and insects.

Te night-blooming cereus is a member of the cactus family
that appears to glow in the night.

  These are just a few of the plants that I discovered to be common to the area. There are many more including the exotic orchids, herbs and vines growing in some of the more elaborate greenhouses.

This is foxglove, an upright biennial that is exceptionally
pretty grown in clusters, which keeps them from flopping over.