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.

 

Getting Rid of Ants in Vegetable Garden

Ants invading your home or garden can be quite frustrating.   In the vegetable garden, they feed on nectar-filled flowers, sweet tasting vegetables and fruits and in the home they get into anything and everything they can.  No doubt, ants can prove to be beneficial to the gardener by feeding on destructive garden pests such as caterpillars, spiders and small insects, but some species of ants like black garden ants live together with the aphids for their honeydew.  In your vegetable garden ants sometimes even “farm” aphids, moving them onto better plants. Ants collect the sweet honeydew that aphids secrete after sucking plant sap.  In this case, the ants are actually inviting a notorious pest to come and live in the garden.  Then, if that’s not enough, ants make tunnels and nests in your soil and undermine roots.  The most annoying thing about ants is they bite you when you step on them accidentally; in fact, you won't get a chance to wipe away the ants, as they live in groups and swarm you before you know what’s happening.

Studying ants is an amazing lesson in survival.  If ants encounter a substance that kills them or forms a barrier, they set to work and pile up enough of each other, dead or alive, to make a bridge to cross.  Ants are some of the more intelligent and cunning insects that man has to deal with.  Now having said all this, there are over 14,000 ant species worldwide.  Some are useful as biological control in farming, many have painful bites and some eat crops.  

Controlling these pint sized monsters in the home and garden is the focus here, so no matter which type of ants you have, most of them continually scout around searching for food and if you see one, it's probably left a scent trail and the rest of them will be on their way. 

There are several methods for killing ants and I have listed some of the most effective methods that I have found for you to try.

1-The method of drowning the garden ants with boiling water is practical for small ant colonies.  For one ant mound, you will need about 3 gallons of boiling water.  Pour boiling water in the ant hills and kill them you will.

2-Collect citrus peelings (orange, lemon, etc.) and grind them with water and allow to sit for 24                                hours.  Strain the liquid and spray it over the ant mound.  This method is an effective natural remedy for getting rid of carpenter ants and other garden ants.

3- Spraying a mixture containing borax is another effective way to kill garden ants.  For this purpose, combine equal amounts of borax and sugar with water and spray the mixture randomly in the garden or wherever you see ants. Sugar attracts the ants to feed on the mixture and the borax kills the ants.  Watch your eyes, nose, use gloves and wash hands afterwards.  Borax can also be mixed with peanut butter or something sweet, such as honey, meaning when the ants eat it, they take it back to their nest to share with other ants, hopefully poisoning all in the nest.

4-Grits or hot cereals are a perfect choice for getting rid of ants in the yard and garden.  After ants feed on this hot cereal, it expands in the stomach and kills them.  Ok, to my knowledge this one doesn’t work.  I tried it and sat around waiting for the ants to explode and it never happened, much to my dismay.

5-Silly as it sounds, I have been told this one works.  You can supposedly control ants by using scented baby powder.  They say any kind of fragrance is a repelling agent for ants.  So, spray baby powder, cinnamon, or pepper mixed with vinegar to repel garden ants.  

6-Diatomaceous earth will kill them and keep them away.  I have not tried this remedy yet because of the cost factor.  It is pricy and I am currently looking for a source that is affordable.  This particular remedy does appear to have the best feedback of all the organic remedies.  You can get it at the feed store and most garden centers.  It is completely safe as it is very, very small seashells.  The sharp edges get between their body joints and they "bleed" to death.  They say it works on all bugs that are jointed - or segmented.  Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on ants' trails supposedly kills ants by dehydration when they're back in their nest.

In case, these methods do not work, you can use insecticidal sprays.  I know it’s not the natural way to control ants but, if nothing is working, you can use chemical insecticides for killing garden ants.  Baits and mound treatments are the two best ways to dispose of ants.  Baits are the more economical of the two and if you have patience you can get them under control this way.  Baits are usually broadcast over the infested area with a spreader and must be done on a regular basis, at least once a month.  You can also spot treat the mounds if you have “ants in your pants” and can’t wait.  These chemicals can be used as sprays and also come in granules.  Some examples are Talstar, Amdro Bait, Advion, Spectracide Once and Done, Come & Get It Bait, Sevin Concentrate Bug Killer,  Bonide Eight Insect Control, Permethrin (38% concentrate) Hi Yield 38 Plus Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer, Bayer Fire Ant Killer, Bengal Ultra Dust Fire Ant Killer, and Terro Fire Ant Killer.

*Sprinkle dry product on and around mound as directed on label. Do not disturb mounds before treatment.

*Depending on the size of the mound, it takes 1 to 2 gallons of water-insecticide.

As always please read the labels and follow them to the letter, remember more is not better.  When spraying chemical of any kind, please wear protective clothing and eye protection.

If you have any questions or comments, send me an email at thatgardeninguy@hotmail.com  . 

Happy Gardenin’ and Keep Diggin’ in the Dirt.

Hydrangeas

July is here and that means water, water, water your garden.  We have had some good rain in past weeks, but with the heat steady coming on and no rain to speak of in the last four weeks you will still need to water.  Plants need a good inch to inch and a half of water a week.  Containers will need more than that in the extreme heat, probably at least once a day if not twice a day.  The shade garden will also need that extra drink of water because plants will be competing with trees for water and nutrients. 

Hydrangeas are fussy plants this time of year due to extreme heat.  Do I water or do I not water? The hydrangeas are wilted when I get home, but in the morning they look normal.  Hydrangeas need water, but not too much water.  They require well drained soil and about six hours of sunlight.  If you give them too much water it will encourage disease.  They are prone to root rot and fusarium wilt when they get and keep wet feet, so before you plant your hydrangeas, amend the soil to help with drainage. Root rot is exactly what it sounds like, the root system get soaked for extended periods of time and rots away.  Fusarium wilt is a soil born pathogen and develops a fungus which clogs up the vascular system of the plant and keeps it being able to take up water.  The leaves will start to yellow and wilt from both of these conditions and make you think they need water when they don’t.  There is no real cure when they get to this point, except to shovel prune them.  Hydrangeas are also susceptible to leaf spot, blights, and powdery mildew.  These problems are best controlled also by water management along with well drained soil.  A good fungicide can also help with these.  I would recommend daconil combined with mancozeb.  After speaking with a plant pathologist friend today, he recommends that a systemic fungicide containing the active ingredient propiconazole.  I have observed these problems in my own landscape.  I have lost a couple of my hydrangeas, but managed to correct the problem and salvage the rest of them.  This problem also affected the homestead verbena and we lost a good sized area of that too.  I have always been content not to prune hydrangeas except to get flowers for drying.  A good friend who is a gardener’s gardener, laughingly told me that is why the ones up next to the door bloom so profusely.  He says to prune them when the blooms start to fade and this will promote new growth which will give more blooms.  He did agree that you should not prune the ones that bloom on old wood after the end of July as they start setting their new flowering buds at this time.   

Despite all this about disease, hydrangeas are relatively easy to grow.  Prepare the planting site by adding at least half again organic matter and you should have years of enjoyment from your hydrangea plant. Fertilize them in March, May, and July with a good general purpose fertilizer such as 8-8-8, 10-10-10, or13-13-13.  Be careful not to add nitrogen rich fertilizer as this could keep them from producing blooms.  Water in the morning and preferably use a drip system as opposed to watering overhead.

If you have any questions or comments, send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or leave me a message at the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.  You can also find me on Facebook, mastergardner, and Saturday mornings from 8:00AM to 9:00AM on WNAU Radio 1470 on the radio dial or listen online at www.wnau1470.com 

Happy Gardening and Keep Digging in the Dirt.

Victory Gardening

Victory Gardening

 (Tim Burress, Mississippi Master Gardener)

My friend, Carl Wayne Hardeman, has been teaching me about Victory Gardening and giving away the food without taking a bite for myself for over two years now.  The Collierville Victory Garden has averaged around 4000 pounds of food a year on 1/10^th of an acre and every bite of it goes to charity. 

Stanley Wise and I have been talking about a project like this at great length for over a year and we decided that this would be year to make this project begin to happen.  We spoke with the Union County Fair Board and they gave us permission to do this project at the fairgrounds based upon the facts that the food would be given to the less fortunate.  

This project would also be used as a teaching garden. Originally we were going to plant corn, but the challenge here was figuring out how to keep the critters from getting more of the corn than the needy so this required a new plan. 

Stanley had been playing with this new, old idea of “No-Till Mini Gardening.” This plan seemed more practical and the crop, now tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers would produce more food in less area and could be contained easier.  No-Till Gardening is not new, but is new again and is ideal for the gardener with limited space and time.  We built frames twelve feet long and three feet wide with a brace in the middle out of pressure treated two by fours.  Next we secured landscape fabric on the bottom of the frames.  Next we selected a space that is relatively flat, has good drainage, and would have at least six hours of sunshine a day.  The grass was mown down as close as possible and then the area was fertilized.  The formula devised by Stanley is as follows: one cup of triple thirteen, one cup of calcium nitrate, one fourth cup of 0-0-60, and four cups of pelletized lime.  Spread this mixture, water in liberally, and then place your frame on top of this area.  It is recommended to place stakes in each corner to keep the frame in place.  Take a knife or a pair of scissors and cut an X in the fabric, then dig a hole, and place the plants in the hole.  We used a small auger in a cordless drill to dig our holes.  In our frames we planted two rows of six tomatoes and spaced them two feet apart.  We added composted leaves to the dirt when we planted to richen the soil. The squash and cucumbers were planted farther apart to give them room to run.  Peppers were planted in the corners of the squash and cucumber frames as they don’t require much room.

The mini garden frame with the landscape fabric attached will now serve as a mulch to prevent the need for weeding and will cut down on the chances of fungal diseases.  You can also add decorative mulch on top if you desire to make the frames more esthetically pleasing to the eye. The mini garden frame is reusable from year to year and can be moved to a new location each year if desired.  Once the tomatoes are tall enough we will be staking them with 3/8^th rebar and string in a fashion known as the “Florida Weave.”  The rebar stakes will be driven and string woven in a figure eight pattern to hold the plants off the ground.  The stakes since they are metal will also be reusable from year to year.

This garden is funded by grants given to the Union County Master Gardeners by The New Albany News Exchange, Walmart DC, and the Union County Development Association.  The area used for this garden was provided by the Union County Fair Board and the Board of Supervisors.  

This garden will also be a part of our teaching gardens and tours are welcome.  Stanley Wise has written an in depth publication (The Amazing No-Till Mini Garden) if you would like further information.  If you would like to tour our No-till Mini Garden and/or Hoop House, call the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.

Happy Gardening and Keep Digging in the Dirt!

That Gardenin Guy: Compost, Compost, Compost

That Gardenin Guy: Compost, Compost, Compost: Composting, everyone is talking, thinking, or going to do it. It is the right thing to do, our ancestors did it and we should be doing it ...

Compost, Compost, Compost

Composting, everyone is talking, thinking, or going to do it. It is the right thing to do, our ancestors did it and we should be doing it too.  Composting is a good way to improve your soil, while disposing of your kitchen, lawn, and garden waste.

Why rake and bag those grass clippings and leaves for the trash man to pick up when you can put them in the corner of your yard along with leaves and vegetable scraps to make rich living soil.  You can even add your old newspapers and magazine to the pile, although I would recommend shredding them first. As all this waste decomposes, you are making dirt, which when added to the hard red clay that we have around here will make better, richer dirt.

There are several ways or methods to compost.  Out on the Burress Plantation, we have several compost piles going.  We have one down at the foot of the hill where we put all the big stuff such as tree limbs and dead shrubs and other larger debris.  This pile is for things that don’t decompose very fast.  The next pile is about eight foot by eight foot.  This is where we put leaves, grass clippings, and vegetable and fruit scraps.  I keep a shovel down by this pile and turn it over every time I add to it or at least twice a week.  This pile decomposes relatively fast and I am able to harvest composted soil from it about once a month.  I usually add some nitrogen to this pile and about once a month I add a product called Carbon Boost to the pile to help it work a little faster.  The next compost pile is a little closer to the house and is a bin that my Adorable Wife made as an experiment.  She took a thirty gallon trash can and drilled one half inch holes all in the sides and also in the lid.  The lid is a snap on lid and fits tight to prevent critters from getting in to it.  She adds layers of grass clippings, leaves and food scraps to it along with some water about once a week.  She rolls the can over once a day to keep it stirred or fluffed.  She is able to harvest her composted material on the average about every two weeks.  Last but certainly not least is the compost bin that we keep on the porch.  This is a big blue tub with a lid that snaps on and is also Wiggles home.  We bought a tub and lid which can be purchased at any of the big box stores and drilled one eighth inch holes all in the top.  Next we shredded some newspaper and put in the bottom and wet it lightly.  Next we added a couple of shovels full of peat moss, then some vegetable and fruit scraps, and this is where we put most of our egg shells and some coffee grounds.  At this point we added about two or three hundred red wiggler worms, tossed in a cup of corn meal and then topped it off with some more shredded newspapers that have been lightly misted with water.  We add shredded newspapers and food scraps once a week and toss with a trowel.  This bin will yield about ten gallons of composted materials every six weeks or so that have been enriched with worm poop.  This compost, commonly known as worm castings is an excellent organic fertilizer and soil amendment.

In conclusion, I believe composting is something that everyone should be doing.  They even make small composting containers that you can use and leave on the kitchen counter.  This would be a good item for apartment dwellers to make organic fertilizer for their houseplants.  There are many kinds of compost bins available for sale at your local nursery or home improvement center or you can do like Ms. Janet and I do, make your own.

If you have any questions or comments send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or leave me a message at the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.  You can also tune in to WNAU Radio 1470 on your AM dial or log on to www.wnau1470.com select streaming and choose your player Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM where I will take your call for gardening questions at 662-534-8133.

Happy Gardening and keep digging in the dirt and compost, compost, compost. 

Festival of Trees at the Union County Heritage Museum

If you are looking for somewhere to go and see Christmas decorations, might I suggest a trip to our own “Union County Historical Museum.”  This year, the museum has put up a display of Christmas Trees and they have done a magnificent job of decorating nine trees with each one having a different theme.  Beginning in the main hall there are six trees, so let’s take a little tour to “whet” your appetite.

Let’s start with the “Princess Tree” that has been decorated with bright green ribbon, along with pink and clear iridescent ornaments.  This has been accented with princess dolls, a tiara, a castle for a topper, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs Cottage, handmade ornaments with pictures of fairy tale princesses, butterflies, and a base with storybooks and a castle.

Next let’s move on to the “Elf and the Shoemaker Tree” that has been decorated with elves, cobbler’s tools, antique shoes, handmade shoe ornaments as well as red and green ornaments, and finished off with red ribbon bows.

The next tree is a blast from the past “Silver Aluminum Tree” decorated with all vintage blue ornaments.  There is a color wheel set at the base that turns shining four different colors onto the tree continuously.  This tree being silver with blue ornaments and from the 1960’s time period should make you ladies dream of Elvis singing his hit “Blue Christmas.”  There is a figurine of Elvis and a copy of the album “Blue Christmas” at the base of the tree.

Moving right along to the next tree, there is the “Nativity Tree” that has been adorned with gold ribbon, angels, sheet music, ornamental musical instruments, and a “Nativity Scene” set within the tree.  At the base there is a handmade manger built by Zack Stewart.  The sheet music in the tree are traditional Christmas hymns.  It is said that Christmas Carols were written and sung to tell people of “The Nativity Story” that could not read.

The next tree is known as “Victorian or Christmas Carol Tree”.  It has been decorated with over sixty handmade ornaments furnished by Mrs. Lila Stewart and were given to her by her mother-in-law.  They are silk balls that have been decorated with sequins and beads and each one is a work of art in itself.  There are other handmade ornaments along with bead garland as well as four antique carolers at the base.  A wooden chair and child crutches are place to the side of the tree to remind you of the character Tim from the story “A Christmas Carol.”  The book “A Christmas Carol” was written by Charles Dickens to remind the people of the “Victorian Era” to be more charitable to those less fortunate.

At the end of the hallway stands the “Hiawatha Tree.”  This tree is decorated with all natural ornaments.  It has magnolia flowers made from corn shucks, flowers made from pine cones and slices of bodock balls, sumac berries, dried hydrangeas, and grape vine garland.  These ornaments were crafted by the Union County Master Gardeners and the Museum Guild members.  Things that were added are deer antlers, handmade bow and arrows, crafted by Zack Stewart, and a handmade “Teepee” crafted by Bill Wiggington.  There are also some redbirds and small bird nests placed in the tree. 

In the furniture gallery is the stately nine foot tree known as the “Night Before Christmas Tree.”  This tree is covered with the older style lights, bubble lights, vintage ornaments from days of old and of course “Tinsel.”  The base has a tray with cookies and a glass of milk left especially for Santa.

There is another tree out in the old store that is decorated with handmade handkerchief dolls that were crafted by ladies from one of the local churches.  The last tree is out in the old Schoolhouse and is decorated with Santa’s crafted from corn cobs and cotton bolls.

  Janet or “Mrs. Christmas” as she is affectionately known by those close to her has a passion for decorating and Christmas is her favorite time of year.   I do hope you will make the journey to see all of these trees on display.  You won’t be disappointed and while you are there ask “Mrs. Christmas” to give you a tour and be sure to ask questions on how these trees were decorated.    

Decorating the Burress' Home for Christmas

Halloween has come and gone and it’s time to get ready for the Christmas season.  The countless tubs of decorations that have been gathered over many years are to be brought from the storage building to the house.  There are also eleven trees to be brought up as well.  Several years ago, storing all the decorations and trees became an issue, so the building of a separate storage building just for decorations was erected. 

Decorations are brought up in stages starting with the trees and outside decorations.  The outside lights are put out the first warm Saturday of November.  The trees are brought up starting with the ones in rooms that are in the inner part of the house.  This is followed up with the trees that are closer to the doors and finally the ones that are outside on the porches.  Setting up the trees is probably the easiest part of the process.  Some are pre-lit and others have to be strung with lights.  Easy part done, now comes the fun.  Each tree has a separate theme, so finding the appropriate box filled with decoration is sometimes a game.  You know, sometimes they just get labeled wrong.  Ms. Janet, better known as “Ms. Christmas” smiles and laughs when I have brought some of the wrong boxes.  She just slides them aside and walks down to the storage building and helps me find the right ones.  It is nice to have an understanding wife, cause even though I don’t really know how many boxes there are, I stopped counting at thirty. 

The tree in the rose room is decorated with small porcelain dolls, pastel pink and silver balls and assorted crocheted snowflakes.  We also place larger porcelain dolls in the tree and around the bottom of the tree to hide the base. 

The tree in the office/playroom is for the kids and is known as the “Stuffed Animal” tree and is decorated with stuffed animals that have been passed down through the years along with others purchased at assorted yard sales and other consignment stores.  For decorations around the base, we use old toys, such as an baby bed and doll bought at an estate sale, old teddy bears, an old doll of Ms. Janet’s that wears clothes that her Mom made for it, and a mixture of other assorted old toys that we have.  We also have a Lego Christmas Village on display that J.T. made.  The kids know that this is their tree and are allowed to remove and play with any of the decorations at any time.  This has allowed us to teach them to leave the other trees alone, because they have one to call their own. 

Moving on to the kitchen, we have the “Shiny Brite” tree in one corner decorated with shiny brite ornaments.  These ornaments are reminiscent of days gone by from my childhood.  It is one of my favorite trees.  It also has ceramic Snowmen on it along with red and green plaid twisted ribbon that is intertwined with a red ribbon.  Some of the ornaments are handmade and hand painted by Ms. Janet and the Grandkids. The lights are the large old timey lights.  In the other corner is another brightly decorated tree with lots of ornaments covered in glitter and lots of brightly colored ribbon that has been intertwined with each other.  We affectionally call this the red-green tree.  The tops of both trees are filled with branch looking picks that are bright and sparkly.

In our bedroom one tree has a garland made of faux berries, redbirds, bird nests, birdhouses, and other ornaments made from grapevine. This is the one dubbed the “Nature Tree” and is always a favorite among our guests at Christmas time.  The other tree in our bedroom is decorated with glass Christopher Radko and Old World Santa Claus’ and green ribbon with red polka dots.  There are other brightly colored ornaments on this tree also.  This tree sports the new LED lights that give it a different effect when lit.

The two small flocked trees in Ms. Janet’s bathroom are simply decorated with a burlap skirt, brightly colored twigs, and Old World Santa Claus.’  This room has pine cones, pine branches, Old World Santa Claus’, and birdhouses.

The utility room or shall we call it the laundry room has a small tree that is decorated with angels, rust colored balls and rust colored ribbon wound all through it.

In the main hallway is the blue and silver tree, adorned with blue and silver ornaments, along with assorted doodads that resemble crystal fobs from antique chandeliers.  The lights are the new larger led’s and really make this tree pop.

The living room houses the star attraction with a fat, full tree that has over one hundred fifty snow baby ornaments.  It also has ceramic icicles, gold balls, tons of dried hydrangea blooms, and dried rose blooms. This tree has many yards of gold ribbon twisted in and among its many branches, along with a topper made from gold colored stems.  The other tree on the other side of the room has photos of family from the different Christmas’ down through the years.  This tree is the family favorite.

I won’t elaborate too much on the next tree which is in the main bathroom.  It is actually a wall decoration which Ms. Janet made to hang on the wall to look like a tree.  It is simply decorated with pine cones and twisted ribbon.

This comes up to twelve trees in the house, along with fresh branches and twigs cut from evergreen trees to give the house that festive look and fresh holiday smell.  Pine cones are scattered and hung all through the rooms with cedar and pine branches, along with a multitude of wreaths made of grapevines, magnolia branches and leaves, and cedar branches.  Crocheted snowflakes, large and small hang from the ceiling from every possible place.  We try to incorporate as much live greenery as we can in the house by using it in wreaths, mixing it in with artificial garlands and sticking branches in the trees to fill in any bare spots. 

The tree on the front porch gets decorated with large lights and homemade ornaments.  The ornaments consist of paper towel tubes wrapped to look like peppermint sticks and different colored hard candy and packages wrapped in brightly colored paper, then clear wrap over that to add that extra zip.

The last tree, a small tree is on the side porch and is decorated with whatever we can find in the yard, such as berries made into a garland, grapevine and ribbon.

The rest is wreaths on windows and doors and garlands brightly decorated around the doors.

Christmas at the Burress’ Home is a treat and it stays up from November to February and takes about the month of November to put up and about two weeks to take down and another week to pack it back in storage.  It is hard work sometimes but worth every minute of it, especially when the Grandkids smile and say “It’s beautiful Mamaw.”

I hope everyone enjoys Christmas as much as I do.  It’s not about the gifts, but about family, friends, smiles, and most of all “The Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night”