Sid Kapner elected 2016 MG president
Transcription
Sid Kapner elected 2016 MG president
HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER J A N UA RY 2 0 1 6 Urban Dirt Sid Kapner elected 2016 MG president Article by Rob Lucey, Master Gardner Photo by Christa Kaiser Sidney “Sid” Kapner grew up around plants, helping out summers and weekends at his uncle’s nursery, landscape and floral business in Galveston. After marrying Janice and buying their first home, they spent many hours applying his landscape knowledge in their own property. “We spent many hours in the yard together building beds and trying to grow just about everything different,” he recalls. They owned a tire and service center in the 1970s and later diversified by purchasing their own nursery and landscape center in South Houston. Sid Kapner Eventually, Jan became a Master Gardener. When Sid was ready to retire from the industrial distribution trade, he needed something to fill his extra hours, so he began spending more time helping Jan at Precinct 2’s Genoa Friendship Gardens maintaining the grounds and working in the greenhouse. He finally decided to enroll in the 2010 MG class. “The Master Gardener Program has introduced me to many new friends and opened new learning opportunities,” Sid says. “Since I Upcoming Events ........................................... 2 Graduating Fall 2014 MG Class..................... 3 MG Birthdays.................................................. 3 Herb of the Month - Cilantro .......................... 4 Rose Corner .................................................... 4 spent most of my career managing business relationships, I started getting involved in the business side of the MG program. As a member of the HCMGA Board of Directors I have seen many improvements in the programs, some good and some questionable. As Coordinator of P2 Genoa Friendship Gardens, with the help of our great volunteers, we’ve accomplished many projects.” Now, Sid is taking the helm as president of HCMGA. The Master Gardener Program is an ever evolving and improving opportunity for the citizens of Harris County to learn about veggie’s, landscaping, fruits, insect control and the most disliked part of gardening, weed control. 2016 Officers and Board members Sid Kapner - President Stephanie Adams - First Vice President Carole Fisher - Second Vice President Will Isbell - Past President Brenda de Alba - Secretary Don Reeves - Treasurer Elizabeth Fisher - Asst. Treasurer Directors: Bob Barry, Marsha Van Horn, Karena Poke, Nancy Cansler, Jonathan Correia, Fran Marintsch Precinct 2 Steering Committee Coordinator: Brenda Hesse Rip van Winkle Seeds ..........................5 Master Gardeners of the Month ...........6 Around the Gardens....................... 7 & 8 Planting and Pruning Fruit Trees .........9 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 Upcoming Events January 2016 Green Thumb Gardening Series Soil and Composting Jan. 14, Barbara Bush Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Maude Smith Marks Library, 10:00 - noon. Jan. 19, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Texas AgriLife Extension Service Horticulture Program in Harris County 3033 Bear Creek Dr. Houston, TX 77084 Jan. 21, Freeman Branch Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Plant Sales Jan. 30, Fruit Tree Sale and Workshops Citrus, apple, peach, pear, avocado, berry and pecan varieties suitable for our area. Bear Creek Gardens/Extension 281.855.5600 Fax 281.855.5638 CEA – Horticulture...............................Robert “Skip” Richter 281.855.5600 CEA – Horticulture..............................................Paul Winski 281.855.5600 Lecture Series Jan. 14, Precinct 2 - Randy and Monica Brazil, owners of Southeast Texas Olives. The Brazils will speak on How to Grow Olives and Produce Olive Oil. 10:00 - 11:30 a.m., Location: Clear Lake Meeting Room, 5001 Nasa Parkway. Jan. 21, Gulf Coast Fruit Study - Speaker: Skip Richter, Extension Agent - Planting and pruning fruit trees - Learn to plant and prune fruit trees correctly to improve your chances for a bountiful harvest. 6:30 p.m., Bear Creek Auditorium Open Garden Day Jan. 26, self-guided tour 9:00-10:00 a.m.; workshops & children’s activities, Soil and Composting 10:00 - 10:45 a.m.; 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. self-guided tour. The Gardens at Bear Creek. Jan. 18, 8:30 - 11a.m., Genoa Friendship Garden, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Plants for sale in Greenhouse Hamburger Tuesday Jan. 5, Speaker; Margaret Bingham - Keyhole Gardens Harris County Master Gardener Association 2016-2017 Board of Directors President ............................................................... Sid Kapner [email protected] 713.306.7046 First Vice President .......................................Stephanie Adams [email protected] 832.628.1936 Second Vice President......................................... Carole Fisher [email protected] [email protected] February 2016 Past President ..........................................................Will Isbell [email protected] Green Thumb Gardening Series Spring Vegetable Gardening Feb. 11, Barbara Bush Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Feb. 16, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Feb. 18, Freeman Branch Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Feb. 20, Maude Smith Marks Library, 10:00 - noon. Secretary ..........................................................Brenda de Alba [email protected] Treasurer .............................................................. Don Reeves Asst. Treasurer ................................................Elizabeth Fisher [email protected] Open Garden Day Feb. 15, 8:30 -11a.m., Genoa Friendship Garden, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Feb. 23, self-guided tour 9:00-10:00 a.m.; workshops & children’s activities, Spring Vegetable Gardening 10:00 - 10:45 a.m.; 11:00 - 1:30 a.m. self-guided tour. The Gardens at Bear Creek. Hamburger Tuesday Directors: Bob Barry, Marsha Van Horn, Karena Poke, Nancy Cansler, Jonathan Correia, Fran Marintsch • Precinct 2 Steering Committee Coordinator........ Brenda Hesse [email protected] • Urban Dirt Editor ............................................. Carolyn Boyd [email protected] Feb 3, Speaker; Kelsey Low - Toad Abode Visit txmg.org or contact the Harris County Extension Office, 281.855.5600, [email protected] for registration details. 2 Assistant Urban Dirt Editor ................................... Rob Lucey Assistant Urban Dirt Editor ................................. Terri Simon URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 Graduating MGs - Fall Class of 2014 Article by Carolyn Boyd, Master Gardener, Photo by Paul Winski Graduation commencement was held on December 3rd, for the Master Gardener Fall Class of 2014. Congratulations to the graduates, and great job, Paul and Skip, for shepherding another fine group of interns through the MG program. Heiberg, James Holmes, Harold Hudson, Patricia Kelly, Thomas Kelly, Dianne Lawrence, Blanca Lenel, Becky Lowicki, Karen McGowan, Kathryn McLeod, Teri Ogg, Kathryn Puckett, Connie Stein, Maryellen Quarles, Roxanne Sandt, Claudia Schnelle, Rockford Shugart, Sandra Stevens, Anthony Villa, Tonya Wiemers and Helen Wylie. The 2014 Master Gardeners graduates are Betty Baile, Jaime Barica, Bob Barry, Carolyn Boyd, Viola Charo, Blanca Elder, Regina Gardner, Wayne Hamilton, Bruce Master Gardeners who celebrate a birthday during January include the following. Wish them a Happy Birthday when you see them! Dianna Bernsen, Connie Bihner, Marcia Braschayko, Linda Brewer, Beverly Burns, Dixie Dudley, Karen Eldridge, Janet Eshelman, Sandy Fine, Mary Hicks, Judy Hill, Margaret Holmstrom, Will Isbell, Jane Jackson, Karen Kartlie, Marv Keenan, Douglas McLeod, Peggy Moore, Barbara Morrison, Alicia O’Neill, Aura Rainwater, Leewen Shen, Patricia Tibbits, Ruth Touchstone, David Vining, Mickie Warriner and Bobbie Wiese If your name is missing, please check that your online profile is complete. 3 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 Herb of the Month - Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) Article by Kathy Keeney, Master Gardener Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is the January Herb of the Month and is commonly known by two names, cilantro and coriander. Cilantro is actually the Spanish word for the English word coriander and most often refers to the leaves, not the seeds. Coriander is used to refer to the whole plant. combines well with ginger. Cilantro leaves have a stronger, peppery flavor. Cilantro leaves and coriander seeds can be used in Mexican, Asian, Indian, South American and Thai recipes. Both go well with seafood, chicken and beans. Cilantro leaves are an especially nice addition to salsa and guacamole. There are many reputed health benefits to eating cilantro including lowering blood sugar, antioxidant protection, antimicrobial protection, and removal of heavy metals, to name a few. Coriander is part of the carrot family and is grown for both the seeds and the leaves. Therefore, it is actually both an herb and a spice. The leaves resemble flat leaf parsley and are best used fresh as drying them destroys most of the flavor. The seeds, which taste quite differently from the leaves, are small and round, should be dried before using, and can be used whole or ground depending on what you are cooking. Coriander seeds have a light lemony flavor and it Cilantro likes to be planted in full sun. It thrives in cooler weather and goes to seed when the temperature changes. It will grow up to 36” tall and has white flowers. If you harvest an abundance of cilantro, you can freeze it. Sources: 1) Hill, Madalene and Gwen Barclay, Southern Herb Growing. Fredrericksburg: Shearer Publishing, 1987. Print. 2) Mateljan, George, The World’s Healthiest Foods. Seattle: George Mateljan Foundation, 2007. Print. 3) Masabni, Joseph G., “Growing Herbs in Texas”, AgriLIFE Extension, 4/2009. Web. 12/2015 The Rose Corner Article and photos by Christa Kaiser, Master Gardener roses instead of Hybrid Teas. Earth-Kind roses are recommended by Texas A&M University. Trials of roses for our area can be seen in the Medical Center on Old Spanish Trail/Kirby. There are plenty of blooms right now because of our recent rain falls. Add Color to your garden – Add plants that will give you enjoyment when the roses are dormant. It’s a good time to think about planning a new rose bed. Remember that roses require at least six hours of sun a day. Transplanting a rose bush should be done in January and February in our area. More and more people prefer the cottage garden approach by growing old garden Basic care: • Stop deadheading • Stop fertilizing • Trim out dead wood, but prune in February • Evaluate performance, if you are not happy, remove it and • reserve the spot for another rose • Mulch your rose beds • Spray fungicide • Keep watering 4 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 The Rip van Winkle Seeds How long is a seed viable? Apparently some seeds remain viable much longer than previously believed. A story out of the Menemonee Reservation in Wisconsin claims an earthenware vessel yielded viable squash seeds that were estimated to be 800 years old. While the veracity of the story has been challenged, seeds from the same variety of squash, named “Gete Okosomin”, or Really Cool Old Squash are believed to have been carefully nurtured and hand pollinated by native Americans for some time. Gete Okosomin squash Article by Terri Simon, Master Gardener In order to preserve the earth’s rich and diverse seed heritage, a storage facility containing a seed bank has been Improvised drying rack established Photo by Brian Etkin, Our Learning Garden on a Norwegian island north of the Arctic Circle. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault 1 there has a cold, dry environment ideal for seed preservation. The vault can hold approximately 4.5 million varieties and species of seeds with a total capacity of 2.5 billion seeds. As of 2015, it held 860,000 food crop seeds. It is financed by the Norwegian Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway government and Photo courtesy of earthsky.org the Global Crop Diversity Trust. It strives to conserve earth’s crop varieties for years to come. Photo by Brian Etkin, Our Learning Garden The oldest seeds to germinate are believed to be from Judean date palms recovered from an archaeological dig in Israel. The seeds from those palms, nicknamed Methuselah, have been dated to between 35 B.C. and A.D. 65. They were found in a storeroom in a cliff fortress and are thought to come from dates eaten by Jewish zealots who were under assault from Romans. All Judean date palms are believed to have been eradicated by the invading crusaders. Three seeds were given to Dr. Sarah Sallon, who turned them over to Dr. Elaine Solowey. Dr. Solowey, who grew up in California, is a trained pediatric gastroenterologist who now lives in Israel and teaches agriculture and sustainable farming there. The seeds were planted in January after having been soaked in hot water first, then soaked in a hormone-rich acid and finally soaked in an enzymatic fertilizer. Six weeks later, the seedlings emerged. Date palms take 30 years to mature and only females produce dates, so it may take some time before anyone eats dates from those palms. As more heirloom and new seed varieties are discovered and recovered, their seeds may be added to the vault. The seeds are important to maintain diversity in addition to being used for scientific research. There is always ongoing research to discover the medicinal uses of plants as well. Master gardeners have a small part in the preservation of heirloom seeds through our plant sales. Growing different varieties and passing that knowledge on to home gardeners improves our chances of maintaining seed diversity. Our plant trials add to that knowledge. As we continue to “grow”, so does our seed expertise. Other seeds with longevity include lotus seeds approximately 1,200 years old that have sprouted in China. 1 Next month’s Urban Dirt will feature an article on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault mentioned in this article. It also referred to as the “Doomsday Vault.” 5 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 MG’s of the Month Linda Persse - Bear Creek Article by Karen Breneman, Master Gardener L inda Persse, a Master Gardener for 8 years, is our Master Gardener of the month. Her first experience with Master Gardeners was working in community gardens in Ohio. When she and her husband Bob retired to Houston, she was delighted to find the Harris County MG program. Being new to the area, it was a great way to learn more, meet new people, and get involved in activities in the community. Her volunteer activities include the greenhouse and gardening program at the Prevention and Recovery Center (PaRC) of Memorial Herman Hospital. A program that provides an opportunity to work with patients and staff to illustrate the many parallels between the substance abuse recovery process and growing healthy plants. Linda is also a member of the Education Committee where she participates in the Green Thumb Lecture Series. She helps the Open Garden Day Pre-K to 7 year old group with activities focusing on plants and nature. In January, Linda will be managing activities for the two Open Garden Day children’s groups. Gayle DeBusk - Precinct 2 When not volunteering Linda enjoys traveling, taking walks with Bob and their dog, and supporting animal rescue efforts. Linda retired after working almost 40 years as a social worker. Her jobs included helping medical students organize health care screenings for migrant workers, Linda, with a wreath made by patients at working in a pediatric hospital the PaRC using plants from the extensive with children with spinal cord grounds. injuries and cancer, helping to start a housing program for people with HIV, evaluating outreach programs in public housing projects, and teaching. Linda finds it gratifying to share what she learns from other Master Gardeners. Linda, the MGs are glad you found us. Thank you for all you do! Article and photo by Georgia Lau, Master Gardener O must have been the start of her fascination with seeing seeds and plants develop and grow to maturity. Her curiosity must be a family trait because her sister was also a Master Gardener. Gayle’s favorite plants at her home are her pecan tree, fruit trees, blackberry bushes and the veggies she grows. She gets a thrill out of raising her own food. Food for her soul is when someone makes a nice comment about the flowers in her yard. ur Master Gardener of the Month is Gayle DeBusk, a graduate of the 2008 Master Gardener class. She is a willing volunteer in all of the gardens at Genoa Friendship Garden and is the Shade Garden manager. She has added some new plants in the shade garden with varying success. Gayle can always be found working in Pre-Check during our plant sales. A West Texas girl, Gayle grew up in Amarillo and lived for a short time in Lubbock after marrying her husband, Paul. They moved to Houston in 1965 and raised two sons. Gayle claims to have no family history or background in gardening, but when she was a teenager, much to her mother’s surprise, she managed to grow zinnias in the poor soil and dry climate of West Texas. This Gayle enjoys the Master Gardener Program, and the great group of people at Precinct Two. She says they are “Good to work with and talk with--knowledgeable, helpful, and fun to be around.” In continuing to educate potential gardeners and those with questions about their yards, we will help them be aware of taking care of the environment. Thank you, Gayle, for all you do for our organization and our gardens. Nominate a MG of the Month Submit MG of the Month nominations to the Membership Committee by placing a note with their name and why they should be selected in the suggestion box in the Master Gardener room or e-mail them to [email protected] (Bear Creek) [email protected] (Precinct 2). 6 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 Around the Gardens... Precinct 2 by Nancy Cansler, Master Gardener November 2015 Garden Report orchard. Bridget, Alice and Janice weeded the Herb Garden. There was a lot of general upkeep going on today. general upkeep. Bobbie sold $60 of plants from Greenhouse. The wind knocked over a cactus in Desert Garden and David had the unenviable job of removing it. He didn’t look too chewed up although I’m not sure how disposed of the remains. Brenda worked in the Pond. 11/4 – It was a nice day, although a little humid and a little squishy after all the rain. The garden escaped any damage from weekend storm. Mimi harvested a huge amount of oranges. Evan worked on irrigation to his garden. Mostly it was just general weeding, mulching around our gardens. There was activity in the Greenhouse bumping up plants. Bob went looking for rabbit fencing in the ongoing war with Mr. Rabbit. 11/18 – Beth and Evan cut back in the Perennial Garden today. Evan wields magic clippers when he cuts back plants. Everything looks so more manageable now. You can actually see the plants that had been covered up by the taller and wider plants. Linda & I finished outlining the Butterfly Garden, even though we had to cut a channel to drain off all the water. Bob took on the tedious job of thinning onions – talk about a lesson in patience! 11/11 – Too funny – Mr. Rabbit outsmarted Guy and Bob once again. This time he sent in his henchman to test out the delectable vegetables inside the trap. Unfortunately for Old Man Possum, he got the worse end of this plan and ended up trapped in the cage. Fortunately for him, we have very humane Master Gardeners at P2 and they just released him at one end of the garden although I did hear through the grapevine that one of our more mischevious Master Gardeners wanted to put him in someone’s car. I’m not mentioning any names! I wasn’t at the garden in person today. Bob Barry, A.J. Villa and I visited Bear Creek hoping to entice some of the new graduating Master Gardener Class members to come check out the gardens at P2. We got quite a few responses, so if you see someone new, please make sure to introduce yourselves and welcome them to the garden. Even though this is the slow time of year in the garden, we still had plenty of volunteers show up: A.J. Villa, Annie Garcia (intern), Ann Abernathy, Alice Marinos, Beth Frohme, Brenda Hesse, Bridget Richnow, Bob Barry, Bobbie Wiese, Chris Hammen, Christa Kaiser, David Rae, Ed Dreier, Evan Hopkins, Gayle DeBusk (Sorry I missed your name last month Gayle!), Georgia Lau, Janice Muhm, Julia Sweet, Kelly Gibson (Intern), Linda Pearson, Louisa Jones, Louis Mickler, Mary Ellen Hicks, Mimi Chapman, Nancy Cansler, Paul Hicks, Royce Pendergast, Sandy Fine, Sandy Stevens, Susan Delcambre, Virginia Gutierrez 11/16 – Open Garden Day was a success despite the wind. Kelly Gibson and Annie Garcia, new interns came out to check out GFG. We even found something for Kelly to do –She worked with Paul & Mary Ellen bumping up plants in the Greenhouse; Linda, Ed and I started installing new stones surrounding butterfly garden to match the larval garden. It’s really started to take shape. Mimi harvested in Come on out and help us in the garden. It is certainly a lot of fun! Joyful gardening! Members of Precinct 2 Master Gardeners at their December Christmas Luncheon More Around the Garden, cont’d on pg. 8 7 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 cont’d from pg. 7 Around the Gardens... Bear Creek by Linda Saxman, Master Gardener December 4, 2015 Garden Report The holiday scramble was on! We celebrated the final Hamburger Tuesday with red and green decor provided by the Hospitality Committee and oranges from the orchard. Someone wondered if the green peel meant we should allow more time for ripening, but Marge Chambers said it was not necessary while reminding us that some growers/stores actually produce the orange color we have come to expect by gassing the fruit. At the meeting we elected the slate of officers for the coming year to be led by Sid Kapner. We also honored Linda Persse as our December Gardener of the Month. Skip Richter jumped in to give us a look at the results of the veggie trials from the past couple of years. of yet another leak for repair. Danny Dunn was digging worms to show off the healthy soil in the raised beds. He said the chief activity now will be buttoning down for winter. I think that might be code for sitting in his easy chair, drinking something nice and looking at spring catalogs. Sounds good to me! In the greenhouse, eggplant and pepper seeds were being started. The fish were getting their tank cleaned and the algae tank was receiving fresh filters. More cleaning for the evaporative cooler and preparation of the heat mat in anticipation of cooler weather. Jana Lee had been assisting Ken Couch in identifying a rose he had blooming at home. Turned out to be Mrs. Dudley Cross. Rose cuttings were being made this week which, I think, we’re being taken to the greenhouse to have the benefit of the heat mat. Karen Breneman reminded everyone once more to check our profiles for accuracy of hours plus whether or not the background check is current. She said if the application for the background check has been made but not yet received, we shouldn’t worry. The records will be updated once a new Master Gardener Coordinator is on board. Note that while the deadline for hours was Dec.31st, the paperwork Deadline is Jan. 31st. Let Karen know if it appears your hours are not correctly totaled. Doug McLeod and crew picked 291 lbs. of oranges not counting what ended up on the Hamburger Tuesday buffet line. Doug and Katherine were off on another jaunt...this time to the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. Speaking of travelers, Earl Goodson had returned from his repositioning 10 day cruise wearing a spiffy hat and looking all rested! Steve Winner was enjoying playing with the Cannon Vizcam showing how we can use it to photograph perhaps a leaf displaying a fungus and immediately get that saved online. Although this is far from being new technology, we now have the opportunity to use it at Bear Creek. If you are considering becoming a presenter for Green Thumb or Open Garden Day or other educational event, this might be fun to use. Judy Thomas was harvesting turnips, radishes and green beans from the Cylinder Demonstration Garden. She was also tying up cauliflower leaves to keep the heads neat and clean. She pointed out the snowpeas which are starting to appear now. I want to thank each of you who has spoken to me to tell me that you enjoy reading my scribbles. It has been a wonderful experience hearing that so many really follow the reports. I think I will take a short holiday break and return in January as I suspect everyone’s calendars are filling up pretty fast now. If you have not already given thought to next year, please consider that we have a number of tasks which could use a new hand or two. What would give you enjoyment, help you grow as a Master Gardener and benefit our organization? See you in the gardens! In Veggieland, the butterbeans were being pulled up and shared with our Longhorn buddies while Ralph Gingell was on the trail 8 URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 Planting and Pruning Fruit Trees January 21, 2016 Don't Plant an Oak Plant A Fruit Tree! Speaker Robert "Skip" Richter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Horticultural Agent, Harris County Program begins at 6:30 PM in the auditorium, 3033 Bear Creek Drive You are invited to attend the first quarterly meeting, of the year, for the Gulf Coast Fruit Study Group. There is no charge to attend This program will provide one hour of continuing education for Master Gardeners Questions may be directed to Diana Groce - 281.855.5600 Gulf Coast Fruit Study Group Texas AgriLife Extension 3033 Bear Creek Drive Houston, Texas 77084 9 N Clay Rd Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Patterson Rd West Interstate 10 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 3033 Bear Creek Dr. Houston, Tx 77084 281.855.5600 fax 281.855.5638 harris.agrilife.org/program-areas/hort/ hcmga.tamu.edu URBAN DIRT JANUARY 2016 Like Us On Facebook The Harris County Master Gardeners as well as Texas A&M Agrilife Extension - Harris County Horticulture are actively participating on Facebook offering tips, lists, news and plant advice almost daily. The best part, instead of locating planting guides or insect documents, and sale dates for individuals, you can add the HCMG site to your account and easily share information with others. This is a definite timesaving device for these busy garden days and helps promote our organization. www.facebook.com/HarrisCountyMasterGardeners www.facebook.com/HarrisCountyHorticulture Would you like to contribute to the Urban Dirt? Send all questions and/or submissions to: [email protected]