Winter 2010-11 MG Newsletter

Winter Potlucks:

Douglas Potluck, December 1, 1 p.m.

Reno Potluck December 6, noon

Hello Everyone!

I hope you have all been enjoying this beautiful autumn. It was a wonderful October. Its large amounts of rain, created a perfect stage for the most breath-taking fall colors I have seen in years. Most years, we see the leaves start to change and then they freeze or blow away with the wind. I never imagined when I put the article in last month’s newsletter about how and why leaves change color, that we would have such a great example of those colors around us this fall.

I made a special trip up to Spooner Summit just to see the aspens change from bright green to golden yellow to shades of warm peach. Can you say spectacular? Wow…

Not to mention the over 5 inches of rain I received at my house. Now that was amazing! It has been years since I have seen such a beautiful display of lightning-mixed heat, pounding thunder and puddle-creating rain.

So, how about your gardens? The vegetable gardening season for the Truckee Meadows area ended in late

October. Of course, right when many of us where watching our tomato plant go gangbusters with new tomatoes. It was definitely a different year for everyone when it came to vegetables. Some gardeners had a wonderful year and other struggled. Probably the best advice you could give to any new gardener that had a difficult year is don’t give up! Each year is different and with all the micro climates throughout our area/state it is common for one person to have great

success and another down the road to just have an “ok” year.

For many new gardeners and even seasoned gardeners, a rough year can be discouraging. However, as our autumn turns to winter and the

garden goes dormant, inspiration for the new year comes in the mailbox. I have already received three catalogs promoting hope with new seeds, starts and trees for the 2011 gardening season.

I hope you enjoy all the beauty of winter and the time to plan for next years flower, herb and vegetable gardens.

Words From Wendy 1

Email for Master Gardeners 2

Seed Folks Mentoring Program 2-3

Volunteer/Educational Opportunities 3-4

Roof Top Garden 4-5 Visiting Victoria 5-6

De-icers: Safety Versus Salt Damage 7-9

Inside this issue:

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Winter 2010-11

Words from Wendy

MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER

With the new year coming upon us, we are planning on switching over to a new way of providing information to you and for you to provide information to us. Heidi and I are currently researching a new online reporting system so Master Gardeners will be able to type volunteer hours directly into the University’s online database. This will allow you to

keep track of your hours by putting them into the system

at your convenience. In addition, you will be able to do it from home, our office or any public computer. You will also be able to check on your hour totals without having

to wait for a newsletter.

By Summer 2011, our newsletters will also be going

out by email with hard copies available in each county office. If you did not receive this newsletter by email, our office does not have your correct email or an email address. Please email Ashley at [email protected] to ensure you are on the list.

We will keep you updated as to progress and initiation of our new online system.

Email for Master Gardeners

Seed Folks Mentoring Program by Lyannae Fischback, Urban Roots

Watching kids learn in a garden is like filling up a tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. They sparkle and bubble with excitement as they move from row to row pulling back giant squash leaves, tickling the webs of garden spiders, gently helping beans curl around their poles, secretly snatching a few to taste. Watching them, I am filled with optimism, knowing that they will belong to a new generation of kids that will understand the connections between their dinner plates and the land.

That is the mission of Urban Roots Garden Classrooms, connecting kids with where their food comes from. We have been working with schools

in Washoe County for just over a year now to create meaningful gardens, where kids can be inspired and learn. As our gardens grow and mature, so do the communities connected with them.

Starting in spring, we would like to grow the community of one of our gardens even more. We are recruiting volunteers, who have an excitement for gardening that they can share with the students at High Desert Montessori School. Volunteers would be a part of our Seed

Folks program, which is based on the wonderful book

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. In the book, a community in Cleveland comes together to create a beautiful community garden, without even realizing it. Our program partners volunteers from the community with one

or two students for one hour each week over the course of 12 weeks. Volunteers work and

learn side-by-side with students on garden activities planned by Urban Roots, the school and the students. Each week’s activity focuses on teaching kids some basic gardening skills (such as

“Each week’s activity focuses on teaching kids

some basic gardening skills…”

starting seeds, laying irrigation, testing soil, harvesting, etc) and inspiring wonder. In addition to the 12 weeks of activities, volunteers are asked to commit to one training session prior to meeting with students for the

first time. Volunteers can also pair up to make the commitment more flexible.

We hope that you will consider becoming a part of changing the way kids eat and learn! If you are interested in being a Seed

Folks mentor, please e-mail or call me, Lynnae Fischbach at [email protected] or 218-349-9065.

Peace, love and broccoli!

WINTER

Seed Folks Mentoring Program (Continued)

Potlucks

Douglas: Douglas Extension office, December 1 and February 2, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Reno: Reno Cooperative Extension office, December 6 at noon.

Volunteer Opportunities

Phones: Phone calls and walk-ins at the Reno office have slowed drown considerably. In October, we changed the shift schedule for the reduced calls to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. During winter, the office can be extremely slow, but we welcome your help with miscellaneous office projects. If the standard shift does not work for your schedule, we are happy to work with you. To sign up, call Wendy or Ashley, 775-784-4848.

Reno office perennial dig: Our Reno office move date has

been pushed to early spring 2011, construction progress dependent. We would like to be able to move

many of the perennial plants to the new facility. If you would like to help transplant the perennials and bulbs the front of the Reno

office and the Cliff Fouts Demonstration garden to the new office, please call or email Ashley to be placed on the call list, 784-4848, or [email protected].

Office Packing Committee:

If you like packing and organizing, our Reno horticulture office needs you. When we finally get to the point that we have an official move date for our Reno office, we would greatly appreciate the help. We will be boxing up files, books, demo garden supplies, pots and everything that’s movable/usable. If you are interested in helping call or email Ashley to be placed on the call list, 784-4848, or [email protected].

Educational Opportunities

Wells and Septic Class: Join Sue Donaldson on December 13, 9-11 a.m. in the Carson City

office, 2621 Northgate Ln., Ste. 12, or by videoconference in Yerington to learn more about well and septic systems. You’ll learn how (and when) to test your domestic well water and what steps to take to protect the water from contamination. You’ll also learn how a septic system works and develop a schedule for routine maintenance, as well as identify common problems and their solutions.

Sign up for the Carson City location by calling or emailing Ashley at 775-784-4848 or [email protected]. For Yerington, please contact Marcia Moffitt, 775-463-6541 or [email protected]. There is no charge for the training, but participation is limited due to room size at class locations.

Botany at Truckee Meadows Community College:

This introductory course starts in late January. To attend, register with TMCC for BIOL

Volunteer/Educational Opportunities


Some of my favorite memories are those of time spent in the garden. Picking the beautiful Peace roses my mother grew or watching the ants crawl up and down her peonies like an army on the way to battle. I remember how much fun my children had making mud pies and catching fireflies at night. They thought it was great when we would go out to pick strawberries and tomatoes. Just think if the only memories of gardening you had were made in a garden on the roof of the homeless shelter you were living in.

This summer I read an interesting article in Edible Reno-Tahoe about an exciting project being started at The Reno Family Homeless Shelter. A rooftop garden was built by Washoe County School District Department of Child and Family Services and local volunteers. Having volunteered for approximately two years around the corner from the shelter at

a local food pantry, I felt this was a project I wanted to be involved with. I contacted the project coordinator , Jenn Tappan , and set up a time to meet at the shelter. We went to the rooftop to look at the six beds that had already been built and planted, mostly with tomatoes. The roof of the shelter houses the kids playground so it was built to be load bearing which was ideal for the garden beds. After my tour, I knew immediately that I wanted to help with the gardens in whatever capacity I could. Exposure to these gardens may be the only chance for the children who live there to grow things. The hope is that by helping to grow the

vegetables the families will be more likely to consume and enjoy fresh foods. The garden also creates a positive community feeling among residents. Families work together to take care of plants, and children learn to share watering duties and gardening tools.

When I went though the Master Gardener Training, it was because a friend asked me to attend with her. When class was over, I didn't have any particular community service in mind for my newly acquired gardening skills.

After volunteering a few times at the rooftop garden at the Reno Family Homeless Shelter, I knew this was why I became a Master Gardener. It was so

Roof Top Garden by Susan Lester, Master Gardener

“Exposure to these gardens may be the only chance for the children who

live there to grow things. “

Volunteer/Educational Opportunities (continued)

202. Questions? Call 673-8251.

Nevada Landscape Association 21th Annual Conference

The conference will be held January 19, at Truckee

Meadows Community College. The conference will again feature numerous seminar tracks. In past year MGs have assisted with monitoring tracks and registration. If you are

interested in assisting, call Wendy or Ashley, 775-784-4848. For information on the conference go to: www.nevadanla.com.

This past summer I had the good fortune to visit some fabulous gardens. My husband and I took our camper up the coast to Victoria, Canada. Along the way, we marveled at fabulous scenery and gorged ourselves on fresh fish and produce. If you haven’t been through the Pacific Northwest, or it’s been a while, I highly recommend it.

We camped at beautiful state and national parks, often right across from the ocean in forested campgrounds. We saw everything from tidepool ecosystems on the Oregon coast to the rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula. Crystal

clear lakes and carpets of green treetops surrounded us almost everyday. There’s nothing like returning to nature to refresh and revitalize. In addition, there’s nothing like the world’s great gardens to inspire design ideas. Start at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens to see formal gardens, a dense coastal pine forest and fern-covered canyons. The camellias, rhododendrons and magnolias are gorgeous. You can hike the trails for hours and end up perched over the Pacific Ocean. The floral diversity, aromas and picturesque designs make this

a haven for gardeners. Besides, the 67- degree weather is a welcome break from the summer heat of Reno. The jungle of pines, firs and ferns continues as you head north along the coast and enter Oregon. There are many places to find the perfect crab cake and take in a dramatic view of giant rock formations jutting right up and out of the shoreline. There’s fresh Petrale sole, Red snapper and mussels at the many fish markets. Near Coos Bay, you can stop at Shore Acres State Park to see the gardens of Louis J. Simpson where they cultivate hundreds of varieties of roses, dahlias,

WINTER

Visiting Victoria by Carol Feldmen, Master Gardener

much fun planting cool crop seeds with the children and their parents. The kids loved digging in the beds and planting seeds. Seeing the youngsters eating the cherry tomatoes and walking away with tomato seeds stuck on their smiling faces was very rewarding. Last week we made scarecrows with the families and boy did we have fun! They had another crop of tomatoes to pick and I heard they planned to have bruschetta night with their harvest.

Plans for the future include building hoop houses so residents can garden year round and adding more beds next year. There is a need for materials for the hoop houses which we hope to build very soon. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have extra supplies you would like to donate.

Wish List:

3/4-inch galvanized electrical conduit (EMT), cut into 10-foot lengths

The use of a pipe bender 1-inch medium snap clamps Sandbags and sand to fill

them Agribon row cover Plastic greenhouse film

I hope all of you who are reading this can be as fortunate as I am in finding such a rewarding service to the community in which to donate your Master Gardener skills.

Roof Top Garden by Susan Lester, Master Gardener


rhododendrons and azaleas in fabulous colors. There seems to be an endless number of shops and cafes along Highway 101 for things like woodworking, glass blowing and antiques, and you can get a view of sea lions and seals from the road. Newport has a world-class aquarium and you can stop at some classic lighthouses, like Heceta Head, one of the oldest. Then you enter the Olympic Peninsula (Olympic National Park). Hiking into the rainforest, you might expect a pre-historic animal to wander by. The trees hang heavy with moss and the striking overgrowth muffles your sounds. Large mushrooms and slugs come in a variety of sizes and colors we don’t see here in Reno, and there’s the occasional bog along the trails. You can camp right in the rainforest at Lake Quinault, where you can check out the world’s largest Sitka Spruce. After a tour of Sequim, through its Alpaca farms and lavender fields, you can take the ferry to Victoria…yet another wonderland. The city is vibrant and clean, full of shops and restaurants. After taking

in the Royal BC Museum, we headed up the Saanich Penninsula to camp by the ocean with more fresh fish and produce for the barby. The highlight of our trip was

Butchart Gardens, where you can see the very formal designs of Jennie Butchart and hear about the interesting history of the place. In 1904, she started with an emptied quarry (an enormous pit carved out of limestone) and called it the “sunken garden.” Using the natural shape of the pit, she built hillside terraces and lakes. She oversaw the construction of the Japanese, Italian and Rose gardens herself, setting the gold standard for garden design. In

the 55 acres of display area there are ancient and interesting species of trees like the Monkey Puzzle tree, and dahlias that are almost 7 feet tall with flowers the size of a human head.

Nearby is the Butterfly Garden, much smaller and more casual, but interesting if you would like to see the caterpillars, larvae, cocoons, butterflies and moths on display. The place is a-flutter with large, colorful butterflies that land on you randomly. There’s a lovely Koi pond, and over 200 species of orchids. On the journey home, if you head southeast, you can camp at Mt. Rainier National Park and see

subalpine meadows dotted with yarrow, lupin, lilies and berry bushes. Heading back into Oregon there’s more fresh produce (u-pick blueberries) and excellent wineries along the Columbia River Gorge. One more national park stop is at awesome Crater Lake, and you’re almost home. It was a fun, interesting and relaxing itinerary…possibly everything you want in a summer vacation.

Visiting Victoria (Continued)

“The place is a-flutter with large, colorful butterflies…”

WINTER

I can always tell when winter has arrived. In place of layers of dead bugs accumulating on my car windshield, I now accumulate a smear of salt.

Prior to the advent of the snowplow, salt was first used in the 1930s on snowy roads to make them safe and drivable. Now, in addition to plowing, during storms and when roads get icy, state, county, and city roads crews use a mixture of sand and salt to melt ice and maintain traction and safety on roadways. Sand is used to help provide traction, while salt is used to decrease the temperature at which water will freeze, keeping it liquid at lower temperatures. Washoe County uses about 490 cubic yards of a 3-to-1 mixture of sand to rock salt annually to treat 535 miles of road. Homeowners and business people also often use rock salt (sodium chloride, or table salt) on slippery sidewalks and driveways.

While salt is a necessary part of winter road safety, it does have its drawbacks (beyond my dirty windshield). We tend to focus most of our attention on the damage salt does to cars. Its corrosive nature contributes to rusting. Salts can also damage concrete,

including bridge infrastructure. And, when the ice and snow melt, all that salt has to go somewhere. Unfortunately for your plants, it often winds up on landscaping.

Salts injure plants in several ways. The chloride ion is considered the most toxic element of deicing salts, causing much of the direct plant tissue damage. When salt sprays from puddles onto plants as cars drive by, it may scorch leaves or kill buds and twig tips on deciduous plants, especially during spring. Pines in general are especially noted for their sensitivity to roadside deicing salts. When affected, pine needles may become pale green, yellow, or brown in late winter. If the damage is from salt spray, the dying vegetation will be on the side of the plants facing the road or driveway.

Accumulation of salt in the soil also makes it difficult for plant roots to absorb water. Excess sodium affects soil structure, and may result in poor infiltration and increased erosion. The sodium ions can displace essential plant nutrients, decreasing soil fertility. Salt accumulation in soil will also inhibit seed germination of grasses and

wildflowers.

The level of damage varies, depending on the concentration of salts in the water running onto your plants, the amount of snowfall, the timing of rains that may help wash off the foliage, the type of soil, and the condition of the plants. Healthy, mature plants that are not drought-stressed will withstand salts better than newly established, young plants.

There are several de-icers on the market, each having different properties (see table). For the best selection, purchase products early in the season. If you wait until the big storm hits, you may not have many choices. Be sure to read and follow product instructions carefully, as all de-icers have the potential to damage vegetation when overused.

In addition to selecting less toxic de-icers, follow these tips to minimize salt damage to plants.

Don’t use de-icing salts adjacent to sensitive plants.

Shovel early and often. Scrape away as much snow and ice as possible to minimize the need to use salt.

If you must use salt, mix it with sand to reduce the

De-icers: Safety Versus Salt Damage by Susan Donaldson


amount needed. You only need about a handful of rock salt per square yard treated.

Don’t shovel salt-laden snow and ice onto plants.

Construct temporary barriers using plastic, burlap or snow fencing to keep snow piles off plants.

Wrap newly planted conifers with burlap to protect them from salt spray.

Plant salt-tolerant species in areas where salt use cannot be avoided (see table).

If plants have been exposed to excess salts, wash off the foliage, and irrigate thawed soils to help move the salts out of the root zone.

Water plants every three weeks during winter if precipitation has not fallen, to help avoid plant stress.

Beyond plant damage from de-icers, recent research has focused on water quality concerns. Because salty road runoff flows, untreated, via storm drains into local creeks and rivers, it adds to the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) and sediment in our local waterways, making it difficult

to meet regulatory limits. Road maintenance departments help reduce salt runoff by storing their salt mixtures in the eye-catching mushroom-like domes found along freeways. They also install sediment canisters on drainage structures to trap sand and salt and keep them out of our rivers.

What can you do to keep salt out of our waterways? Whenever possible, use less salt. Remove snow before it becomes compacted, and let

the sun melt the residue. When traction is needed, use sand alone or consider using an alternative de-icer, such as

calcium magnesium acetate. Substances such as ash and kitty litter should be avoided, as they do not melt ice, and instead tend to glom together in a sticky mess that tracks

into your house. With a little careful planning, your plants will stay healthy, and river water quality will benefit.

De-icers: Safety Versus Salt Damage(Continued)

Sensitive Tolerant

Trees American elm Black locust

Green ash Cottonwood

Hemlock Honey locust

Pin oak Quaking aspen

Red maple Red oak

Sugar maple White oak

Shrubs Dogwood Honeysuckle

Rose Privet

Spirea Serviceberry

Evergreens Douglas fir Austrian pine

Hemlock Colorado blue spruce

Red pine Jack pine

Spruce Juniper

White pine Mugho pine

Examples of Salt-Sensitive and Salt-Tolerant Plants

WINTER

De-icers: Safety Versus Salt Damage (Continued)

De-icer Benefits Problems Calcium chloride Very effective de-icer;

can use lower amounts

Effective to -20 F or lower

Can damage the roots of plants

Very corrosive

More expensive than salt

Calcium magnesium acetate Less toxic; does not harm plants or concrete

Effective to about 22 F

Nontoxic to aquatic organisms

Significantly more expensive than other alternatives

Acts more slowly and is less effective than salt in cold conditions

Can release heavy metals from soil into groundwater

Magnesium chloride Effective to about -10 F

Studies have found less impact on turf grass when magnesium chloride is used

Corrosive; some studies have found more damage to concrete from magnesium chloride than other de-icers

Damaging to plants Potassium chloride Effective to about 20 F Less effective as a de-icer

Can damage the roots of plants

Excessive use may cause plant damage through nutrient imbalances and/or excessive soluble salts

Sodium chloride (rock salt) Least expensive alternative

Effective to about 15 F

Readily available

Can damage soil, plants, and metals

Very corrosive

Urea (46% soluble nitrogen) Effective to about 20 F

Less corrosive and safer for use on concrete containing rebar

Can damage plants if overused

Fairly expensive

Large amounts must be used to melt ice

Not very effective

Can contaminate groundwater and surface water with nitrates

Benefits and Problems of Common De-icers

WESTERN AREA

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

This newsletter is produced by the horticulture staff in the Washoe County office.

Wendy Hanson Mazet, Horticulture Program Assistant, Master Gardener Program Coordinator, and Master Gardener Newsletter Editor

Leslie Allen, Commercial Horticulture Program Coordinator

Penny Leyer, Washoe County Horticulture Assistant

Ashley Vollmar, Washoe County Administra-tive Assistant

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners help people improve their lives through education. They are committed to improving themselves, their community and their environment by participating in

Web site: www.unce.unr.edu

Area Offices: Washoe County Cooperative Extension 5305 Mill St., Reno, NV 89502 (775) 784-4848 (ext. 120 for voicemail) [email protected]

Carson City/Storey County Cooperative Extension 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite 15 Carson City, NV 89706 (775) 887-2252

Douglas County Cooperative Extension 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville, NV P.O. Box 338, Minden, NV 89423 (775) 782-9960

Incline Village Cooperative Extension 855 Alder P.O. Box 3192 Incline Village, NV 89452 (775) 832-4150

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe 208 Capital Hill Road P.O. Box 256, Nixon, NV 89424 (775) 574-0101, ext. 28

Ask Master Gardeners questions at [email protected].

The Master Gardener Newsletter is published bimonthly by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension for the benefit of Master Gardeners, their families and others.

The University of Nevada, Reno is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical and mental disability, and sexual orientation in any program or activity it operates. The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Brand names are used for illustration purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement by Cooperative Extension.

WESTERN AREA

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

This newsletter is produced by the horticulture staff in the Washoe County office.

Wendy Hanson Mazet, Horticulture Program Assistant, Master Gardener Program Coordinator and Master Gardener Newsletter Editor

Heidi Kratsch, Western Area Horticulture Specialist

Ashley Vollmar, Washoe County Administrative Assistant

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners help people improve their lives through education. They are committed to improving themselves, their community and their environment by participating in horticultural education and activities. Master Gardeners are leaders in environmental stewardship through education.

Ask Master Gardeners questions at [email protected].

The Master Gardener Newsletter is published bimonthly by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension for the benefit of Master Gardeners, their families and others.

The University of Nevada, Reno is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical and mental disability, and sexual orientation in any program or activity it operates. The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Brand names are used for illustration purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement by Cooperative Extension.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Wendy in advance of your participation or visit.

University of Nevada, Reno

Cooperative Extension

WASHOE COUNTY OFFICE

UNR Mail Stop # 0408 Reno NV 89557

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Reno, NV Permit #26

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Winter 2010-11 MG Newsletter

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