Spring Flowers!

By Master Gardener Amy Weis

 

The greenhouses are starting to fill up at Richards Gardens 

With the Philadelphia Flower show and the snow (hopefully) ending the other week many people are starting to contemplate the flowers and plants they will be adding to their gardens this spring.  It may still be in the 30’s in the Lehigh Valley but the perennial and flower plant farmers in our area have been hard at work for the last several months; preparing and growing the plugs, bare rooted plants and seeds which will become full, bountiful and blooming plants by the time we purchase them in April or May.

We have a lot to choose from in the Lehigh Valley as we decide which plants to put in our gardens.  However, the plants we will eventually buy will fall into one of the following categories.

Woody plants are plants that have woody stems that persist above ground even through seasons that don't favor growth, due to low precipitation or temperatures. Woody plants include mainly trees and shrubs.

Annuals are plants that grow from seed to flower in one year and then die. Usually you buy annuals in the spring and know they will die in the fall.

Common annuals include marigolds, petunias, geraniums, impatiens, and zinnias.

Biennials are plants that require two years to complete their life cycle. First season growth results in a small rosette of leaves near the soil surface. During the second season's growth stem elongation, flowering and seed formation occur followed by the entire plant's death. Common biennials include foxglove, hollyhock, and pansies, black-eyed Susans and Queen Anne’s lace.

Perennials are plants that persist for many growing seasons. Generally the top portion of the plant dies back each winter and regrows the following spring from the same root system (e.g. Purple Coneflower). Many perennial plants keep their leaves year round. Common Pennsylvania perennials include peonies, sedum, asters, coreopsis and phlox.

When I begin my spring search for annuals and perennials, one of my first stops each year is the perennial nursery of the dynamic mother - daughter duo of Emma and Roxie Richards of Richards Gardens, off a quiet back road in Quakertown, Pa. Emma Richards has been growing and selling plants for 35 years, starting with field grown pansies in the 1970’s. Her farm has been in the family for many years belonging first to her grandfather, John Roth, in the latter part of the 19^th century. Emma and Roxie’s customers come from the entire tri-state area and include grandchildren of Emma’s original customers. Their only real form of marketing for thirty-five years has been word of mouth and it seems to have worked quite well.

The Richards, along with other perennial and plant farmers in the valley, are now in the process of putting out plugs and bare roots in their greenhouses and starting their potted seeds. The pictures below are of their greenhouses now. Look for the same greenhouse pots in a few weeks in this blog to see the plants you and others in the Valley may be buying come spring.

Learn to Grown Your Own: Every home gardener will find something of interest at Workshops for the Gardener!  Workshops for the Gardener is scheduled for Saturday, April 12^th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the PPL Walbert Training Center.  The event kicks off with a lively discussion about growing the very best heirloom tomatoes with expert Steve Bogash, one of our own Penn State Extension Horticulture Educators. Choose from sessions on home garden topics taught by our Master Gardening volunteers. Topics include:  Growing Great Cut Flowers; Year-Round Garden Maintenance; Ticks, Mosquitoes, and West Nile Virus; Ten Plants That Changed the World; African Violets; and Shade Gardening.  For the final session, participants will have a chance  to choose a demonstration to observe and interact with the instructor. Demonstration topics include: Herb Gardening, Rain Barrels, and Garden Photography.  You can peruse the garden fair to find books, plants, jewelry, soaps and more for purchase.  The conference will also feature a silent auction to benefit the Master Gardener program. The conference costs $50 with lunch included.  To register online go to http://www.cvent.com/events/workshops-for-the-gardener/event-summary-c76210525d4e4b04b6d8a170ec0a8e84.aspx

References:

aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu  

Woody plants of Utah, Renee Van Buren

Herbaceous Perennial Production, A guide from Propagation to Marketing, Dr. Leonard Perry – University of Vermont

www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/introsheets/nurserybiz.pdf

Long Winter on the Farm

By Master Gardener Marianne McNeil

This winter has been unusually cold with major snow storms causing difficulties for all of us. I am tired of hearing about the polar vortex and will rejoice this year when spring finally arrives. This cold and snowy winter was predicted in the Old Farmers Almanac! How has this unusually cold and snowy weather affected our local farmers?

In the winter, most farmers try to accomplish the tasks that they have little time for during the growing season.  They inspect and repair their farm equipment and tractors. They check their inventory and determine what needs to be ordered for the next season. This is the time when they do soil tests to determine if they need any additional fertilizers and nutrients applied. They also complete much of their paperwork during the winter months and plan on what crops to grow next year based on pricing. The difficult winter weather has certainly slowed our local farmers' progress on some of these tasks. Our local farmers have added snow removal to their list of chores. On some farms, drifting snow can make snow removal a daily chore!  

Local dairy farmers have no rest during the winter months. They still have to feed and care for their cows and milk them twice a day.  This is an especially hard winter for dairy farmers since roads must be cleared to get feed and to transport their milk to market. Any farmer that cares for cattle and livestock has also been experiencing difficulties with all this snow.

In the winter, farmers will also have to contend with some damage from ice storms to fruit trees and berry bushes.  Also, some crops are planted in the fall as a cover crop or some are perennial   like alfalfa. These plants may heave out of the ground when there are numerous freeze and thaw cycles in the winter. The plants may be damaged or die completely. This means less natural fertilizer or produce and added cost to the farmer.

This winter, trucks have deposited tons of rock salt on our roads and our soil.  Salt damage to plants can be a problem to both farmers and homeowners. Salt adsorbs water and causes dehydration at the roots of plants. Salt ions also combine with important nutrients in the soil that plants need, making them unavailable. Salt ions can also build up in the plant to toxic levels causing damage to buds, leaf tips and young twigs. Near roads, you might observe corn or soybean plants that are stunted with brown leaves. This is probably caused by salt damage. This damage may be present for several growing seasons after a snowy winter like this one. Penn State Extension recommends calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) as an alternative to rock salt to avoid plant damage.

It may seem that farmers have it easy in the long winter months, but they are still working hard to bring us the fresh food we love. They have to contend with snow removal, feeding livestock and possible plant damage. This snowy winter, their work has been more difficult just like ours, so let's hope that soon the snow shoveling will be over!


Sources:
Old Farmers Almanac:
http://m.almanac.com/weather/longrange

Winter Alfalfa Survival

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/crops/forages/management/winter-alfalfa-survival

Salt damage to plants:
http://extension.psu.edu/plants/green-industry/news/2013/damage-from-de-icers

Alternatives to salt for de-icing:
http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/discovery-watersheds/news/2014/sidewalk-salt-and-stormwater

Counting Sheep

Occasionally when I have a difficult time falling asleep, I do try to “count sheep”.  It never really helps much, but it’s a pleasant thought, picturing sheep jumping one by one over a white split rail fence in a pastoral setting.   Sheep are not as popular to raise as cows and pigs are, but their popularity is increasing, especially with smaller operations.  Sheep (and goats for that matter) are efficient foragers; they get a larger portion of their daily nutrients from foraging than do most other animals, which helps to cut down feed costs.  They also eat and control most weeds.

According to the USDA, there were 86,000 sheep in Pennsylvania in 2012.  Sheep are raised for meat, milk (for cheese), breeding stock, and wool; however, current markets for wool are weak and likely only profitable if the wool is directly marketed for crafts.  At one time wool was the major source of income for sheep producers, but due to the decline in wool prices, many sheep producers are turning to raising hair sheep, or “naked” sheep, which do not have wooly coats and thus, eliminate or reduce the cost of shearing.

Want to learn more about raising sheep?  Come to Sheep Day!  Penn State Extension is holding a training session on Saturday, April 12^th from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Delaware County 4-H Farm & Educational Center in Newtown Square.  The workshop costs $20 for youth and $35 for adults with lunch included.  For more information or to register, visit http://www.cvent.com/events/sheep-day/event-summary-99ec79a3d4214185b3545fa1bc9aa059.aspx.  The registration deadline is April 4^th and space is limited.

     

Sources:

http://umaine.edu/publications/2186e/

Support Your Farmer:

Berks County: Winterside Sheep Farm

Bucks County: Ivy Acres

Lehigh Valley: Suyundalla Farms

Alpacas: Super Cute & Curious

By Meara Hayden, Penn State Extension Intern

I have always had an interest in unusual animals. The alpaca specifically captured my imagination. I have several pairs of incredibly warm and soft alpaca wool socks. There are plenty of alpaca farmers in our area, and I visited Harley Hill Farms in Quakertown to find out more about local Alpaca farming.

Photo taken at Harley Hill Farm

The farm is owned by Bill and Lori Oraschin. I spoke with Bill while standing amidst his female and young alpacas. The animals were incredibly friendly and tame. They came up and snuffled my hands, wondering if I had food. Their hair was very soft and thick. They didn’t seem bothered by my presence in the least. The alpacas possessed an innate intelligence that one does not expect from sheep or cows. They are interesting, curious animals.

Alpacas are raised primarily for the soft fiber they produce. They are sheared once a year, usually in May or June. White alpacas have the softest fiber, measured in microns, but softness is hereditary. So you could breed a softer brown alpaca if one of its parents was white. The young alpacas are called crias, and unlike their relative the llama, alpacas are not pack animals. Llamas can be used to guard the alpacas, and will herd them to safety and may fight to the death on their behalf. Alpacas require regular trims of their top knots and toenails, which the farmer can learn to do themselves to save on vet costs. You can keep about 5-7 alpacas per acre, although some keep as many as 10 per acre.

When an alpaca is brought to a farm show, about 60% of the score is based on the quality of their fleece, and about 40% is based on their proportions. A well-proportioned alpaca’s neck will be about as long as their back.

They are primarily cold weather animals, and barns do not require heating in the winter, but they will need cooling in the summer. The alpacas at Harley Hill Farm enjoy numerous fans, and the occasional hose spray under their bellies. They eat a mixture of hay and a grain mixture, with vitamin supplements. 

The fiber harvested from the Alpacas is sent to be turned into yarn, which is then either sold as is, or woven into hats, gloves, or rugs. The products made from alpaca fiber tend to be softer and more waterproof than those made from sheep’s wool. It also tends to be warmer, and hypoallergenic, due to the fiber’s hollow strands and lack of lanolin (a waxy substance found in sheep’s wool).

Most people who choose to raise alpacas must be willing to put in a big time commitment to keeping these animals happy. But their gentle softness may just make it worthwhile.

Resources: http://extension.psu.edu/animals/camelids 

Support Your Farmer:

Berks County: Charming Forge Alpacas in Womelsdorf

Bucks County: Harley Hill Farm in Quakertown

Lehigh County: Kraussdale Alpacas in East Greenville

Northampton County: Purple Haze Alpacas in Bangor

From French-fried to Twice Baked: the History of the Versatile Potato

By Meara Hayden, Penn State Extension Intern

Storage potatoes are one of the few veggies you picked up from your local CSA that are still around in the winter, and will continue to last until spring. They are a staple of our diets, and can be found growing in huge monoculture farms in Idaho, or small CSA style organic farms here in Pennsylvania. It is one of the most widely grown and consumed crops in the world. But how did this starchy tuber become something we expect from our local markets, and readily consume at our dinner tables?

Most people, when asked about the origin of the potato, will reference Ireland. The Irish seem to have a monopoly on the image of the potato. But the tuber didn’t come from Ireland, or anywhere in Europe at all, and the Europeans unwise handling of it is what lead to the great potato famine, and the beginning of the pesticide industry we know today.

            The potato is found naturally growing in the Andes, and most wild varieties are poisonous, especially in their raw form. Wild vicunas (wild relatives of the llama) will lick clay before consuming any part of the potato plant, because the clay sticks to the harmful substances and passes safely through the animal’s system. The native people of the Andes (Including the beginnings of what would be known as the Aztec civilization) emulated this behavior, and ate potatoes with clay powder. Over time, they selectively bred certain varieties to be completely safe to eat. In addition to eating them mashed, boiled, and baked, these ancient people would leave sliced potatoes out to freeze overnight, then dry during the day. The continuing freezing and thawing process produced long lasting, if bland, food that sustained the Aztec armies.

            The Aztec people grew a huge variety of potato plants, with every village having ten or twelve diverse varieties. And a village relatively near, but at a different altitude, would grow another ten to twelve varieties completely different from the first village. When the people of the Andes planted their potatoes, they would use the seeds that came off the top of the plant. This ensured that their potatoes remained diverse and resistant to disease.

            When the Europeans came to South America and brought the potato back for planting, they replanted using a “seed potato.” They would just take a potato from a mature plant, and put it back in the ground, growing a new plant. This method creates a plant that is genetically identical to its mother plant. When the potato eventually caught on in Europe, their entire fields were a monoculture. This made the new crop especially susceptible to disease, because the bacteria would not have to adapt to hop from plant to plant at all. This problem was not apparent until Europe, and especially Ireland, had a complete dependence on the potato for food. By the late 1790’s, about 40 percent of the Irish ate potatoes as their only solid food. In potato country, a 2,000 mile band in northern Europe where potatoes thrive, famine had almost disappeared.

            It was at this time that disaster struck the farmers of northern Europe and America, where the potato had been brought as a staple. They were using guano, imported from South America, for fertilizer. The guano brought disease with it. Phytophthora infestans, a type of water mold, is what caused the great potato famine. By the time the symptoms appear as purple to brown spots on the leaves, it is too late to save the plant. The first blight struck in 1845, and did not cease until 1852, after it had wiped out more than a million Irish.

            But the first potato blight was not as industrially important as the second, which came in the form of the colorado potato beetle. These black and orange bugs frustrated American farmers beginning in about 1860. Nothing seemed to kill them. One desperate farmer threw some leftover green paint on his plants. This worked. The bright green pigment was paris green, which is made mostly of copper and arsenic. Farmers began mixing it with water or dusting it as a dry powder.

The use of paris green in agriculture interested chemists. Are there other chemicals that could solve agricultural problems? In the 1880’s a french chemist discovered a solution of copper sulfate and lime would destroy Phytophthora infestans. If farmers sprayed this solution along with paris green, they would be rid of both the blight and the beetle. Potatoes marked the beginning of the modern pesticide industry.

Late blight and the Colorado potato beetle are still challenges for growers today, but over the years growers have learned how to manage them by growing resistant varieties and carefully monitoring pests.  Today, the United States produces more than 4.2 billion pounds of potatoes annually on around 1.1 million acres!

Support your local potato farmer!

Bucks – None Such Farms

Lehigh - Lichtenwalner Farms

Northampton - Clear Spring Farm

Berks – Burkholder Farm Market

Resources:

Smithsonian Magazine “How the Potato Changed the World” http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-potato-changed-the-world-108470605/?page=6

Penn State Extension “Potato Production” http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/horticulture/vegetables/potato-production

Check this out if you’re looking to plant potatoes in your garden in the spring!        

Grow Your Veggies on a Local Farm

By Master Gardener Marianne McNeil

Fresh vegetables from your garden, especially tomatoes, often taste better than the ones you buy in a grocery store.  There is some evidence that vegetables that do not sit on a supermarket shelf and are eaten sooner, direct from a garden, have higher nutritional value.  Also, knowing how your vegetables have been grown and where they come from is important to all of us.  Many of us have started home vegetable gardens to have fresh produce right at our fingertips.

As a gardener, I recognize that there are some difficulties in growing your own vegetables in your backyard. First and foremost is having the space necessary. If you want to feed a family of four, the Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests that a well-planned garden should be about 10 feet x 16 feet.  If you live in the city, backyard space is at a premium. You may need your backyard space for your children or for your dog. Penn State Extension recommends that your vegetable garden should have at least 6 hours per day of sunlight, with 8 to 10 hours, being ideal so if you have some large shade trees then your yard might not be right for growing. Another limitation is having the time in your busy life to devote to growing vegetables, and gardening also requires expensive tools that may not be available to you. Your knowledge of correct garden practices and pest management may also be a factor in your decision to start a garden (Of course, your extension office can provide support here).  Finally, you may have physical limitations that prevent you from gardening.  All these factors may prevent you from growing enough vegetables for you and your family in your backyard. However, there are alternatives.

One alternative to backyard gardening that will provide you and your family with fresh vegetables (and sometimes fruit, meats and cheeses) all year and help our local farmers is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.  In a previous blog, our Master Gardener Coordinator, Erin Fredrick, described CSA programs.  These programs are becoming popular in our area. Now is a great time to investigate them and find out if they would be a good fit for you and your family. Winter is the time when many programs are calling for new members.

In a CSA program, you will contract with a local farmer to grow the nutritious vegetables that you love!  You do this by purchasing “shares” in the program. The planning takes place in the winter before the farmer orders seeds or starts seedlings in a greenhouse. The farmer can plan in advance how much of each vegetable is needed for the members of the CSA.  The farmer’s risk is reduced because you are providing the “capital” or money upfront for growing the vegetables. You are also accepting some risk if a certain crop is greatly affected by local growing conditions, pests or disease. However, when you plant a backyard garden, you are also putting in money upfront and you have the same risks.  Local farmers are more experienced in planning and dealing with garden problems, and vegetables produced locally do not include the costly price of shipping.  In the long run, a CSA may be a less costly option for you, and you will also connect with a fine local farmer!

Our local CSA programs vary greatly. Some CSA farmers only grow certain types of produce. Others provide a host of vegetables and some fruit choices. Some local CSAs provide certified organic produce while others use integrated pest management to reduce their use of chemical herbicides and pesticides.  It can be expensive to obtain full organic certification so many small farms do grow their produce chemical-free and sustainably without this expense.  Since local farms are family owned, they are careful about the chemicals they use. Remember, their family is eating the same produce! Some local farms have spring, summer, fall and even winter CSA programs. Others only focus on one or two growing seasons.

Here is a list of questions that you might ask the local farmer before committing to a CSA:

·         What do you grow? Do you specialize?

·         How do you grow your produce? 

·         What is your growing period or season? Start and end dates?

·         Is the produce delivered? If not, what is the location and time for pick-up?

·         How much produce? Is there a minimum amount for the program? Is there a fixed amount?

·         How is payment handled? All upfront? Quarterly? Seasonally?

·         How do you resolve problems if produce is not as expected?

Want to find a CSA near you?   Penn State Extension has created Google Map of CSAs in Pennsylvania.  Click here and enter your address to find a nearby farm.

So if you do not have the inclination to grow vegetables in your backyard, try joining a CSA. You and your family will learn more about local agriculture and eat nutritious and tasty vegetables!

Sources:

Local Food Systems, Economic Report from the USDA:

http://agmarketing.extension.psu.edu/ComFarmMkt/PDFs/local_food_system.pdf

What is a CSA?

http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/local-agriculture/2013/07/what_is_a_csa.html

Planning a Vegetable Garden:

http://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden-planning-for-beginners

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs115.pdf

Pruning: Winter in the fruit orchard

By Master Gardener Susan Kowalchuk

Given the record cold temperatures we have had this winter, it is hard to imagine doing any garden task beyond perusing seed catalogs. The winter however, is a prime time to prune fruit trees.  During their dormant state, the shape of the trees and the areas needing pruning are clearly visible, and the tree can use its stored energy to heal and harden off the cut. This enables it to devote needed energy to growth once the warm weather arrives.

Pruning fruit trees has many advantages. It enhances production and improves fruit quality by maximizing light penetration and bud growth.  A properly pruned tree is also less susceptible to disease and infection.  The timing of pruning is important. The general rule is to prune the latest flowering trees first, such as the apple, and the earliest flowering trees such as the peach, last. To minimize damage, pruning is typically done the later part of the winter.

Dead, damaged, diseased and crossed branches are usually the most obvious and easiest to prune. The tricky part is determining what parts of the healthy tree need to be cut.  The type of tree usually dictates the approach. Apple and pear trees have a upright habit and are usually pruned so that there is a central leader or one main trunk.   Peach and nectarine trees have a spreading habit and are pruned using an open center approach. These trees are pruned to establish 3-5 main branches.

The main type of pruning cuts utilized are the thinning cut and the heading cut.  The thinning cut removes an entire shoot. The heading cut removes only part of the terminal, or end of the shoot.  Common pruning tools are bypass pruners, pole pruners, loppers and saws.

We are fortunate to have quite a few orchards in the Lehigh Valley. If you happen to drive by, take a look at the trees and see if you can guess what type are being grown by their shape.  If you are lucky, you may even see the farmers hard at work preparing the trees for the summer and fall crops. Although robins won’t be around for awhile, think of winter pruning as an earlier sign that spring will indeed be here.

Support Your Farmer:

Local Orchards

Pappy’s Orchard – Coopersburg -  www.pappysorchard.com

County Line Orchard - Kempton - www.clorchard.com

Gulick’s – Bangor – www.gulickorchard.com

Strawberry Acres – Coplay – www.strawberryacres.com

Ontelaunee Orchards - Leesport - http://www.twin-o.com/

Sources:

Extension.psu.edu

Clemson.edu

Extension.wsu.edu

Extension.missouri.edu