Newsletter of the Delaware County Master GardenersPublished each even numbered month

Maquoketa River BotanistDELAWARE COUNTY

1417 N. Franklin StreetP.O. Box 336 Manchester, IA 52057

PH: 563-927-4201 FAX: 563-927-3744

February 2015

Extension programs are available to all without regard of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability.

Finally!!! An Iowa snow storm with some measurable snow amounts. Its about time we get a blanket of white and so far in the forecast temps to keep it that way. I thought we were going to get skunked this winter, glad it has taken a turn for the better. Now if we can just have a winter storm like the last one once a week for a few weeks, we’d be set!

Ok so by now you’re either cheering along side me, or shaking your heads at us cheering folks. I say enjoy the snow and everything about it! It has transformed our brown landscape into a white glistening wonder. The snow clinging to the trees, shrubs, and grasses is beautiful! The recent snow storm was so gorgeous I just had to get the dog out to the park to enjoy it!

If you love the snow like me, then hurry up and get out there and enjoy it! Winter camping is still calling my name this season!

And if you’re a humbug about the snow, well.... just sit back and relax, its bound to melt sooner or later. Later I hope!

Hannah Childs

Thanks to all who helped decorate the ornaments! They turned out fabulous!

BY RICHARD JAURON, GREG WALLACE

When temperatures are cold outside, it’s the perfect time to plan spring plantings. Include butter!y weed, a pretty, low maintenance perennial, in those plans to add signi"cant beauty and value to a lawn. For maximum growth and beauty, speci"c growing procedures should be followed.

These tips from horticulturists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach instruct how to best handle butter!y weed. To have additional questions answered, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.

What would be a good planting site for butter!y weed? The butter!y weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a member of the milkweed family. Plants grow two to three feet tall and produce !at-topped clusters of bright orange !owers from July through September. Their !owers attract several butter!y species, hence the common name.

Butter!y weed is an easy-to-grow, low maintenance, long-lived perennial. It performs best in full sun. Plants should receive at least six hours of direct sun per day. Plants grow well in a wide range of soils. However, good soil drainage is a must. Once established, the butter!y weed possesses excellent heat and drought tolerance. Because of the butter!y weed’s long taproot, transplanting is di#cult. Carefully choose a planting site and don’t disturb it. Also, the butter!y weed emerges slowly in spring. To prevent possible injury, mark the planting site and don’t cultivate in the area until the plant emerges.

While most butter!y weeds produce bright orange !owers, a few plants in the ‘Gay Butter!ies’ mixture have yellow or red !owers. The cultivar ‘Hello Yellow’ has yellow !owers.

Can the butter!y weed be divided?The butter!y weed possesses a long taproot. Because of its long taproot, division is di#cult and generally not recommended. The butter!y weed is most commonly propagated by seeds.

How do I germinate butter!y weed seeds?Harvest the seed pods of butter!y weed when the pods begin to split. Seeds can be sown directly outdoors in late fall or started indoors.

When sowing seeds outdoors, work up the soil in a protected location in early to mid-November. Scatter the seeds over the prepared seed bed and then cover the seeds with approximately 1/4 inch of soil. The cold, moist conditions over winter improve seed germination. Seedlings should emerge in spring. Carefully transplant the seedlings to their permanent locations when the seedlings are three to four inches tall.

To start seeds indoors, "ll a !at with a commercial germination medium. Moisten the medium. Scatter the seeds over the surface of the germination medium and lightly press the seeds into the material. Cover the seeds with an additional 1/4 inch of the germination mix. Carefully moisten the additional material. Slide the !at in a plastic bag and place the bagged !at in the refrigerator. Leave the !at in the refrigerator for four to six weeks. After four to six weeks, remove the !at from the refrigerator and place it in an area with a temperature of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Seeds should begin to germinate in three to four weeks. (If no seedlings appear after four weeks, place the !at back in the refrigerator for another four to six weeks and repeat the process.) Take the !at out of the plastic bag as soon as seedlings appear and place the !at under !uorescent lights in a 60 to 65 degree Fahrenheit location. Transplant the seedlings into individual pots when the seedlings are one to two inches tall. Continue to grow the seedlings indoors under !uorescent lights for several more weeks.

Prior to planting outdoors, place the seedlings outdoors in a shady, protected location and then gradually expose the seedlings to longer periods of direct sun. Plant the seedlings in their permanent locations after they have hardened outdoors for 10 to 14 days.

Add Butter!y Weed to Spring Landscape Plans

BY RICHARD JAURON, GREG WALLACEWith cold weather and snow outside, it's a good time to focus on indoor plants. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists o!er tips for keeping indoor plants healthy during winter months. For answers to additional questions, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.

Why does my "g tree lose some of its leaves during the winter?Environmental conditions indoors during the winter months are often rather poor. Low light levels, cold drafts, low relative humidities and other environmental factors are stressful to plants. The stressful conditions may cause "gs and other houseplants to shed a few leaves in winter. Good, consistent care during the winter months should keep leaf drop to a minimum.

Fig trees prefer brightly lit sites near windows. Sites near east and west windows often are best. Make sure the plant is kept away from cold drafts or heat sources. When watering a "g tree, continue to apply water until it begins to #ow out the bottom of the pot. Discard the excess water. Allow the soil surface to dry to the touch before watering the "g tree again. Figs, like most houseplants, don’t need to be fertilized during the winter months.

My African violets aren’t blooming well. Why?The African violets may not be receiving adequate light. The proper amount of light is essential for good bloom. Generally, windows with north or east exposures are best for African violets. However, if these exposures are not possible, the plants also perform well under #uorescent lights. Suspend #uorescent lights 8 to 10 inches above plants. The lights should be lit for 12 to 16 hours per day.

Excessive fertilization also could be responsible for the poor bloom. African violets need to be fertilized to promote bloom. However, excessive fertilization leads to vigorous vegetative growth and poor #owering. Using a complete, water soluble fertilizer, apply a dilute fertilizer solution once every two weeks in spring, summer and fall. Fertilization usually isn’t necessary during the winter months.

Take Care of Indoor Plants during Winter

If the deer enjoy dinner in your hosta beds, you can

deter them by sticking tree branches around the hosta plants. The deer don't like being poked in the eye by

the branches. This hint came from a horticulturalist in

Minnesota.

The leaves on my houseplant are covered with a sticky sap. There also are small “bumps” on the stems. What is the problem?It’s likely the houseplant is infested with scale insects. These small, inconspicuous insects have shell-like coverings. They attach themselves to stems or leaves and suck sap from plants. As they feed, the scale insects excrete a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew accumulates on the plant’s lower foliage, furniture, carpeting or other objects beneath the infested plant.

The life cycle of scale insects consists of the egg, nymph and adult stages. Eggs are laid below the scale coverings of the adult females. When the eggs hatch, the nymphs crawl from underneath their mother’s scale and move a short distance to their own feeding site. The newly emerged nymphs are also called crawlers. At their new locations, the nymphs insert their slender stylets (mouthparts) into the plant and begin sucking sap. The covering or shell develops soon after feeding begins. Scale insects remain at these feeding sites the rest of their lives.

A small scale infestation causes little harm to healthy houseplants. However, a heavy scale infestation may result in poor, stunted growth. In severe cases, death of infested plants is possible.

Scale insects are di!cult to control. Systemic insecticides are generally ine"ective. The shell-like covering protects the scale from contact insecticides. The only time scale insects are vulnerable to contact insecticides is during the crawler stage. Since scale insects on houseplants don’t reproduce at a speci#c time, scale-infested plants will need to be sprayed with insecticidal soap or other houseplant insecticide every seven to 10 days until the infestation is eliminated.

Small infestations can be controlled by individually scraping o" the scales or by dabbing each scale with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab. It’s often best to discard houseplants that are heavily infested with scale as control is nearly impossible and the insects could spread to other houseplants.

Ingredients• 2, 8 oz. Pkgs. Cream Cheese, softened• 2 c. Powdered Sugar• 1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract• 1, 16 oz. Container Cool Whip• 6 c. Chopped, Granny Smith Apples (about 6-7 apples, plus a few for garnish)• 10 Regular-Size Snickers, chopped (I froze mine unwrapped in a large plastic Ziploc bag and took the $at side of a meat mallot to them…worked like a charm)• Caramel Sauce

Instructions1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. On low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar and then the vanilla. Fold in the Cool Whip.

2. Stir in the chopped apples, reserving a few for garnish. Stir in 1 1/2 c. of the crushed Snickers. Spoon 1/3 of the mixture into a tri$e dish. Sprinkle half of the remaining Snickers onto the mixture. You can also drizzle with caramel sauce, which is what I did, but I thought it was a little too sweet and not necessary and wouldn’t do it again.

Spoon another 1/3 of the mixture into the tri$e dish and the remaining half of the Snickers (save a % c. or so for garnish). Spoon the remaining mixture into the tri$e dish and garnish with chopped apples, Snickers and caramel sauce. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve (it will probably get a bit runny the next day so I highly recommend making and serving it the same day).

Take Care of Indoor Plants during Winter Continued...

Apple Snickers Tri!e

Tomato Basil Soup with Parmesan Croutons

1/4 cup butter1/2 cup chopped onion1/2 cup chopped celery1/2 cup chopped carrots1/2 cup !our2 cups chicken stock or broth2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained1/2 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons sugar3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil plus additional for garnish, if desired.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until tender.

Stir in !our, cooking mixture until bubbly. Pour in chicken stock, tomatoes, (with juice), salt, and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for "ve minutes.

Carefully ladle soup into blender jar or use immersion blender to blend soup to desired consistency. Stir in basil just before serving. Yields 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

Serve soup topped with Parmesan Croutons and additional snipped basil if desired.

Parmesan Crotons

2 tablespoons butter, melted1 tablespoon grated Parmesans cheese2 slices sandwich bread

In a small bowl combine the butter and cheese. Remove crust from bread and cut each slice into 16 cubes. Place bread cubes in medium bowl and drizzle butter mixture over the top.

Toss to coat the bread and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Stir and bake for 5 more minutes (if needed) until bread is golden brown and toasted.

Cider

1 qt. cranberry juice2 qt. apple juice2 cups orange juice1 cup sugar (optional) - I doubled the recipe and put in about 1 3/4 cups of sugar

I put the following in a bag and !oated it in the crockpot. If you are doing it in a percolator put it in the top basket.

1 tsp. whole allspice1 tsp. whole cloves3 sticks cinnamon - broken

1/2 recipe = 8 cup percolator5-6 hours in a crockpot

Taking cuttings of geraniums is quite simple.

• First, prepare the soil and pots. You can use pots, a tray, peat pellets, whatever you like. I use a small plastic cup like a Dixie cup – I put a hole for drainage in one and !ll it with soil. Then I set that in another with no hole – That lets you water from the bottom and also provides for drainage. I recommend sterilized potting soil. If you are using indoor potting soil, it's a good idea to add some sand or pumice for good drainage.

• Next, locate some nice cuttings on your plants. Early spring is the best time to do it. Select succulent stems with green growth tips.

• Make cuttings about 4 inches long. Cut straight across with a sharp knife. If you cut on an angle, only part of the stem will root. A straight-across cut is necessary.

• Don't put the plant down on a table and cut down like an axe.

• Do hold the plant out and swipe in the jaunty fashion that "orists use in cutting the stem ends o# of roses. The movement should be smooth and swift but not dangerous with knives and blades "ashing about.

• Strip the leaves (if there are any) o# the bottom 1 1/2 inches of the cutting.

• With a pencil, chopstick or similar object poke a hole in the soil where each cutting will go. The hole should be about 2 inches deep. Dip each cutting in #1 rooting powder, available at all garden stores, some hardware stores, and a few "orists.

• Immediately stick the cuttings into rooting powder and then into soil. Some people even do the cutting underwater.

• Stick the cutting in the hole.

• Using the pencil again, poke the hole closed so that the soil is !rm around the base of the cutting.

• Put water into the outside cup and set the soil cop inside it. Put your cups of cuttings on a tray of some sort – I use an egg carton top, place them in a plastic bag and tie loosely. Set the tray near a heat source.

• Place in a bright location, such as right next to a window. In a few weeks your cuttings will be rooting -- but don't pull them out. That would wreck all that hard work.

• You will tell when your cuttings have "taken" because they will start to grow. Feed them with all-purpose plant food. Schultz green drops (7 per litre) will do. Just about anything will do to keep them happy indoors until it's time for your geraniums to go back outdoors.

• mixing 1/2 bottle of cheap beer• 1 tablespoon of Epson salts• 2 tablespoons of !sh emulsion in a • watering can (1-2 gallons) Needles to say, this is an extremely smelly concoction.

I do this to ALL my vegetable, "owers, and indoor plants. You will de!nitely notice thedi#erence in a few weeks! Don't waste too much money on the beer. Cheapest still works great -- plants aren't picky!

Rooting Geranium Cuttings

SECRET Fertilizer

Sweet and Salty White Chocolate PopcornIngredients:5 cups plain popcorn, popped1 (11 oz) bag white chocolate chips1 tablespoon shortening1 cup M & M’s chocolate candies1 cup mini pretzels1/2 cup salted peanuts

Directions:Pour popcorn into a large bowl. Mix in the M & M’s, pretzels, and peanuts. Spread out on a large jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet).Dump white chocolate chips and shortening into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 45 seconds, remove from microwave, and stir. Continue cooking at 25 second intervals, stirring each time, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.Drizzle chocolate over popcorn mixture and gently mix until most pieces are covered with chocolate.

OR

Popcorn tossed with dried cranberries and roasted salted cashew pieces, then drizzled with white chocolate. The perfect sweet and salty combination!

White Chocolate Cranberry Cashew Popcorn ~ Simply popped a bag of microwave popcorn, then tossed in a big bowl with some mini marshmallows, roasted salted cashew pieces, and dried cranberries. Then drizzled the mixture with melted white choco-late, tossed it to coat, then spread it out to cool and set. So quick and easy and so pretty—the perfect sweet and salty combination!

OR

WHITE CHOCOLATE PECAN POPCORN  1 bag microwave popcorn10 oz. almond bark1/2 c. pecan halvesPrepare popcorn in microwave. Put popcorn in large bowl. Melt almond bark in a 1 quart glass cup. Microwave on High for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to melt completely. Stir in pecan halves. Mix with popcorn. Mix well. Spread on cookie sheet. Allow to cool completely. Makes 2 quarts.

POPCORN!

INGREDIENTS1 cup raw almonds 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

INSTRUCTIONSPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Spread almonds in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar vanilla and salt over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted and mixture is almond brown in color, about 7-10 minutes. Immediately spread the hot caramel mixture evenly over the almonds. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. After 1-2 minutes, spread the chocolate chips in an even layer until smooth. Sprinkle with pecans. Let cool completely, about 2 hours. Break into pieces.

An unbelievably easy, no-fuss, Homemade to!ee recipe.Perfect as holiday gifts but you may to keep these all to yourself!

This article was published originally on 1/16/2015Cannas are bold, tropical-looking plants grown for their attractive !owers and foliage. Flower colors include yellow, orange, pink, and red. The large, banana-like foliage may be green, bronze, or burgundy. The foliage of some cultivars is striped or marbled in various colors. Most canna cultivars grow to a height of 3 to 5 feet. However, there are dwarf cultivars that grow only 1.5 to 2 feet tall. A few "giants" may reach a height of 8 to 10 feet. Cannas can be used as temporary screens, accents in beds, or as background plantings in borders. The smaller cultivars perform well in large containers. Cannas are normally grown from rhizomes. However, it is possible to grow cannas from seeds. Sow canna seeds indoors in mid- to late February in a commercial germination medium, such as Ji"y Mix. Prior to sowing, soak the seeds in water for 12 to 24 hours to soften their seed coats and improve germination. After sowing, lightly cover the seeds, then water the medium. Allow the medium to drain for a few minutes. Afterwards, cover the container with clear plastic wrap and place it in a warm location. The temperature of the medium should be maintained at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Germination should occur in 7 to 14 days. When the seeds germinate, remove the plastic wrap and place the seedlings in a sunny window or under !uorescent lights. When the canna seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into individual containers. Continue to grow the seedlings in a sunny window or under !uorescent lights. Harden the plants outdoors for 7 to 10 days before planting them in the landscape. Initially place the cannas in a shady, protected location. Then gradually expose the plants to longer periods of sunlight. Plant the cannas outdoors when the danger of frost is past (mid-May in central Iowa). Available seed-grown cannas include those in the Tropical and South Paci#c Series. Canna rhizomes can be planted directly outdoors after the danger of frost is past or started indoors in

large pots in March. The rhizomes should be planted 4 to 5 inches deep. Cannas perform best in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. (The planting site should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.) Water plants once a week during dry weather. To promote growth, fertilize in spring and mid-summer with a balanced garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10. Remove spent !owers to maintain their attractive appearance and promote additional blooms. Several viruses, such as canna yellow mottle virus and bean yellow mosaic virus, have become serious diseases of cannas in the last several years. Possible symptoms include mottling or streaking of foliage, stunting of plants, and poor !owering. Virus-infected cannas cannot be cured. Plants that exhibit virus-type symptoms should be dug up and destroyed. Because of virus problems, home gardeners should purchase cannas only from reputable garden centers/nurseries that sell virus-free plant material. Gardeners can choose from numerous canna cultivars. A sampling of some of the more popular cultivars is listed below. Green Foliage'Aida' - soft pink !owers, dark green leaves, 3 to 3.5 feet tall. 'City of Portland' - coral pink blossoms, green foliage, 3.5 to 4 feet tall. 'Crimson Beauty' - rose-red !owers, green foliage, 3 to 4 feet tall. 'Lucifer' - red !owers with yellow borders, green leaves, 2 feet tall. 'Miss Oklahoma' - watermelon pink blossoms, green foliage, 3 feet tall. 'Richard Wallace' - golden yellow !owers, green leaves, 4 feet tall. 'Rosamond Cole' - orange-red !owers with yellow edges, dark green foliage, 3 feet tall. 'The President' - scarlet blossoms, green leaves, 3 to 3.5 feet tall.

Growing Cannas in the Home Garden

Burgundy/Bronze Foliage'Black Knight' - crimson red !owers, burgundy leaves, 3 to 3.5 feet tall. 'Red Futurity' - dark red !owers, burgundy foliage, 3 to 3.5 feet tall. 'Wyoming' - orange !owers, bronze-red foliage, 3 to 4 feet tall. Variegated Foliage'Cleopatra' - yellow !owers with red spots, dark green foliage with bronze-red markings, 3 to 4 feet tall. 'Inferno' - orange-red !owers, foliage striped with green, yellow, orange, and pink, 3 to 4 feet tall.'Intrigue' - light salmon !owers, green and burgundy lance-leafed foliage, 8 to 10 feet tall. 'Pretoria' ('Bengal Tiger') - orange !owers, yellow and green striped foliage, 4 to 6 feet tall. 'Striped Beauty' - yellow !owers with white markings, green foliage with creamy yellow stripes, 3 feet tall. 'Stuttgart' - orange !owers, green and white variegated foliage, 3 to 4 feet tall. Seed-Grown CultivarsTropical Series - Cultivars in the Tropical Series include 'Tropical Rose,' 'Tropical Red,' 'Tropical Salmon,' 'Tropical Bronze Scarlet,' 'Tropical White,'

and 'Tropical Yellow.' Plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall. All have green foliage with the exception of 'Tropical Bronze Scarlet.' 'Tropical Bronze Scarlet' has scarlet red !owers and bronze foliage. South Paci"c Series - 'South Paci"c Scarlet' is a 2013 All-America Selection and currently the only cultivar available. Plants grow 3 to 4 feet tall, have green foliage, and produce scarlet red !owers. In Iowa, cannas will not survive the winter outdoors. Canna rhizomes must be dug in the fall and stored indoors over winter. Cut back plants to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground a few days after a hard, killing frost. Then carefully dig up the canna clumps with a spade or fork. Leave a small amount of soil around the cannas. Allow them to dry for several hours. Afterwards, place the cannas in large boxes, wire crates, or in mesh bags. Store the cannas in a cool (40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit), dry location. Large clumps can be divided next spring before planting. Each section (division) should have at least 3 to 5 buds.

By Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture

Growing Cannas in the Home Garden Continued...