Morgan County Master Gardener Blog

When I was asked to write an article for the MCMGA newspaper article, I initially said no. Since it didn’t seem I was going to get out of it that easy, I was asked what things I was passionate about. Well, that was easy – besides my family, two things - animals and plants. Most people who have dogs and cats are not aware of what plants are dangerous for them. It seems most plants are dangerous if eaten in large enough quantities. On some plants, it’s the leaves, on others it’s the roots, bulbs, or pollen. The most toxic ones can produce severe symptoms like intense vomiting or organ damage depending on the plant and how much your pet ingests. The effects of ingesting toxic plants will vary depending on the size of your pet. Watch for any changes in the color of the skin or inside the mouth, respiration, excessive salivation, diarrhea, vomiting, depression of central nervous system, and lethargy. Do not try to induce vomiting without consulting a veterinarian or poison control center. If I don’t specify which part of the plant is most dangerous, it means the entire plant is toxic. If you know which plant was consumed, take it or a sample when you take your pet to your veterinarian. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline is 888-426-4435 and it’s open 24/7 in case your local veterinarian is unavailable. Inside or tender plants: Aloe, Arrowhead Vine; begonias (intense burning of mouth); Dieffenbachia (skin and eye exposure most toxic); geraniums/Pelargonium; Jade (mildly toxic); Kalanchoe (gastrointestinal and heart problems); marijuana, Peace Lily/Schefflera (oral irritation such as difficulty swallowing, intense burning of mouth, lips, and tongue); Pothos, and Rubber plant. Holiday plants: Amaryllis, holly (especially berries); mistletoe (leaves & berries, especially to cats); pine trees (not spruce or fir); and poinsettia (especially to cats). Outside or hardy plants: Angels trumpet, bleeding heart, bloodroot, castor bean (extremely toxic); chrysanthemum (especially flowers); clematis ( toxic but bitter taste); Cyclamen (root most toxic); elephant ears/colocasia (highly toxic); foxglove (highly toxic); hosta, ivy, lantana (extremely toxic); Lenten rose, mayapple, milkweed (sap most toxic); and wisteria. Shrubs/trees: Holly, azalea/rhododendron (can cause coma and death); Barberry; Black Walnut (toxic to dogs, not cats); boxwood, Buckeye, Euonymus/burning bush; fruit trees (apple, apricot, cherry, peach, and plums – stems, leaves, and seeds); Golden Chain tree, hydrangea, mountain laurel, oak (especially young leaves and acorns); privet/Ligustrum, Rose of Sharon (blooms have pleasant taste); Sago Palm (seeds or nuts most poisonous, often fatal); and Yew. Bulbs: Allium, iris, Jack-In-the-Pulpit, Lily of the Valley, and tulip/narcissus bulbs. Even a small amount of most lilies can cause kidney damage. Vegetables/herbs: Asparagus, avocados, cherries, corn, grapes, leeks, raisins, rhubarb, onions, tomatoes, and wild mushrooms. Toxic herbs include borage, chamomile, hops, lavender, lemon grass, lemon verbena, marjoram, oregano, and yarrow. Curly-leaf parsley is generally good unless your pet has kidney problems. Xylitol – This is not a plant, but a sweetener that is highly toxic to your pets. I’m including it here because it is in some peanut butter so be sure to check the label of yours to make sure it does not contain xylitol. To keep your pets out of your potted plants, sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Cats hate citrus smell, so diluted lemon juice or orange oil seems to help. You can even put pebbles on top of the soil to keep pets from digging. The one thing you don’t want to use as a deterrent is vinegar – yes, it will keep your pets out of the plants, but it will also kill the plant.

Vegetable gardening gained popularity during the lockdown this past spring and many people tried their hand at this rewarding pastime. A gardening approach one might consider is raised beds. Raised-bed gardening is an effective technique for growing plants and holds some advantages over traditional methods. Raised beds make gardening possible on sites where growing plants would otherwise be impossible. Terraced raised beds on hillsides and raised beds on top of solid rock are examples. Growing plants in raised beds is a logical choice for gardeners with heavy, poorly drained soils. Raised beds provide robust plant roots and better roots from improved soils used to fill the raised bed structures leads to lush growth and higher yields for food crops. Also, more plants can be grown in a smaller area than with conventional row-cropping techniques; no space is wasted between rows. Intensively planted raised beds provide dense foliage cover, shading out much weed growth. Better drainage speeds soil warming and allows for earlier spring planting. In wet seasons, soil dries out faster, permitting planting to proceed between rains. Because plants are growing above the level of walkways, less stooping is required for weeding, watering, and other chores. Typically, raised beds are laid out in a rectangular pattern no more than four feet in width and a length based upon desire and property limits. The depth of your raised beds is arbitrary though most plants need a six to twelve-inch rooting zone, but deeper would be better. Make pathways between raised beds wide enough for walking and wheelbarrow or garden cart access for replenishing and amending soils in the beds. Several additional design features increase the convenience of raised beds. Seating can be made on the edges of beds by capping the walls with boards a minimum of at least 6 inches in width. Hollow pipes attached to the inside wall and spaced regularly along raised beds double as support posts for spring and fall season-extending cold frames or summer trellises for vine crops. To make a raised bed wheelchair accessible, construct walls about 2 feet high and limit the width of the bed to about 3 feet. Good quality topsoil along with organic matter like peat moss, compost and/or decomposed manures is recommended. Mix soil amendments with the existing soil to avoid drainage issues. Soil in raised beds warms and dries our faster than soil at ground level. In spring and fall, these traits are desirable. But through the heat of summer, soil temperatures are higher and drying in raised beds is faster than in surrounding soil. Use mulches, such as straw or hay, to combat both problems as well as suppress weed growth. Use irrigation to supplement natural rainfall during dry periods. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation may be placed directly on the bed. Overhead sprinklers may also be used. At the end of the growing season, additional compost may be added before successive plantings or you can plant a cover crop to be turned into the soil in late winter. Fertilization of plants grown in raised beds is similar to that of plants grown conventionally. For most crops, a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 applied at the rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet is satisfactory. Organic fertilizers and manures may also be used. For more specific fertilizer suggestions and other ideas on building a raised bed, contact the Alabama Cooperative Extension System or go to www.aces.edu and enter raised beds in the search bar. The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Are you a classroom teacher who needs grant money for a science or horticultural project? Money is available from a supportive community group. Morgan County Master Gardener Association (MCMGA) is a not-for-profit community volunteer organization. The organization helps to expand the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s outreach mission. The purpose of the program is to increase availability of horticulture knowledge and expertise through qualified volunteers who help improve quality of life through community projects. With extensive training, the Master Gardeners help provide research-based information and educational programs to the public. Each year the MCMGA offers grants to schools in order to provide teacher support and materials and to establish and improve student knowledge and appreciation of horticulture. This year, 2020, two grants are available in the amount of $200 each. Past grant winners have accomplished great things. Materials have been purchased for building an outdoor and community garden. Older students have helped build raised beds, learned to grow vegetables and used them in recipes. One school purchased individual containers for each student to learn to build his own garden plot from the soil up. Another winner purchased perennial bulbs and support materials for an outdoor garden with the goal of helping students understand the cycle of perennial bulbs and beautifying the campus. In another school, students enjoyed planting and harvesting fruits and vegetable to be used in the school cafeteria. A teacher of younger students received items to create an outdoor sensory classroom using plants which appeal to the senses. A particularly interesting project was the purchase of a small aquaponics tank kit, combining aquaculture and hydroponics, for teaching alternative ways of growing food. Enthusiastic teachers from Barkley Bridge Elementary School, Brewer High School, Crestline Elementary School, Danville Middle School, Decatur High School Developmental Program, Eastwood Elementary School, FE Burleson Elementary School, Hartselle Intermediate School, and Hartselle Junior High School have received grant monies from MCMGA. Eligible applicants include teachers in all public and private Morgan County school systems. This year we are including Lawrence County Schools. Teachers in grades K-12 with at least 10 students are encouraged to apply. A project narrative with 250-500 words will need to be included. Rubric includes questions such as “What do you want to achieve?” Are funds from other sources being used?” “ How long will it take to complete the project?” and” What is the cost?” A school administrator will be asked to sign an agreement that the funds will be used according to grant guidelines. At the MCMGA’s May 2021 meeting, the teacher or a school representative will be asked to present a 3 to 5 minute oral presentation on plans or progress of the project. Schools selected will agree to submit photos and information for press releases. In October, the grant applications are sent to the central office personnel in each of the public school systems in Morgan and Lawrence Counties. Others interested may contact the person listed below. Completed applications are due around Thanksgiving. Master Gardeners will evaluate applications on need, support, knowledge and presentation. The application will give more details. Grants will be awarded and applicants will be contacted in December. If you are interested and have not received an application by the end of October, please contact your central office or Theresea Goode at tfgoode52@gmail.com . In addition to grants for the classroom teacher, MCMGA offers a college scholarship for a local horticulture student and the organization donates to an endowment fund for an Auburn horticulture student. For more information on these MCMGA programs contact Ramsey Huffman at rhuffman330@gmail.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Most of us have hung our stockings, decorated our trees, and cooked our special goodies. The big question now is whether to hang a kissing ball in the age of social distancing. Kissing balls were an almost forgotten tradition until a few years ago but are recently making a comeback. To create the ball, fresh greenery was inserted into an apple or potato or tied together with twine. A baby Jesus figurine was placed in the middle, thus, the arrangements were called “holy baughs”. The bundle was then hung over a doorway as a symbol of welcome and goodwill to all who walked under it. The tradition originated in England in the Middle Ages, preceding the custom of hanging mistletoe. Kissing balls fell out of favor during the Puritan influence and the religious fervor of the 17th century and didn’t gain popularity again until the English Victorian Era in the 1800’s. During this period, plants and herbs symbolized love and affection and were associated with romance. As a result, the tradition evolved into hanging a single sprig of mistletoe for young women to stand under and be kissed by eligible gentlemen. Today, kissing balls can be found at most garden centers and florists. You can also make your own and customize it to match your holiday decor. Materials needed include a 3–6 inch styrofoam ball, a wire coat hanger, pruning shears, wire cutters and floral wire attached to plant stakes. You will begin by gathering sprigs of greenery 4–6 inches long—the number of sprigs needed will depend on the desired size of your completed ball. Holly, boxwood, spruce, cedar, and woody herbs all work well. If no greenery is readily available, many garden centers will give away trimmings from Christmas trees. For accents, look for pine cones, acorns, and berries. You might also want to use mistletoe. Just be sure to keep it away from small children and pets as it is poisonous if ingested. If you want something to keep little hands busy, make collecting materials a fun walk in the woods or a scavenger hunt. Let children collect items and use their findings to assemble a kissing ball of their own. Once all materials are gathered, you can begin constructing your ball. First, strip 2–3 inches of greenery off the bottom of each sprig. Next, you will need to prepare the ball for hanging. Straighten your wire coat hanger and insert it through the center of the styrofoam ball. Make a loop for hanging at one end and bend the other end at a 90 degree angle just enough to keep the ball from sliding off. Hang the ball in a convenient location and begin inserting greenery until completely filled. Wrap floral wire around accents and insert the stake in the styrofoam ball where desired. Now you are ready to begin customizing your kissing ball. Use colors and themes to enhance your design and complement the rest of your decorations. You might even want to design your arrangement based on your favorite theme such as a Grinch Christmas, Candy Land, or the Polar Express. To complete your kissing ball, add a bow at the top to cover the wire hanger. Spray with water occasionally to keep it fresh. Hang your kissing ball in a visible location and enjoy the fruits of your labor all season. Of course, in the age of covid and social distancing, you will be selective about who gives and gets kisses. But who knows, you might negotiate a kiss out of that reserved family member who is reluctant to show affection.

Do you want to learn more about gardening? Find out which plants grow best in Northern Alabama? Meet some terrific people? Then I hope you will consider joining the next Master Gardener Class. I took the course in the fall of 2019, and it was an awesome and fun learning experience. Although I had taught myself some gardening basics, the course was very helpful to me. Since I was new to Northern Alabama, and to Zone 7b, I had two goals: first, to learn about plants that would do particularly well here; and second, to develop a landscape plan for my new garden. Thanks to this class, I have successfully accomplished both goals. But I was pleased to benefit a good deal more than I was expecting. Taking the course generated lots of ideas for improving my garden and skills. Two of the classes in particular stood out for me. One was the evening spent touring the grounds at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Our guest lecturer, Harvey Cotton, presented an overview of plants that perform well in our garden zone. He showed us what to look for in a plant, specifically growth habit and cultural requirements. Plus, we were able to see up close and personal many of the wonderful trees, shrubs, and flowers gracing the garden. The second was the hands-on class on Landscape Design, with guest lecturer Taylor Reeder. Many new concepts and ways to think about planning were presented that I had never considered. We learned to analyze the site, familiarize ourselves with the steps involved, and gained an awareness of the basic principles of good landscape design. But the coursework is just one benefit of participating. Everyone involved in the program becomes part of your community, sharing ideas (as well as plants!). I loved meeting with fellow gardeners, asking for and receiving solutions to my garden problems. They had dealt with many of the same issues, and were eager to give advice. It was wonderful to learn new skills alongside friends who are willing to take the time to explain hints to a newcomer. To qualify for certification, you will receive 50 hours of instruction in gardening practices and pest control, and conduct 50 hours of approved volunteer service. There are a lot of great volunteer opportunities in Morgan County from which to choose, including helping fellow Master Gardeners with the annual plant sale, working at the Greenhouse, planning tours or social events, answering questions at the Farmers’ Market, mentoring interns, and much more. Keeping track of your volunteer hours is easy too, and you can start volunteering while you are still in the class. I began by attending some of the local events, and then became involved with the fantastic group at the Greenhouse. While I have now completed the course, I continue to learn from the experts, gaining confidence with a variety of hands-on experiences. Morgan County Master Gardeners are an enjoyable group of helpful people who are happy to share their time and knowledge with others. We hope you will join us! Details about the upcoming classes and the application process can be found at http://mg.aces.edu/morgan/.

Fall is well under way, slightly crisp mornings, the faint smell of woodsmoke is in the air, and leaves are changing colors and falling. As I enjoy the days, I have to shake my head in wonder at the piles of leaves at the curb, waiting to be whisked away. Don’t people know they are throwing money away along with the leaves? Maybe they do not know the secrets of leaf mulch. Nature has perfected a method to get nutrients back into the soil. Once a year, the leaves fall and start to decompose. This allows the nutrients from the leaves to sink down into the soil when it rains. The plant and tree roots eagerly soak up these nutrients during spring and use them to grow new leaves and flowers, resulting in fruits and nuts. Then the cycle starts again. Humans have tried to improve upon this perfection by ridding their yards of leaves. I get it, leaving all the leaves on the grass will likely kill the grass and ruin the hard work of the summer grass trimming; but I will share a secret, leaving the last third of the leaves that fall, mulching them (chopping them up into small bits), and spreading them evenly over the existing grass, helps eliminate the need for fertilizer in the spring. Allowing that leaf mulch to settle into the grass and decompose over the winter also helps with bare spots and erosion due to winter storms. What to do with the first two thirds of leaves that fall? Collect them into a large pile. They will start decomposing and in 6 to 12 months you will have a smaller pile of great nutrition to mix into potting soil. When potting, fill the pot about 1/3 of the way with leaf mulch and add your favorite potting soil, mix, then plant. Add a layer to your vegetable garden over the winter for more robust plants next summer. Put leaf mulch into the bottoms of the holes for the garden veggies. It is free plant food; it is 100 percent organic, and it is better for the environment. By adding leaf mulch around the base of plants, it retains soil moisture and controls weeds, another winning secret of leaf mulch. Three inches of leaf mulch is deep enough to control most weeds so use it as mulch, it looks more natural than bark mulch, it is free, and the plants get the added benefit of nutrients saving you money on plant food. The biggest problem with leaf mulch is deciding where to store that big pile of leaves. Any unused corner of the yard or out of the way nook of the garden will work. While unsightly at first, the leaf mulch settles over winter until it is almost flat. Contain the pile in a wire cage to control the pile spreading. It won’t attract unwanted animals and has very little odor. Children have been known to leap about my leaf pile until the first good rain. Check aces.edu and enter leaf mulch in the search bar for more info on the topic. No mulch attachment for the mower – that is okay! Pile those leaves! You will get the same benefits whether the leaves are cut up small or left whole. Alternatively, you can run the mower over a small pile of leaves to chop them up and then collect them. The last secret to leaf mulch is that 4 months after starting your pile, the worms have moved into the soil under the pile and are fat and happy. Time to go fishing.