The Garden Shed

Buying locally grown and produced plants, animals, fruits, and vegetables, and puchasing the products and services of these from local farms is one of the greatest ways to celebrate National Agriculture Day on March 20. Farmers and the farmland they preserve are so important in every commmunity. There is a National Agricultrul Day Organization that can be accessed at www.agday.org/. Each year they plan a wide variety of activities and events on National Agriculturel Day and during National Agriculture Week from March 16-22.

Teachers, agricultural and non agricultural organizations and governmental agencies are encouraged to procclaim and celebrate this national week and day for our country and worlds' farmers. Most people know so little about farming it is important to constantly educate them on the benefits of sustaining and preserving farms and farmers.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Rutgers will be holding its 32nd annual Home Gardeners School on Satruday March 15 in New Brunswick on the Cook Campus of the College of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. For registration information contact Kenneth M. Karamichael at 732 932-9271 x 660 or email karamichael@njaes.rutgers.edu
There will be 28 different gardening topics. Some examples are: Accessorizing Your Landscape; Amazing Annuals;Container and Patio Gardens; 5 Easy Steps to Build a Better Garden Soil ;Healthy Eating; HeirloomTomatoes; Weeds in Nature:Invasive Plants of New Jersey. A full brochure is also available at www.cookce.rutgers.edu

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Arbor Day is always the last Friday in April. This year it will be celebrated on April 25. Arbor Day is an excellent opportunity to inspect and help envigorate the trees on your property, or any woodlot or park in your community. Work with those involved in maintainence and make suggestions or help with repair, treatment, or even planting of new trees
Think about how planting new trees might improve the appearance of a property, or provide conservation. Find out from shade tree comissions, soil and water conservation districts, cooperative extension offices, or local and county environmental commisions about the availability of trees and programs on tree planting and education for Arbor Day. There may be events to encourage the planting of trees at schools, parks, or government facilities.
All our communties and properties benefit from tree planting and the care of healthy trees. Get involved and plant a tree for Arbor Day.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Two fruit growing classes will be held this spring for for those interested in producing juicy sweet fruit unlike any you can buy in a store. Home fruit growing is difficult but the reward of harvesting tree ripened fruit is worth the effort. The first class will be held Thursday morning March 27,2008 at the office of Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension, Camden County Office in Clementon New Jersey. The second will be held on Wednesday morning, May 14, 2008 at the office of Rutgers NJAES, Cooperative Extension, Gloucester County in Clayton, New Jersey. Preregistation is required by calling our ofice at 856 307-6450 Ext 1, or by visiting our web site at http://gloucester.njaes.rutgers.edu.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

There are many reasons to buy local Christmas trees versus buying artificial trees made in a factory. Buying local trees preserves local farmers and local farmland. Christmas trees support a complex eco system that helps our environment. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.
Live Christmas trees are 100% biodegradable and when recycled decomposing trees add nutrients back to the soil.
According to recent statistical data over 85% of all artificial trees are made in China. Artificial trees are made in a factory and the sale of them competes with the sale of local Christmas trees. Most artificial trees are made of plastics and metals and are not biodegradable. These fake trees frequently end up in landfills and are an a burden to our environment.
Most Christmas tree farmers in New Jersey are small farmers that replant each tree with a new tree to sustain their plantings. These plantations beautify our local environment. Most farms are open to the public each weekend after Thanksgiving, and invite the public into choose and cut trees.

The New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association has a web site of registered New Jersey Choose and Cut growers at www.njchristmastrees.citymax.com/page/page/3965401.htm
We also maintain a list of Gloucester County growers on our home page at http://gloucester.njaes.rutgers.edu.
Treat yourself to a visit to one of these local farms and buy varieties like Douglas fir, Norway spruce, Frasier fir, Blue spruce, White pine, Serbian fir and Concolor fir, and enjoy the beauty, and fragrance of a local tree.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Mulching trees and shrubs can be a good thing but too much mulch can kill roots and eventually plants by reducing soil air(oxygen). When you pile mulch high and deep it causes root death through oxygen deprivation, or the production of toxins that kill roots.
One of the primary reasons for mulching in all seasons is to retain moisture around the plant , stabilize or even cool the soil, and reduce weeds. Research has shown that fine mulch needs to be no deeper than two inches and a bulky mulch 4 inches to eliminate light needed for weed seeds to germinate and provide these other benefits. To figure out how much mulch you need simply multiply the area you wish to mulch by the depth of the mulch and then divide this number by 12. If you want to calculate cubic yards divide by 324 rather than 12.
Another reason to apply mulch is for winter protection. This is usually done after the soil has cooled or frozen. All season mulch is applied after the soil warms up a little in the spring or of course any time later. Wait until the soil is moist to apply for moisture retention.
Mulches may have other imperfections. Mulch is a great place for overwintering insects, diseases, and rodents. If mulch gets too dry it may actually repel watering. Each mulch has advantages and disadvantages that will be discussed in a future blog.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys is an new species of stink bug invading peoples homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This invasive new pest was first discovered near Allentown, Pa. in 1996 and is being studied by entomologists at Rutgers and Penn State. It can cause damage to fruiting plants on farms and home orchards. It may also be damaging to vegetable crops and ornamentals. Surveys are underway to monitor how widespread it will become.
The bugs are harmless but a nuisance to home owners because they congregate on warm surfaces and invade homes. Unlike most other stink bugs they give a pheromone(scent) that causes them to aggregate in large numbers. Unlike box elder bugs and Asiatic lady bugs that act similarly, when you crush or damage them they stink.
You may get other stink bugs in your home but nothing as persistent or aggressive at the Marmorated Stink Bug hiding in your walls and openings around your air conditioner.
At our Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station we are trying to track the invasiveness so request anyone seeing the bug to register on our web site at www.njaes.rutgers.edu./stinkbug/ This site contains some excellent information on identification and control measures.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Now that your gardens have passed their peaks and your harvests are coming to an end it is time to think about next years’ plantings. You may wonder “Why should I thing about next year?” Well. The best gardens are the result of long-term planning. Fall gardening activities include soil preparation, planting and mulching.
Fall plantings of bulbs, trees and shrubs can make for a beautiful spring. Bulbs such as tulips, crocus, hyacinths and daffodils need to be planted in late-October to November. This is done in order for the bulbs to go through a cold period to promote blooming in the spring. Hate that ugly yellowing leaves of your daffodil and tulip foliage – when you plant your bulbs in the fall, simply interplant all the bulbs with perennial flowers. Fall interplanting is an easy project that makes your spring and summer garden look great.
Trees and shrubs can be planted from September through November before the ground freezes. Like in spring, fall is a good time for planting trees and shrubs because they are less likely to go through heat and drought stress. In winter, roots of trees and shrubs can be protected by mulching. Also flower bulbs, asparagus roots, rhubarb and other perennials also appreciate a blanket of mulch to keep them warm through the winter months. Mulch should be 2-4 inches deep. A variety of materials can be used, such as compost, straw. Leaves, wood chips and grass clippings.
We tend to forget our gardens after gardens after the harvests are over. However, by caring for our landscapes now, they will reward us during the growing season with beautiful flowers and delicious garden vegetables. Gardening is an enjoyable and relaxing activity. Even after the harvests we can still spend time outside improving our landscapes.

Things to do this month:
Dig and store non-hardy summer flowering bulbs (cannas, dahlias, gladiolas). After digging, let them sit in a warm place to dry. Then store them in a dry, cool location.
Divide daylilies, irises, astilbles, peonies and other spring flowering perennials.
Seed Lawns no later than October 15th.

Things to look for this month:
Older needles on white pines turning yellow and dropping, a normal seasonal occurrence.
Control Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on hemlocks and other types of pines with soaps or oils.
Check for fall invaders, make sure you seal entry points and remove trash and other materials near your home where they can overwinter.

Rutgers, NJAES Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County is now offering the Jr. Master Gardener program. Jr. Master Gardeners is a new and innovative youth gardening project. It is modeled after the highly popular Master Gardener program, and offers horticulture and environmental science education through fun and creative activities. The project is geared towards children in grades 3 through 8. The JMG program introduces young gardeners to the art and science of gardening, and helps them develop leadership and life skills to become good citizens within their communities, schools and families. The Gloucester County program will begin in November. For more information about becoming involved with Jr. Master Gardener contact Rutgers, NJAES Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County at 856-307-6450 ext 1 or email cummings@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Fall arrived on September 23 with cool weather on the way. That’s good news for our lawns in NJ, since our lawn grasses are primarily cool season species, such as Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass. These grasses thrive in the fall, growing vigorously, recovering from the stresses of summer and preparing for winter—provided they have adequate water and nutrition, that is. To make sure that soil fertility is within the optimum range for plant growth, (don’t guess!) soil test.

Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory, a service unit of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, analyzes soil samples to determine essential nutrient levels and soil pH and then provides appropriate recommendations for fertilizer and limestone, if needed. For more information about soil testing at Rutgers, see http://njaes.rutgers.edu/services. Instructions can be found under the link for Soil Testing Laboratory. For more information about lawn care, see Rutgers Cooperative Extension publications at http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/category.asp?cat=5.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent