| December 2007
Oklahoma Gardening Shows
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Best of Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3426)
OETA air date: December 29 and 30, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
(Rerun of show #3418, originally aired on November 3 and 4, 2007)
Planting and Naturalizing Spring Bulbs – In this segment we discuss the proper way to plant spring-flowering bulbs. In general, larger bulbs like tulips should be spaced 3 to 6 inches apart, while smaller bulbs can be placed closer together, at about 1 to 2 inches. The rule of thumb when setting bulbs is to place them at a depth that is three times the height of the bulb, measured from the bottom of the bulb. Bulbs also have a top side and a bottom side. The bottom is usually flatter and may have a small tuft of roots attached, while the top is more pointed.
We plant sun-loving bulbs including Tulips (Tulipa spp.), Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) and Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica); and also naturalized shade-tolerant bulbs into a woodland habitat. Bulbs for naturalizing in woody areas include Daffodils (Narcissus spp.), Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) and Crocus species. Naturalization takes advantage of the bulbs natural ability to spread. The goal is to establish clumps of bulbs that look more like Mother Nature planted them than a gardener. Bulbs can also be naturalized in meadows or orchards in addition to woodlands.
We discussed several design considerations. It is important to consider plant height as well as flower color when placing bulbs. Complimentary colors look good together, such as the combination of yellow daffodils with purple grape hyacinth. Another consideration is flowering time. Ideally, we strive to incorporate different bulb species that will bloom in succession.
Finally, as bulbs die back they leave behind yellowing foliage. Many gardeners cut the unsightly foliage off, but it is important to leave the leaves until they have died fully back. Instead of cutting, we suggest hiding the foliage by planting bulbs among summer perennials, under deciduous shrubs or over planting the bulbs with annuals.
Digging and Storing Tender Bulbs – In this segment we lift gladiolas from the ground for storage over the winter. Gladiolas are tender bulbs and cannot typically survive cold winters. To ensure the plants survive to bloom again, they must be dug in the fall and stored in an area that will not freeze. Dahlias and tropical plants such as Colocasias, Caladiums, and Canna are also tender perennials that need to be dug for winter.
Lift plants when the foliage yellows, typically after the first light frost. Plants need to be removed before the first hard frost to avoid damage. Clean the soil from the bulbs, rhizomes or corms, and then allow them to cure for three weeks in a cool (60°F), well ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Only collect and store healthy bulbs and discard any that appear shriveled, diseased or rotten.
After curing, place the bulbs between layers of slightly damp peat moss, sand or shredded newspaper and store in ventilated containers at 40°F to 50°F Do not store bulbs in air tight containers as this may encourage disease.
Identifying Walnuts – Walnuts (Juglans nigra) and the closely related Butternut (Juglans cinerea) produce a chemical called juglone that can be toxic to many plants. This is how the trees manage competition from other plants, ensuring they have ready access to water and nutrients. If you have a black walnut and have lost plants beneath it in the past, juglone is most likely the cause. The first thing you need to do is determine whether or not you actually have a black walnut. There are many reasons why plants fail, such as nutrient stress or low light, so you want to make sure you understand the true cause of the problem.
Identifying characteristics:
· Alternate branching pattern
· Pinnately compound leaves with an odd number of leaflets (typically 11- 23)
· Fruits have green husk and turns to yellow-black when ripe
Juglone-tolerant Plants – While juglone affects many plants, there are also a variety of plants that can tolerate juglone and therefore are ideal for planting beneath walnuts. These include:
· Perennials: Hosta species; Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum commutatum); Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina); Clematis cultivar 'Red Cardinal'
· Trees and shrubs: Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), Redbud (Cercis Canadensis) and Rose of Sharon Hibiscus
· Annuals: Fibrous Begonia; Zinnia species
· Vegetables: corn, squash, beans, melons, and carrots
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu/. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Kim Rebek
Oklahoma Gardening Host
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Best of Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3425)
OETA air date: December 22 and 23, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
(Rerun of show #3415, originally aired October 13 and 14, 2007)
Cherry Street Farmer's Market – In this segment we visit the Cherry Street Farmer's Market at Brookside in Tulsa. There we meet with market manager Leslie Moyer. The market was established in 1998 and has since grown so large that a second market place was added. Shoppers can now visit the Cherry Street Farmer's Market at 15th and Peoria on Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m., or the Brookside Market at 41st and Peoria on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. until noon.
The market delivers fresh produce and goods grown or made in Oklahoma to area shoppers from April through late October. Produce includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs and spices. You can also find meats, cheese, eggs and baked goods. A number of florists and greenhouse vendors are also present among the vendors.
If you are in the Tulsa area and want to stop by the market, visit www.cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com for times and locations.
Buy Fresh, Buy Local – We visit with Doug Walton from the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rita Scott from Sustainable Green Country to discuss the Buy Fresh, Buy Local project. Buy Fresh, Buy Local is a nationwide effort to help customers find farm-fresh, locally- raised products such as produce, herbs, food-producing plants, honey, nuts, grains, meats, eggs and dairy foods.
The program was launched this season in the Tulsa area, with plans to expand into other Oklahoma communities. The primary Buy Fresh, Buy Local activity this season was the creation and distribution of the 2007 Local Food Guide (http://www.kerrcenter.com/pdf/2007-Local_Food_Guide.pdf), a colorful and concise listing of farmers' markets and local food markets offering farm-fresh foods directly to consumers within the Tulsa area. The Food Guide also includes information about the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and a helpful chart showing the seasonal availability of many diverse foods grown in Oklahoma.
For more information or to contribute time or resources toward this effort, please visit the website at http://www.kerrcenter.com/buy-fresh.htm or contact Rita Scott, Sustainable Green Country, rejuvrita@olp.net or 918-640-5408; or Doug Walton, Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, doug.walton@suddenlink.net or 918-686-6939.
Planting Garlic – In this segment we plant garlic (Allium sativum) in our vegetable garden. We discuss soil preparation, paying close attention to drainage. We also look at the bulb itself and demonstrate how to properly place the bulbs using two planting techniques. Garlic planted in the fall has an advantage over spring-planted garlic in that the root system is well established when the warm temperatures arrive in spring. For more information on garlic and fall gardening, please read the following fact sheets: HLA-6032 - Vegetable Varieties for the Home Garden in Oklahoma and HLA 6009 - Fall Gardening.
Barb Cooks – Barbara Brown, Extension Food Specialist, makes another great dish for Oklahoma Gardening viewers (Pear and Lettuce Salad).
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu/. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Kim Rebek
Oklahoma Gardening Host
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Best of Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3424)
OETA air date: December 15 and 16, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
(Rerun of show #3339, originally aired April 7 and 8, 2007)
Ice Damage on Trees – We visit Muskogee to take a look at the tree damage from the ice storm that hit Oklahoma back in January. We talk with Carri Abner, City Urban Forester, and Mark Bays, State Urban Forestry Coordinator, about cleaning up the damage to the trees.
Broken branches need to be removed to limit insect and disease damage and internal decay. Always be sure to prune the tree correctly. Never top off or dehorn trees. If you are not able to prune the tree yourself, work with reputable tree care companies. They should be certified arborists and be insured. For more information on pruning trees, please see F-6409, Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs at this website: http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1134/F-6409web.pdf
Don't fertilize the trees because it stimulates top growth. If the trees have any stress cracks that you can't see now they may become visible with the extra weight from the new growth and create another hazardous situation. Be more conservative to get the tree back in balance because when you lose the top portion of the tree you lose your food source and root activity. It will take a few years for the tree to balance out. The most aggressive thing you can do is to water the tree and keep the roots healthy.
Be patient if your tree sustained major damage it will need time to recover.
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Kim Rebek
Oklahoma Gardening Host
********************************************************************************************************************Best of Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3423)
OETA air date: December 8 and 9, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
(Rerun of show #3403, originally aired July 21 and 22, 2007)
Gardening in North Central Oklahoma – Part 4 – We continue our visit to gardens in North Central Oklahoma.
Goldsberry Home – Steve visits the home of Carolyn and Bill Goldsberry in Ponca City, OK. Carolyn takes Steve on a tour of their gardens. Plants include Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Silk Road'), Beebalm (Monarda didyma 'Blue Stocking'), Peonies (Paeonia), Spider Lily (Hymenocallis), Elephant Ears (Colocasia), Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners'), Iris (Iris tectorum), Ballon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus), Gay Feather (Liatris spicata), Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima) and Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis 'Klause Jellito').
Northern Oklahoma College – Steve visits with Kelley Conaghan, Horticulturist for the NOC Campus in Tonkawa, OK, about the plants and trees on the campus grounds. Plants include St. John's Wort (Hypericum kalmianum 'Gemo'), Variegated Honeysuckle (Loncicera pericyclnum 'Harlequin') Rhamnella (Rhamnella franguloides), Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo'), Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum 'Blue Muffin'), Variegated Viburnum (Viburnum lantana 'Variegatum'), Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa), Abelia Abelia mosanensis), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Gaillardia (Gaillardia), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Viburnum (Viburnum spp.).
Barb Cooks – Barbara Brown, Extension Food Specialist, makes a green bean and edamame salad.
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Kim Rebek
Oklahoma Gardening Host
Green Bean and Edamame Salad
Dressing Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1 tablespoon honey
· 2 tablespoons water
· 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
· 1/4 cup lemon juice
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
· 1/4 teaspoon basil
· 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
· 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
· 1/4 teaspoon thyme
· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Salad Ingredients
· 2 cups lightly cooked green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
· 2 cups cooked and shelled edamame*
· 1/4 cup diced green onion
· 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
· 1/2 cup diced celery
· 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
· 1 cup chopped carrots
· 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
· 1/3 cup dried cranberries
· 4 cups romaine lettuce, washed
Whisk together dressing ingredients. Set aside. Toss together all salad ingredients, except lettuce, in large container with a tight fitting lid. Whisk dressing once more then pour over salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. To serve, divide romaine lettuce among 8 plates and top with marinated vegetables.
Yields 8 servings.
*Baby lima beans can be substituted for edamame.
Nutrition Facts
Servings per recipe: 8..................... |
| Amount Per Serving |
| Calories 1487.......................... Calories from fat 63 |
............................................................ % Daily Value
Total Fat 9g............................ 81 44 11%
......... Saturated Fat 1g1 4%
Cholesterol 0mg.....3 0%
Sodium 115mg........ n 5%
Carbohydrate 16g...... ...... 5%
............Dietary Fiber 6 g........ 23%
Protein 8g................................................ 17%
Vitamin A: 80% Vitamin C: 67% Folacin: 10%
Calcium: 9%......... Iron: 14% Potassium: 10% |
Modified from original source: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/
Barbara Brown, Food Specialist
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
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Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3422)
OETA air date: December 1 and 2, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Christmas Tree Farm – In this segment we visit the Double T Christmas Tree Farm in Pawnee County (54800 S. 348 Road, Glencoe, OK 74032; Phone: 918-454-2252). Owner Chuck Tauer guides us on a tour of his farm and discusses the process of producing trees for Christmas. Oklahoma's challenging environment limits the number of species that can be successfully grown for cut trees. Pines, especially Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) and Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) are two species that tolerate Oklahoma's heat and dry conditions. Other trees raised at Double T include Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and Leland (Leyland) cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii).
Dr. Tauer demonstrated the equipment used to prepare a tree for use in the home and discussed ways to extend the life of the tree. Water is key – never let your tree dry out. Put it in water as soon as you get home. It is also a good idea to make a fresh cut in the trunk, shaving just ¼ off, before standing the tree in its base. A well maintained tree can last for three to five weeks indoors.
Wreath Construction – In this segment OSU Botanical Garden Ambassador Billie Richardson joins us to demonstrate how to construct a wreath for the holidays. Wreaths are a traditional decoration used since the days of ancient Rome.
There are several types of bases that can be used for different types of wreaths. Grape vines are sturdy and support fruit and other large decorations. They also look very attractive wrapped in American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens). Straw and foam bases are also available. Plant materials are attached using pins or picks when working with these bases.
Billie uses a wire base to construct a wreath using Juniper (Juniperus species) cuttings. One to two foot cuttings are attached to the base using florist wire. The entire base is covered with juniper, taking care to hide the woody ends. Other plant materials are then used to decorate the wreath. Listed below are materials Billie uses to decorate the wreaths. Other possible materials include Fir (Abies spp.) and Spruce (Picea spp.) cuttings, Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum), Pyracantha (Pyracantha spp.) or Nandina (Nandina domestica) berries. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination and the materials you have at hand.
Plant Materials Used:
Holly cuttings (with and without berries) – Ilex spp.
Magnolia leaves – Magnolia grandiflora
Sweet gum balls – Liquidambar styraciflua
Pine cones – Pinus species
Loblolly Pine – Pinus taeda
Barb Cooks – Barbara Brown, Extension Food Specialist, makes pecan pie bars.
Winter Garden Destination – The holiday light display at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee is an excellent winter garden getaway. The Garden of Lights runs from November 22 through January 1, 2008. The display is a winter wonderland featuring a drive-thru display of over a million shimmering lights on a 120-acre park. The trees, bushes and the water are decorated with colored lights and animated displays. Hayrides and trolley rides through the park are also available on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. For more information visit: http://www.cityofmuskogee.com/.
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu/. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Kim Rebek
Oklahoma Gardening Host
Pecan Pie Bars
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 375oF. Combine the flour, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/2 cup unsalted butter with a pastry blender until it forms coarse crumbs. Pat into an ungreased 11x7x1/2-inch baking pan. Bake 20 minutes.
2. While crust bakes beat eggs slightly. Add ½ cup brown sugar, pecans, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons melted and cooled unsalted butter, vanilla and salt. Mix well.
3. When crust is done, remove from oven and pour pecan mixture over the top, spreading evenly.
4. Return pan to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, until set. Cool. Cut into 24 bars.
5. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Yield: 24 servings | |
