| November 2007
Oklahoma Gardening Shows
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Best of Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3421)
OETA air date: November 24 and 25, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
(Rerun of show #3416, originally aired October 20 and 21, 2007)
Bold Foliage – In this segment we look at plants that are used to add color to the landscape through their brightly colored foliage. Plants included in this segment are:
Purple Heart – Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'
Purple Fountain Grass – Pennisetum setaceum 'Purpureum'
Coleus – Coleus 'Alabama Sunset'
Begonia – Begonia sp.
Hyacinth Bean – Lablab purpurea
Sweet Potato Vine – Ipomoea batatas 'Marguerite'
Elephant Ears – Colocasia esculentum
Caladiums – Caladium bicolor
Castor Bean – Ricinus communis
Persian Shield – Strobialanthus dyerianus
We demonstrate how a simple combination of foliage plants can create a dramatic affect by highlighting our bridge garden, where only five species of plant were used.
Silver Plants with Karen Bussolini – Karen Bussolini, garden writer and award-winning photographer, joins us to talk about one of her favorite topics, silver plants. We look at three types of silvers and what adaptations give each type its unique coloration. We also discuss how these adaptations aid plants in harsh environments. We look at ways to combine silver plants in the garden, and discuss special care and cultivation needed by many silver plants to thrive. Finally, we learn why deer often leave silver plants alone.
If you are interested in learning more about silver plants, check out Karen's book, Elegant Silvers: Striking Plants for Every Garden, which she co-wrote with Jo Ann Gardner. Available through Timber Press: http://www.timberpress.com/books/isbn.cfm/9780881927030/elegant_silvers/gardner)
Plants we discussed:
· Downy Silvers
· Lavender – Lanandula angustifolia
· Lamb's Ear – Stachys byzantina (S. lanata)
· Silver Plectranthus – Plectranthus amboinicus
· Artemisia – Artemisia arborescens 'Powis Castle'
· Silver Falls Dichondra (a.k.a. silver pony foot) – Dichondra 'Silver Falls'
· Waxy Silvers
· Agave – Agave spp.
· Hostas – Hosta spp.
· Blue Fescue – Festuca glauca
· Blue Spruce – Picea pungens
· Junipers – Juniperus spp.
· Variegated Silvers for Shade | · Japanese Painted Fern – Athyrium niponicum
· Heuchera; Alum Root – Heuchera sanguinea
· Silvers for Clay Soils
· Rattlesnake Master – Erygium yuccifolium
· Willows, e.g. Dwarf Arctic Willow – Salix purpurea
· Artemisia – Artemisia arborescens 'Powis Castle'
· Deer Resistant
· Santolina – Santolina chamaecyparissus
· Donkey-tail Spurge – Euphorbia myrsinites
· Dalea – Dalea gregii |
Barb Cooks – Barbara Brown, Extension Food Specialist, makes vegetable succotash.
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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Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3420)
OETA air date: November 17 and 18, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Harvesting Pecans – In this segment we join Eric Stafne, Assistant Professor of Fruit and Nut Crops, at the Cimarron Valley Research Station in Perkins, Oklahoma to harvest and process pecans. We demonstrate commercial and home owner methods for harvesting pecans and discuss equipment needs. Dr. Stafne shares tips on selecting pecan varieties for the home landscape. When selecting pecan varieties, one thing homeowners want to look for is resistance to pecan scab, a fungal disease. This disease is hard to manage without spraying fungicides, which is often impractical in the home landscape. Suggested varieties include: Kanza, Peruque, Maramec and Pawnee.
We take a look at how a commercial grower dries and processes the pecans for shipping. Homeowners will also want to dry pecans before storing them. Spread pecans on shelves in a well ventilated area and use fans to blow air across the nuts. When the shelled nuts snap when broken, the nuts are dry enough to store. Discard any nuts that have signs of insect damage (look for a hole in the shell) or that feel empty or very light.
We crack our pecans using the Quick Cracker, produced by Alan Manufacturing (PO Box 437, Mineola, TX 75773; (903) 569-1902). Shelling operations exist in many towns. If you are looking for someone to shell your pecans (and other nuts) contact your local extension office for a list of area businesses. Shelled and unshelled nuts should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and can keep for many months.
Poinsettia Trials – We visit the OSU Horticulture Research Greenhouses for a sneak peak at this year's poinsettias. Senior Agriculturalist Tina Johnson shows us the many varieties on trial this year. Each year, companies send their new and improved varieties in for evaluation. Tina grows the poinsettias from plugs starting in July and grows them through the season. Each year, they host an open house and invite the public to evaluate the plants for themselves.
Tina explains the coloration of poinsettias. The top leaves, known as bracts, are red, pink and white and are often mistaken as flowers. The actual flowers are the small yellow structures found in the center of the leaf bunch, which are called cyathia. The bracts begin green and turn red, white or pink as the day length shortens each fall.
We look at the wide range of poinsettias on trial. More than the traditional red, there are orange, pink, white, even peach varieties available. In addition to bract color, leaf color and texture also varies from deep green to lime green with white variegation, and crinkled, speckled leaves to deeply lobed pink varieties.
We also discuss general plant care. Water your poinsettias thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. The best method of watering is to remove the potted plant from its decorative wrap, set it in the kitchen sink and water thoroughly until water drains from the holes in the bottom of the pot. Allow excess water to drain from the pot before returning the potted plant to its decorative wrap. If a poinsettia is kept too wet, the roots will rot and the plant will eventually die. You also want to keep the poinsettia away from cold or warm drafts.
Featured cultivars include:
· 'Early Freedom Red'
· 'Early Elf White'
· An unnamed experimental pink variety
· 'Shimmer Surprise' (with red and white speckled bracts)
· 'Silver Star' (with pale green and white variegated leaves)
· 'Carousel Dark Red' (with wavy leaves and bracts)
· 'Crazy Christmas' (with multicolored bracts and angular leaves)
Winter Garden Tips – Consumer Horticulturalist David Hillock gives us gardening tips for the winter months.
Lawn & Turf
· Continue mowing cool-season lawns on a regular basis. (HLA-6420)
· Continue to control broadleaf weeds in well established warm- or cool-season lawns with a post-emergent broadleaf weed killer. (HLA-6421)
· Keep falling leaves off turf areas to avoid damage to the foliage.
Tree & Shrub
· Prune deciduous trees in early part of winter. Prune only for structural and safety purposes. Spring flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned after flowering in the spring.
· Wrap young, thin-barked trees with a commercial protective material to prevent winter sunscald.
· Watch for arborvitae aphids, which tolerate cooler temperatures in evergreen shrubs.
Flowers
· Bulbs like hyacinth, narcissus and tulip can be potted in containers for indoor forcing.
Fruits & Nuts
· Delay pruning fruit trees until next February or March before bud break.
General
· Keep all plants watered during dry conditions even though some may be dormant. Especially broadleaf and narrowleaf evergreens and plants under eves or in raised beds and planters.
· Irrigate all plantings at least 24 hours before hard-freezing weather if soil is dry. (HLA-6404)
· Now is a great time to design and make structural improvements in your garden and landscape.
· Send for mail-order catalogs if you are not already on their mailing lists.
· Till garden plots without a cover crop to further expose garden pests to harsh winter conditions.
Barbara Cooks – Barbara Brown, Extension Food Specialist, makes pecan granola.
Event Announcement:
Oklahoma State University's 17th Annual Poinsettia Sale, Thursday and Friday, November 29 and 30, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., OSU Teaching Greenhouses, on Farm Road, near Walnut Street, just south of the Colvin Center. For more information, contact Donna Dollins at 405-744-6460.
The Tulsa Herb Society presents "Carols and Crumpets," December 1, 2007, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave., Tulsa, OK. Free admission. For more information, contact The Tulsa Garden Center, 918-746-5125; Patsy Wynn, 918-496-8019; or visit www.tulsaherb.com.
Poinsettia Open House, Monday, November 19, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., OSU Research Greenhouses, 1301 N. Western Street, Stillwater, OK. Over 60 cultivars will be on display. For more information, contact Mike Schnelle, mike.schnelle@okstate.edu, 405-744-7361. Visit our Poinsettia Trial Gallery: http://kitchensink.okstate.edu/Poinsettia_web/index.htm.
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*********************************************************************************************************
Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3419)
OETA air date: November 10 and 11, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Plants for Winter Interest – In this segment we look at plants that add interest to the winter landscape. Amazingly, even in the dead of winter, we find some plants putting out blooms. Hellebores (Helleborus spp.) and Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) are two such winter bloomers. We also look at flowering kale and cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Despite their name, these plants do not really flower, but rather develop rings of fancy, colorful foliage in mixtures of green, purple, pink and red once cool weather has set in for a long period.
We also look at Nandina domesticum or Heavenly Bamboo. This plant has many attractive features including evergreen foliage, fall color and winter berries. Another plant with attractive fall foliage is Amsonia or Blue Star. The fine, needle-like foliage changes from light green to a vibrant golden color in the fall. An interesting plant that stays green through the winter months is Italian arum (Arum italicum). Arum is a woodland perennial that sends up arrowhead-shaped leaves in late fall which remain green throughout the winter. In the spring, the plant flowers and fruits before going dormant for the summer.
In addition to flowers and foliage, there are several plant characteristics that add winter interest. Plants like Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) and River Birch (Betula nigra) have attractive, exfoliating bark. Shrubs such as Japanese Kerria (Kerria japonica) and red and yellow-twigged dogwoods (Cornus stolonnifera) provide color during the bleakest months.
Several plants also produce colorful berries that cling onto branches throughout the winter. Deciduous Holly or Possum Haw (Ilex decidua) is one such plant, producing vibrant red berries all along its stems. Beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana) is a native shrub that produces fantastic purple berries.
Finally, some plants add interest through their bold form. Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (Corylus avellana) is one such plant. Its corkscrew branches look their best when the leaves have fallen. And grasses such as Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) and Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Purpureum') add structure and texture when most other perennials have all but shriveled.
Managing Deer in the Landscape – In this segment we look at ways to deal with deer, who seem to be at their worst during the lean winter months. We first look at plants that tend to be avoided by deer. Some plants produce odors in their foliage that deter deer feeding, like Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Thyme (Thymus sp.). Others are unpalatable. The spiky rosettes of Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum) are avoided by deer. So is the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia compressa) for obvious reasons. OSU Fact Sheet F-6427 (Ornamental and Garden Plants: Controlling Deer Damage) lists herbaceous and woody plants that are rarely damaged by deer.
There are many other options available for managing deer. The most effective of these is exclusion using fences. Deer can easily jump over many decorative fences. To keep deer out we need to use something different. Two common options are electric fences and eight-foot deer fences. We show a section of Deer Blocker Deer Fencing that was donated by Nixalite of America. Up close, you can see the four inch squares made of a light weight polyethylene. But when you move back, the fence disappears into the surrounding wood.
You can also try repellents that have an unpleasant taste or odor. Area repellents utilize odors and are generally less effective than contact repellents that deter feeding through bad-tasting substances. We discuss a variety of home remedies including human hair, bar soap, cat or dog feces and moth balls. Most of these have shown little impact on deer browsing in research, however, human hair and bar soap can reduce browsing up to 35%. The best repellents by far are thiram-based contact repellents such as Chaperone and Spotrete-F.
Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a motion activated sprinkler such as the Scarecrow®. This system uses an infrared sensor to detect motion then releases a short blast of water frightening unwanted wildlife away.
Hazard Trees – In this segment we are joined by OSU graduate Gary Farris, certified arborist for Messenger's Landscape, Lawn and Irrigation, who shows us several tree hazards and how these can be mediated. Gary shows us a problem with girdling roots on an oak tree. Possible causes of girdling roots include: planting too deep, using too much mulch around the tree and failure to spread roots at planting time.
We also look at problems with soil compaction. We look at a sycamore that has several dead limbs. Upon examining the area surrounding the tree, we determine that soil compaction is the problem – residents are parking cars next to the tree and compacting the soil.
Another problem we find is a tree that has been surrounded by cement on one side. This can lead to die back, weakening of limbs and stability. Alternatives to cement include mulch, flagstone, and pave stones that allow water to penetrate and which will allow for trunk growth.
Dead trees pose many hazards. They are prone to dropping limbs and may even fall over in a storm. The tree we look at hovers above a house, a sidewalk and telephone lines. All of which pose significant risks. In a situation such as this, the tree should be removed.
Finally, we look at a tree that has been staked for at least the past four years. Trees only need to be staked for one year, at most, after planting. Beyond that, stakes should be removed to allow the trunk to develop its natural flair around the base. This will add to tree stability, but requires a little bit of swaying in the wind to develop.
OSU Botanical Garden - As we close the episode, we look at the new entrance to the OSU Botanical Garden, home to Oklahoma Gardening. We are expanding our gardens and need your help to grow. If you are interested in supporting our gardens, please call our office at 405-744-5414 for more information.
Event Announcement
The Oklahoma Orchid Society's Annual Show and Sale will be held Centennial weekend, November 17 and 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Will Rogers Garden Center, NW 36 and Portland. Free admission and free parking. Orchid plant vendors and supplies, raffle plants, fantastic displays and more. For more information, contact Margaret Reynolds, MAGREYN@aol.com, 405-752-2398.
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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Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3418)
OETA air date: November 3 and 4, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
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