GARDEN NEWZ WELCOMES ALL GARDENERS, NON-GARDENERS,YOUNG ADULTS, CHILDREN,MASTER GARDENERS,WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR GARDEN NEWZ PAGE. PLEASE SEND US ALL THE NEWS THAT IS FIT TO PRINT!
CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF SUFFOLK COUNTY SPRING GARDENING SCHOOL 2010!!!
The 2010 Spring Gardening School will feature educational exhibits, Free Soil Testing, a Plant Clinic and Plant Sale. (Bring your plant specimens and soil samples!) The day includes four classes, box lunch, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, soil tests, plant diagnosis and exhibits. All classes are taught by Master Gardeners. Pre-registration is required. First come, first served. LOCATIONDATE
The Academy of St. Joseph, Brentwood April 10, 2010 Bellport High School, Bellport April 17, 2010 Riverhead Middle School, Riverhead April 24, 2010
Click here to download a brochure with registration form in pdf format.
For more information please contact: Caroline T. Kiang at (631) 727-7850, ext. 337.GO TO: http://ccesuffolk.org/Spring-Gardening-School-2/
JULY 10 2010: CORNELL GARDENERS WILL WELCOME VISITORS TO CORNELL LABS OPEN HOUSE ON SOUND AVE. GUESTS WILL ENJOY GARDEN AND HAYRIDE TOURS AS WELL AS INFROMATIVE SEMINARS AND CHILDREN ACTIVITIES. FOR ADDTIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT Ken Mohring AT kmohring@optonline.net
2009 Community Events!
August 22, 2009 Cornell Gardens will welcome the public to their 2nd annual Open House at CORNELL UNIVERSITY'S LONG ISLAND HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (LIHRC). THE LAB IS LOCATED at 3059 SOUND AVE IN RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK. Doors open at 10 am. Guided tours of Cornell Gardeners Gardens with a display of over 300 varieties of Dahlias in bloom. See over 400 varieties of annuals and well over 200 varieties of perennial flowers. Activities include hayride guided tours of the 60 acre lab. Gardening and insect workshops for children. Additional Workshops inclue Floral Arranging, by Diane,Garden clean up by Jay Wolstoff,and Dahlias A-Z by Vince and John. See the new Green Roof Shed and view slide show to see how you too can make your own Green Roof Shed.For information e mail kmohring@optonline.net
Fall Harvest Festival September 12,13 2009 at the Bayard Cutting Arboridum, Montauk Hwy Islip New York. Open to the Public come celebrate Long Islands Fall Harvest. Bring the Kids. For information e mail flyguy1@optonline.net
May 21, 2009 Jay Wolstoff and Laurie Donelly will be making a Seaside Gardening power point presentation for the CenterMorichesGarden Club, details to follow.
August 10th,2009 Jay Wolstoff and Laurie Donnelly will give a presentaion on Home Composting at the Comsewogue Library,170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.Call 631-928-1212 for information.
August 3,2009 Jay Wolstoff and Laurie Donnelly will give a presentation on Home Composting at the Shoreham Library. On Aug 17,2009 Jay and Laurie will give a presentation on Garden Clean-Up at the Library. Call 631-929-4488 for information.
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The Mount Sinai Garden Club meets at Heritage Park in Mount Sinai on the SECOND THURSDAY of the month, from March through November. Mark your calendars now. The first four meetings are scheduled for: Thursday, March 12th -Thursday, April 9th-Thursday, May 14th-Thursday, June 11th,2009. At our first meeting, we will have a talk by Tamsen Yeh, on "Spring Gardening".Meeting time, as always, 7 pm, at Heritage Park.For additional information contact The Mount Sinai Garden Club, e mail[mountsinaigardenclub@yahoo.com]
Newspaper Gardening
Newspapers have become very earth and plant friendly.
Today the ink used in most if not all newspaper is soy based and will not harm the plants in your garden. People are finding that newspaper is a great addition to the soil, to the compost pile, or it can be used to keep weeds at bay.
Shredded newspaper can be used to mulch around plants
to help control weeds and retain moisture. Remember,
weeds need sunlight to grow, so if you can block the sunlight
you can greatly reduce the number of weeds in a garden.
Then as the newspaper decomposes in enriches the soil.
If you are planting a new garden you can spread newspaper
on top of the soil then cover it with mulch and this will also help to keep your new garden free of weeds. In this
application it's best to use a thickness of 8 or 9 pages of newspaper.
Just to be safe it's still best to not use the glossy full color
magazines that come in the newspaper, use only the
newsprint.
Changing the Color of Hydrangeas
Unlike most other blooming plants, the color of some hydrangea
blossoms can be controlled or changed. This is accomplished by
regulating the acidity of the soil.
However, not all hydrangea varieties can change color. Those that
are naturally white will remain white no matter what the soil type
they are grown in. Most hydrangea blooms tend to subtly change
color as they mature, but only those that are naturally pink or blue
can be made to completely change color.
If your hydrangea has blue blooms, amending the soil to make it
more alkaline will change the blooms to pink. Likewise, a pink
hydrangea's blooms will become blue by increasing the acidity
of the soil.
Garden centers offer aluminum sulfate which can be added to the
soil around hydrangeas to make the soil more acidic for blue
hydrangea blooms. Apply aluminum sulfate around plants that are
at least two years old, watering the plants well before applying. Mix
one tablespoon of aluminum sulfate per gallon of water and apply
throughout the growing season to retain the blue blooms.
If your soil is naturally acidic but you want pink hydrangeas, the
plants must not be given the opportunity to use the aluminum
present in the soil. Raising the soil pH to between 6.0 and 6.2 will
prevent the plant from taking up aluminum. Using a fertilizer high
in phosphorus will also prevent the plant from taking up aluminum
and will encourage pink blooms.
Heuchera-Coral Bells 'Caramel'®, the coolest plant
you can put in your landscape.
I'm serious, I put a few of these in my landscape last year
and they are absolutely beautiful, and I do have a picture
to show you.
Heuchera-Coral Bells are perennials, so they do come
back every year. I have a number of different varieties in
my landscape, and I like them all. But some do well in
full sun, and some struggle with burnt leaves when in full
sun. But this Caramel has performed like a true champion,
holding up to full sun and they are spectacular.
Between the unique burnt orange color that will become
more red as fall approaches and the leaves that look and
feel like velvet, this plant is #1 in my book.
They work really well as border plants, accent plants
around taller plants, and they are great in group plantings.
OLD NEWS BUT STILL NOTEWORTHY......
Cornell Co Op Extension Announces Spring Gardening School Dates and Locations:April 4,Riverhead Middle School,April18.Ward Melville High School, April 25 Bellport High School. 23 Master Gardeners joined by 5 Extension Educators are offering thirty different garden topics.For more information e mail : Caroline Kiang 'ctk3@cornell.edu' or call 727-7850 ext.337 or 345, ask for Mary Lou.To go to Cornell Extension web site click here:www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk
MARCH 7TH is a Ground Level Ozone Workshop at Stony Brooke University PRESENTED BY Professor Gil Hansen. DETAILS TO FOLLOW. For information contact Professor Hanson his e mail is ; ghanson@notes.cc.sunysb.edu Go to myLinks button to get more information about the ozone problem on Long Island.
Joel Reitman, Master Gardener will be giving a talk on Butterfly Gardening at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook on May 6th,2009.You can e mail joel; jreitman4@yahoo.com for details.
Joel Reitman has a new book called, Exploring Long Island's North Fork. It is a comprehensive guide to everything from Riverhead to Orient; wineries, garden centers, restaurants, B&B's, historic sites. Even has a short self directed tour.You can e mail Joel at; jreitman4@yahoo.com to order a copy his book at a special discounted price. Tell Joe gardencoaches sent you!
BEE POLLINATION MYSTERY CONTINUES:The lead scientist for the floral scent project is Dr. Jose Fuentes,
at the University of Virginia. Here is his webpage:
jf6s@virginia.edu 434-982-2654 University of Virginia Flowers' fragrance diminished by air pollution, University of Virginia study indicatesAir pollution from power plants and automobiles is destroying the fragrance of flowers and thereby inhibiting the ability oTf pollinating insects to follow scent trails to their source, a new University of Virginia study indicates. This could partially explain why wild populations of some pollinators, particularly bees – which need nectar for food – are declining in several areas of the world, including California and the Netherlands.
he study appears online in the journal Atmospheric Environment.
"The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters; but in today's polluted environment downwind of major cites, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters," said Jose D. Fuentes, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and a co-author of the study. "This makes it increasingly difficult for pollinators to locate the flowers."
The result, potentially, is a vicious cycle where pollinators struggle to find enough food to sustain their populations, and populations of flowering plants, in turn, do not get pollinated sufficiently to proliferate and diversify.
Other studies, as well as the actual experience of farmers, have shown that populations of bees, particularly bumblebees, and butterflies have declined greatly in recent years. Fuentes and his team of U.Va. researchers, including Quinn McFrederick and James Kathilankal, believe that air pollution, especially during the peak period of summer, may be a factor.
To investigate this, they created a mathematical model of how the scents of flowers travel with the wind. The scent molecules produced by flowers are very volatile and they quickly bond with pollutants such as ozone, hydroxyl and nitrate radicals, which destroy the aromas they produce. This means that instead of traveling intact for long distances with the wind, the scents are chemically altered and the flowers, in a sense, no longer smell like flowers. This forces pollinators to search farther and longer and possibly to rely more on sight and less on smell.
The scientists calculated scent levels and distances that scents can travel under different conditions, from relatively unpolluted pre-industrial revolution levels, to the conditions now existing in rural areas downwind from large cities.
"It quickly became apparent that air pollution destroys the aroma of flowers, by as much as 90 percent from periods before automobiles and heavy industry," Fuentes said. "And the more air pollution there is in a region, the greater the destruction of the flower scents."
###
The National Science Foundation funded the investigation.
They're awfully cute and they can be very entertaining, but
squirrels can also do a lot of damage around the house and
garden. Squirrels seem to get themselves into a lot of trouble
with homeowners. They can't help themselves, they're just
doing what squirrels do best!
Many squirrels breed and produce a litter twice a year. Because
they can so quickly replace any missing members, killing or
relocating a pesky squirrel usually won't solve the problem.
If there is a large squirrel population in your area, more
squirrels will move in to fill the void.
In many cases, the best way to deal with squirrels is to
understand their habits and learn how to outsmart the little
rodents.
Squirrels like to chew. Their teeth grow continuously, so
they must chew in order to keep their teeth from growing too
long. They will chew on tree bark and twigs and they'll gnaw
on wires or chew holes in buildings so they can get inside. If
they get trapped inside an attic, they'll chew a hole to get out.
But squirrels won't chew on something that tastes bad, so taste
repellents can be used to stop squirrels from chewing. Hot
pepper sauce can be sprayed on plants or birdfeeders to stop
squirrel damage. A mixture of petroleum jelly and hot pepper
sauce or cayenne powder can be smeared on wires to prevent chewing.
Only a fence will prevent squirrels from entering your garden
to munch on newly-planted seeds or grab some strawberries. A
squirrel will think nothing of climbing a fence, unless the
fence is electrified. A wire mesh fence topped with an electrified
strand will teach squirrels that your garden is off limits.
If there are trees near your garden, squirrels will soon learn to
reach your garden via the trees. Place a strip of metal sheeting
at least two feet wide around the tree trunks to prevent squirrels
from climbing the trees. The metal strip should be about six feet
from the ground and held together with springs that will stretch
as the tree grows. Trim back any branches that overhang the garden.
If a squirrel gets into the attic, toss a few mothballs into the
space and they will soon leave. Once the squirrel has vacated the
premises, remove the mothballs and seal up any entrances with a
heavy wire mesh.
If you wish to use a live trap to capture squirrels for relocation,
be sure to get permission from the landowner before releasing
squirrels onto another property. Sunflower seeds, peanuts,
popcorn or apples make good bait for live traps. Thanks Mike
Miniature roses are excellent plants to add to your landscape. They stay small so they can be used as border plants, or in a small area you can plant 8 or 10 in a mass planting and mix up the colors. It's like putting fireworks in your landscape!
Miniature roses are easy to care for. All they really need is good soil that is well drained and one application of a slow release fertilizer once a year. Osmocote makes a 14-14-14 fertilizer that releases over a period of 3 to 4 months during the summer and is perfect for feeding roses. Most garden centers and some big box stores carry Osmocote in small packages.
Here it is late October and my miniature roses are covered with flowers and even more buds that haven't even opened up yet.
Miniature roses are grown on their roots, so they don't have sucker problems like other rose bushes. Any growth you get on a miniature rose will produce flowers identical to the rest of the plant. That's not always the case with full size roses.
Miniature roses are not nearly as finicky as full size roses. For the most part they are really easy to care for. All they want to do is flower!
Friendly Invaders
By CARL ZIMMER
Published: September 8, 2008 New York Times
New Zealand is home to 2,065 native plants found nowhere else on Earth. They range from magnificent towering kauri trees to tiny flowers that form tightly packed mounds called vegetable sheep.
When Europeans began arriving in New Zealand, they brought with them alien plants — crops, garden plants and stowaway weeds. Today, 22,000 non-native plants grow in New Zealand. Most of them can survive only with the loving care of gardeners and farmers. But 2,069 have become naturalized: they have spread out across the islands on their own. There are more naturalized invasive plant species in New Zealand than native species.
It sounds like the makings of an ecological disaster: an epidemic of invasive species that wipes out the delicate native species in its path. But in a paper published in August in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dov Sax, an ecologist at Brown University, and Steven D. Gaines, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, point out that the invasion has not led to a mass extinction of native plants. The number of documented extinctions of native New Zealand plant species is a grand total of three.
Exotic species receive lots of attention and create lots of worry. Some scientists consider biological invasions among the top two or three forces driving species into extinction. But Dr. Sax, Dr. Gaines and several other researchers argue that attitudes about exotic species are too simplistic. While some invasions are indeed devastating, they often do not set off extinctions. They can even spur the evolution of new diversity.
“I hate the ‘exotics are evil’ bit, because it’s so unscientific,” Dr. Sax said.
Dr. Sax and his colleagues are at odds with many other experts on invasive species. Their critics argue that the speed with which species are being moved around the planet, combined with other kinds of stress on the environment, is having a major impact.
There is little doubt that some invasive species have driven native species extinct. But Dr. Sax argues that they are far more likely to be predators than competitors.
In their new paper, Dr. Sax and Dr. Gaines analyze all of the documented extinctions of vertebrates that have been linked to invasive species. Four-fifths of those extinctions were because of introduced predators like foxes, cats and rats. The Nile perch was introduced into Lake Victoria in 1954 for food. It then began wiping out native fish by eating them.
“If you can eat something, you can eat it everywhere it lives,” Dr. Sax said.
But Dr. Sax and Dr. Gaines argue that competition from exotic species shows little sign of causing extinctions. This finding is at odds with traditional concepts of ecology, Dr. Sax said. Ecosystems have often been seen as having a certain number of niches that species can occupy. Once an ecosystem’s niches are full, new species can take them over only if old species become extinct.
But as real ecosystems take on exotic species, they do not show any sign of being saturated, Dr. Sax said. In their paper, Dr. Sax and Dr. Gaines analyze the rise of exotic species on six islands and island chains. Invasive plants have become naturalized at a steady pace over the last two centuries, with no sign of slowing down. In fact, the total diversity of these islands has doubled.
Fish also show this pattern, said James Brown of the University of New Mexico. He said that whenever he visits a river where exotic fish have been introduced, “I ask, ‘Have you seen any extinctions of the natives?’ ” “The first response you get is, ‘Not yet,’ as if the extinction of the natives is an inevitable consequence. There’s this article of faith that the net effect is negative.”
Dr. Brown does not think that faith is warranted. In Hawaii, for example, 40 new species of freshwater fish have become established, and the 5 native species are still present. Dr. Brown and his colleagues acknowledge that invasive species can push native species out of much of their original habitat. But they argue that native species are not becoming extinct, because they compete better than the invasive species in certain refuges.
These scientists also point out that exotics can actually spur the evolution of new diversity. A North American plant called saltmarsh cordgrass was introduced into England in the 19th century, where it interbred with the native small cordgrass. Their hybrid offspring could not reproduce with either original species, producing a new species called common cordgrass.
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Long before humans moved plants around, many plants hybridized into new species by this process. “Something like a third of the plant species you see around you formed that way,” Dr. Sax said.
John Sullivan
Native vine and invasive Pride of Madeira.
Biological invasions also set off bursts of natural selection. House sparrows, for example, have moved to North America from Europe and have spread across the whole continent. “Natural selection will start to change them,” Dr. Sax said. “If you give that process enough time, they will become new species.”
“The natives themselves are also likely to adapt,” Dr. Sax added. Some of the fastest rates of evolution ever documented have taken place in native species adapting to exotics. Some populations of soapberry bugs in Florida, for example, have shifted from feeding on a native plant, the balloon vine, to the goldenrain tree, introduced from Asia by landscapers in the 1950s. In five decades, the smaller goldenrain seeds have driven the evolution of smaller mouthparts in the bugs, along with a host of other changes.
In Australia, the introduction of cane toads in the 1930s has also spurred evolution in native animals. “Now that you have cane toads in Australia, there’s a strong advantage for snakes that can eat them,” said Mark Vellend, of the University of British Columbia. Cane toads are protected by powerful toxins in their skin that can kill predators that try to eat them. But in parts of the country where the toads now live, black snakes are resistant to the toxins in their skin. In the parts where the toad has yet to reach, the snakes are still vulnerable.
Dr. Brown argues that huge negative effects of invasions are not documented in the fossil record, either. “You see over and over and over again that this is never the case,” he said. Species have invaded new habitats when passageways between oceans have opened up or when continents have collided.
“The overall pattern almost always is that there’s some net increase in diversity,” Dr. Brown said. “That seems to be because these communities of species don’t completely fill all the niches. The exotics can fit in there.”
In a recent paper in the journal Science, Peter Roopnarine of the California Academy of Sciences and Geerat Vermeij of the University of California, Davis, looked at the history of invasions among species of mollusks, a group that includes mussels, clams and whelks. About 3.5 million years ago, the mollusks of the North Pacific staged a major invasion of the North Atlantic. Before then, the Arctic Ocean had created a barrier, because the mussels could not survive in the dark, nutrient-poor water under the ice.
A period of global warming made the Arctic less forbidding. Yet the migration did not lead to a significant drop in the diversity of the Atlantic native mussels. Instead, the Atlantic’s diversity rose. Along with the extra exotic species, new species may have arisen through hybridization.
The Arctic Ocean is now warming again, this time because of human activity. Computer projections indicate it will become ice-free at least part of the year by 2050. Dr. Roopnarine and Dr. Vermeij predicted that today’s mollusks would make the same transoceanic journey they did 3.5 million years ago. They also expect the invasion to increase, rather than decrease, diversity.
But critics, including Anthony Ricciardi of McGill University in Montreal, argue that today’s biological invasions are fundamentally different from those of the past.
“What’s happening now is a major form of global change,” Dr. Ricciardi said. “Invasions and extinctions have always been around, but under human influence species are being transported faster than ever before and to remote areas they could never reach. You couldn’t get 35 European mammals in New Zealand by natural mechanisms. They couldn’t jump from one end of the world to another by themselves.”
It is estimated that humans move 7,000 species a day. In the process, species are being thrown together in combinations that have never been seen before. “We’re seeing the assembly of new food webs,” said Phil Cassey of the University of Birmingham in England. Those new combinations may allow biological invasions to drive species extinct in unexpected ways.
Botulism, for example, is killing tens of thousands of birds around the Great Lakes. Studies indicate that two invasive species triggered the outbreak. The quagga mussel, introduced from Ukraine, filters the water for food, making it clearer. The sunlight that penetrates the lakes allows algae to bloom, and dead algae trigger an explosion of oxygen-consuming bacteria. As the oxygen level drops, the botulism-causing bacteria can multiply. The quagga mussels take up the bacteria, and they in turn are eaten by another invasive species: a fish known as the round goby. When birds eat round gobies, they become infected and die.
“If you pour on more species, you don’t just increase the probability that one is going to arrive that’s going to have a high impact,” Dr. Ricciardi said. “You also get the possibility of some species that triggers a change in the rules of existence.”
Dr. Ricciardi argues that biological invasions are different today for another reason: they are occurring as humans are putting other kinds of stress on ecosystems. “Invasions will interact with climate change and habitat loss,” he said. “. We’re going to see some unanticipated synergies.”
Both sides agree, however, that decisions about invasive species should be based on more than just a tally of positive and negative effects on diversity. Invasive weeds can make it harder to raise crops and graze livestock, for example. The Asian long-horned beetle is infesting forests across the United States and is expected to harm millions of acres of hardwood trees. Zebra mussels have clogged water supply systems in the Midwestern United States. Exotic species can also harm humans’ health. “West Nile virus, influenza — these things are invasions,” Dr. Ricciardi said.
On the other hand, some invasive species are quite important. In the United States, many crops are pollinated by honeybees originally introduced from Europe.
“It’s not that this is all good or all bad, and I’m not sure science should be the arbiter,” Dr. Brown said. “Placing values on these things is the job of society as a whole.” Printed in New York Times Sept 9, 2008
ROCKS A SOIL AMENDMENT! Expanded shale (ES)is a "puffed" rock that is stable (like lava rock), not crumbly (like vermiculite). It is incredibly lightweight (for a bunch o' rocks...) ES can hold water, nutrients, and a constant supply of air (30% of storage capacity is air). This keeps plants from drowning in clay soils or drying in sandy soils, and is generally helpful for annual-type garden beds. (That is most of our food plants, except for perennial herbs, fruit trees, etc.) It acts as an insulator in the soil mixture and protects plants from rapid temperature extremes. ESCS retains a high percentage of its weight in absorbed water and waterborne nutrients, making it an excellent buffer. ESCS is user friendly because it is lightweight, inert, pH adjustable, easy to handle, economical and readily available. FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE,http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/sqfoot/msg1118520930995.html
GREEN SAND A SOIL AMENDMENT?Greensand is an olive-green coloured sandstonerock which is commonly found in narrow bands, particularly associated with bands of chalk and clay worldwide; it has been deposited in marine environments at various times during Earth history, such as during the Jurassic and Cretaceousperiods. Greensand forms in anoxic marine environments that are rich in organic detritus and low in sedimentary input. Greensands are occasionally fossil-rich, such as in the late Cretaceous deposits of New Jersey CLICK HERE,
Dear Composters,
We are currently updating our NYS Compost Facility Map on the CWMI web site. (http://compost.css.cornell.edu/maps/simple-search.asp) and are asking for your help. If you are an owner/operator of a compost facility, would you please fill out the survey (links are at the end of this email). For composting demo facilities, there is a separate survey form.
Our compost facility map was originally intended to help those with organic residuals (food scraps, manure, leaf and yard waste, etc) find a place other than the landfill in which to dispose of these residuals. It has evolved into a useful tool for landscapers and homeowners to connect with local composters as well. It is also a place where people can find educational information, as well as demonstration sites, on composting. However, it is sorely in need of updating.
Survey instructions: The first section of the survey asks for ownership and address information. Please indicate the owner by checking whichever box applies to your facility then fill in the name of the facility and the contact information. If the actual physical address is different than the mailing address of the facility, please indicate that in the appropriate place. This is important for mapping information. The question relating to nearest intersection will help us accurately map your facility. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are requested so that those searching the map can get in contact with you. If you do not want a phone number or e-mail to be published on the map, please indicate that in the survey.
Section 2 asks for information on the feedstocks you use when making your compost. This is important for two reasons: 1. to connect those with certain types of waste with those who are composting them and 2. to allow compost users to pick the type of compost they would like to purchase/use. If you know the approximate amounts of waste you are composting, please enter it here. If you are composting manure, we would like to know the type of animals since different manures produce different composts. The questions on tipping fees will help us with figuring out the costs/savings of composting.
Section 3 asks for information on your composting process and should be self-explanatory. The same for section 4.
In section 5, we ask about problems you may have had with your operation. If you have had any of these problems and would like some help addressing them, please do not hesitate to ask for help in the description of the problem. If you have had problems with fires and/or smoking/smoldering, we may call you and ask if it is ok to be contacted by Dr. Bob Rynk at SUNY Cobleskill who is doing a survey on compost pile fires.
Section 6 is related information for other ways to sort the data, such as # of permitted facilities in NYS.
Please return the survey to Mary Schwarz, Cornell Waste Management Institute, 101b Rice Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853. If you have any questions, please email Mary at msp5@cornell.edu or call at 607-255-8444.
SEND YOUR INFORMATION,LISTINGS,ARTICLES OR PHOTOS BY EMAIL TO Helene@gardencoaches.org
Jay Wolstoff and Loretta Donnelly will volunteer their services at the Cornell Spring Gardening School, they will teach Container Gardening classes at Riverhead High School, Ward Melville High School, and Bellport High School.
MOUNT SINAI GARDEN CLUB:Tuesday September 9th, the Mt. Sinai garden club will have a private tour and behind the scenes introduction to Daisy White Nursery.
We will meet at the nursery—185 North Country Road—shortly before 6:30 pm.
Coming next month on the regular first Tuesday of the month meeting day (October 7):
The Big Fall Plant Swap
Including plenty of time for discussion, questions and answers about the plants members bring to swap.
Further information: mountsinaigardenclub@yahoo.com
Membership is only $20 for year. $5 for one meeting for non-members.
Further information: mountsinaigardenclub@yahoo.com
MOUNT SINAI GARDEN CLUB: Join us Tuesday June 3rd We will host two fascinating talks: Fred Drewes “Plants do it!” (plant reproduction) Lynn Jordan, R.N. “Once Bitten”(Lyme disease) And, back by popular demand! Informal plant swap: Bring one or more plants to share or swapBe there -> 7 pm, Heritage Park, Mt. Sinai Membership is only $20 for year. $5 for one meeting for non-members Spread the word! Print and post the attached flyer where gardeners gather! Further information: mountsinaigardenclub@yahoo.com
IF YOU WOULD LIKE JOIN CORNELL GARDENERS AND BE PART OF A NATIONAL EFFORT TO COUNT TYPES OF BEES IN YOUR GARDEN CONTACT Clientsrevices@gardencoaces.org OR GO TO
New Process Eliminates a Fertilizer’s Blast Threat
By MATTHEW L. WALDPublished: September 22, 2008 A major chemical company will announce Tuesday that it has found a way to render nitrogen fertilizer useless as an explosive, and improve its value to some crops.
The company, Honeywell, of Morris Township, N.J., has patented a method for combining ammonium nitrate fertilizer with a second type of fertilizer, ammonium sulfate. Ammonium nitrate can be soaked in diesel fuel to produce a powerful bomb and is a favorite of terrorists, but when chemically tied to the ammonium sulfate, its chemical structure is changed so that it is no longer explosive.
Chemists had been looking for ways to render ammonium nitrate nonexplosive since the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was destroyed by a truck bomb in 1995, killing 168.
In 2006, Canadian authorities arrested 17 people who they said were planning to use such bombs in Ontario.
The Department of Homeland Security has certified the new fertilizer, which Honeywell calls ammonium sulfate nitrate, under a federal program devised to encourage such innovations by offering the manufacturers immunity from liability, according to Honeywell.
The Homeland Security Department has been experimenting with diluting ammonium nitrate with coal dust.
Growmark Inc., a cooperative based in Bloomington, Ill., distributes a fertilizer that blends ammonium nitrate and calcium.
An agriculture expert not affiliated with Honeywell, Jack Rabin, associate director for farm programs at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, said many companies were looking for ways to render ammonium nitrate inert, because the Department of Homeland Security requires that farmers safeguard their stockpiles of the widely used fertilizer and report their inventories to the government.
“We are not going to replace ammonium nitrate fertilizer in the U.S. and around the world,” Mr. Rabin said. “It’s too good, too important and too valuable.”
One problem, Mr. Rabin said, was that if nitrogen is the essential chemical in the fertilizer, then diluting it with other materials raises the number of tons that must be carried to the fields to get the desired amount of nitrogen.
A fertilizer incorporating sulfur, as the Honeywell material does, would be helpful in the western United States, where sulfur is commonly used to lower pH values toward neutral, he said. But, he said, “in much of the world, the soils are too acid already.”
But Mark Murray, director of strategic marketing for Honeywell’s resins and chemical business, said, the market was very broad. “Anywhere where ammonium nitrate is used today, this alternate form could be used effectively,” Mr. Murray said.
Honeywell is already a large producer of ammonium sulfate fertilizer.
The new fertilizer has less sulfur than ammonium sulfate, making it more widely usable, Honeywell said, and includes a mixture of nitrogen that is released promptly and nitrogen that becomes available slowly, making it a superior fertilizer.
GARDEN NEWZMount Sinai Garden Club is having their 1ST Annual Garden Tour on July 12, Tickets are available, for information contact mountsinaigardenclub@yahoo.
FIRST ANNUAL
GARDEN TOUR
Saturday, July 12, 2008
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tickets $20.00
Family Rate $30.00
THIS BROCHURE IS YOUR TICKET
THE MOUNT SINAI GARDEN CLUB
The mission of the Mount Sinai Garden Club is to educate the people in Mount Sinai and surrounding areas about natural gardening practices and the benefits of gardening, encouraging people to conserve our natural resources and exemplify public spirit by participation in community projects.
The Mount Sinai Garden Club is a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, Second District. We are in the process of becoming non-profit. The Club was founded in 2007 by four people who enjoy gardening and were eager to share their passion with others. Walter Becker, Christine Segal, Marie Huffman and Charles Bebber worked diligently to start a club to help community beautification efforts, especially at Mount Sinai’s Heritage Park. In addition, we are very proud that the Mount Sinai High School began a Garden Club this year thanks to the efforts of Charles Bebber.
Rhododendrons and Azaleas
are in full bloom right now. Rhododendrons and Azaleas
start making new flower buds for next year soon after they finish blooming. So the ideal time to trim them is right after they finish blooming. That way you cut off the seed pods from this years flowers, and get the plant trimmed before it has a chance to set any new flower buds. Once trimmed, the plant will set new flower buds and your plants will be loaded up with blooms for next year.
Most people are afraid to trim Rhododendrons because they aren't sure how to go about it. I just take my hedge shears and cut away, just like I would any other plant. The result? A beautiful plant that is tight and full, and loaded with blooms each year.
Most Rhododendrons and Azaleas are slow growing evergreens
so they don't need or like much fertilizer. I never fertilize mine. If you want to make them really happy, just make sure they are
planted in good soil that drains well.
If you have a Rhododendron that is doing poorly, chances are it's in an area that stays too wet. Maybe back by a wall where a downspout drains and the soil stays moist all the time. They hate that. Raise it up and put good topsoil around it. You'll see a difference in the plant.
GARDEN NEWZCornell Gardeners, welcomes the public to their 2nd annual Open House on July 12 th from 10 am to 3 pm at Cornell Gardens 3059 Sound Ave, Riverhead. Activities include guided tours of the display gardens. Children and garden related programs are planned. Don't forget, to bring your garden questions!
The Mount Sinai Garden Club meets at the Heritage Park Building in Mount Sinai the first Tuesday of the month (March through November) from 7-9 p.m. Membership costs $20.00 per year. We offer monthly programs on specific plants, perennials, organic gardening and much more. Please join us at our next monthly meeting. We can be reached at mountsinaigardenclub@yahoo.com.
"If you have 2 loaves of bread Sell one and buy flowers... For although bread nourishes the body... Flowers nourish the soul"....
Artwork on cover: Hannah Frank
Mount Sinai High School
Grade 12
GARDEN DIRECTORY
We are certain you will be inspired by the six private gardens presented on our 1st Annual Garden Tour. Each garden represents a work of love and art. We join our gardeners in welcoming you to celebrate the summer season with a leisurely stroll among perennials, vegetables gardens and the warm breezes of a seashore garden.
Please note the tour is held regardless of weather – rain or shine. This is a walking tour so please wear comfortable shoes. Gardens may be visited in any order, just be sure to have your brochure initialed at each location. Please be respectful of the gardens and the people who have created them.
Proceeds go to benefit the Heritage Park in Mount Sinai.
The Bebber Garden………………..page
The Ozol Garden…………………..page
The Wolstoff Garden………………page
The Haralabatos Garden……….…..page
The Stasiewicz Garden……………page
The Becker Garden…………….….page
Map and Driving Directions………………page
THE BEBBER GARDEN
25 Laura Court, Mount Sinai
I was watching "Who wants to be a Millionaire" at lunch the other day and the question had to do with the definition of the newly recognized word-LOCOVORE...the practice of eating food grown locally. Hey, I'm a locovore!!! The Garden Club started talking about the garden tours for July months ago and I was asked to show my vegetable garden. That's great, just one problem. In February there is no vegetable garden. The bushes, trees, bulbs, and perennial gardens all come back, but annuals of all annuals, are vegetables and in February I have no idea what my vegetable garden is going to look like in May, much less July 12, Tour Date. Expecting, read hoping, that this years garden would be as good as or even better than the last two years, I happily accepted...then went home and vomited. I have nothing started, I have no seeds to start, I haven't mapped out my 30 x 100' garden yet and I don't know how many rows of what I can squeeze in.
Then February 2nd came. But the ground is still frozen. That gives me time to go thru last years left over seeds. Then it's to the catalogs to supplement the varieties, sizes, colors and shapes of the crops I want to try for the new year. I want to keep the garden down below 100 tomato plants but expand the different varieties, Of course there have to be red, ripe Beefsteaks, but also yellow and green and Roma and Cherry, oh, and here's a white, and a black and on and on. Same for the Peppers-but lets stay below 60 plants. I start all these plants in large white bins filled with 66 3oz Dixie cups each (all cups are labeled with the implanted seed variety-my kids think I'm naming each plant!) and place them in the best two windows I have with pseudo-southern exposure in those plastic covered four shelf green houses...and cross my fingers.
Some seeds come up and some don't. If they don't, I reload the cup with the same type of seed. And on and on.
Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Eggplants go next. Carefully following the calendar to start the plants indoors "six to eight weeks before transplanting out doors". And then there are the three to four weeks before planting out door plants.
Now, as we're getting further into Spring; Potatoes and corn and lettuces and radishes can go outside directly. It's getting warmer so let's plant the peas and onions, too. Let's put the Green houses out on the deck and let everybody get some fresh sunlight. Oh but it got too warm and we fried the Pepper babies. Time to try to reseed quick.
And on and on it goes.
Last average frost date is May 10 and so watching the weather to insure its' cooperation, we might be able to direct plant into the garden Zucs and Cucs in a few days now. The lettuce, corn and pototaoes are coming up. The chives ( I got at last years plant swap) are well up, the Asparagus is a foot high and the Rhubarb is two feet high. The hops are five feet high.
Maybe we will have a garden by July 10. But with a vegetable garden, you never really know what you're going to get. I still have to properly harden all the little plants we started in the green houses but if that fails, I'll see you all at Agway. Otherwise, come by July 10 and I'll show you how we're making out and what other surprises I've found. Then we'll see if we're going to break last year record of 330 pounds of tomatoes. This is the third year of this garden so once again I hope we break the record again, and all my neighbors and friends will be LOCOVORES, too.
HAPPY GARDENING
THE OZOL GARDEN 38 White Birch Circle Come take a walk in my garden and you'll enter my paradise. I like to think of my garden as a work in progress that began thirteen years ago. Often times I look around the yard and I compare it to the various rooms of a sprawling ranch home. I have the living room in the front yard where my tall Beech trees anchor the room and provide a high natural ceiling. Entering the rear you are greeted into a wisteria archway and a few roses that begin a walk along a stone winding path, to a shade garden with a copper tribute sculpture of the Twin Towers on center stage. A hammock swings in front for those lazy summer days. Walking around the shade room, you'll pass through an ivy covered arbor into my aquatic garden. There you will be greeted by many different goldfish and a few koi that love to hide in the water lily and irises. The spawning of new fish is amazing to witness. This small pond has given us many new fish over the years. A slated natural flooring provides a place by the pond that my family enjoys summer storytelling over a fire-pit. The playhouse constructed by my husband and son give a great bird's eye view from the second story of my backyard space. The gray shape pond stones add a natural beauty to the gunite pool that doubles as a playground for the young and old alike. At it's peak it is also a home to monarch and yellow swallowtail butterflies. They are attracted to the Lithrum, Echinecia and Budvalia that are incapsulated in a weathered cedar fence that contains the space. The newly created compost pile is tucked behind a recycled white picket fence that reminds us of the tightly packed closet that you don't want company to see! It's value is underestimated in a sense because it will be the new golden fertilizer for this oasis as it breaks down with time. Departing through the other side you will enter a vegetable garden that last year, yielded a bountiful harvest of 3 varieties of tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, pumpkins, peppers, lettuce and assorted herbs. Harvesting and preparing a homegrown salad every evening feels like such an accomplishment!
My garden is my relaxation at times while other times it provides me with a sense of peace or stress depending on how many weedy friends have popped up. Like life, my garden is by no means perfect, rather a true reflection of who I am... It shows love, change and life... all the attributes that create my oasis. Thanks for walking with me
Methinks my own soul must be a bright invisible green. - Henry David Thoreau
THE WOLSTOFF GARDEN
Harbor Beach Road, Mount Sinai
Welcome to my Seaside Garden….
I always wanted a garden by the sea, so after years of looking, I found an old beach cottage on Harbor Beach Road in 1998, knocked it down to the ground in 1999, and spent almost two years rebuilding it, but that's another story.
I remember sitting on my new deck after two years of construction, I looked at the sand dune and since there was no soil, I decided to put my first pot there. That was the plan, to put some pots into the dune filled with soil and plants. I knew I could do it, for I had been gardening for many years, I should be done in a month or two, so off to Home Depot I went.
A month or two turned into a year or two. My garden grew and extended further and further from the sand dune about 500 feet to the front of the house near the driveway entry. After a year or so and tons of soil, stone, rock walls, park lights, drip irrigation and plants, my garden began to take shape. But then Mother Nature, with her full moons, storms, winds, and high tides turned it into a sunken garden. I had to fix all the electric, amend the soil and go back to the old drawing board. Seeing my garden and plants under two feet of salt water was a sobering sight.
So back to the dune garden I went, to add another pot and plant, more dirt or as I now call it soil, more pots or as I now call them containers, and also, drip irrigation.
I remembered someone said it takes three years for a garden to mature. I thought it had been three years, maybe it was four.
So now it's back to my sunken garden where I thought I now had the answer. I would add some big containers over there, more soil, drip irrigation, ornamental plants, just like I did on the dune side of the house, and let the water come! Well, Mother Nature did not disappoint me, you can always count on her, and four years later my large containers with beautiful ornamentals have survived and have not floated away. I am now in my 9th or is it my 10th year, still looking at the same dune, still digging one more hole, adding one more pot with a plant in it, a little wiser, and a little older, in my garden by the sea.
Gardens are not created or made, they unfold, spiraling open like the silk petals of an evening primrose flower to reveal the ground plot of the mind and heart of the gardener and the good earth.
- Wendy Johnson
THE HARALABATOS GARDEN
32 Jesse Way, Mount Sinai
This is our first home, purchased about nine years ago. We waited anxiously the first year to see what would come up from the ground. While we found that many of the bones of the landscape were present, there were very few perennials and bulbs. As we wanted color throughout the growing season, we planted a wide variety of perennials and spring flowering bulbs. Clematis and climbing roses were added to the previously bare gazebo in the back yard, and peter did the pool waterfall. He also selected replacement specimen plants and converted the pots to drip irrigation. The entire landscape has been gradually converted to organics, becoming completely so the past three seasons. This year we added a large organic vegetable garden and organic cutting garden in the back. Now we thoroughly enjoy our yard and gardens all season long and look to find unusual and interesting plants that we and our guests will enjoy
‘
"If you'd have a mind at peace, A heart that cannot harden, Go find a door that opens wide, Upon a lovely garden."
THE STASIEWICZ GARDEN
44 Jesse Way, Mount Sinai
Our family moved to Mount Sinai in August 1996. Our builder had only cleared twenty feet behind the house. Beyond that was a wild, twisted forest with vines, wild roses and honeysuckle ensnarling everything that eventually would become our backyard.
We started clearing a little at a time, cutting and chipping twisted branches. As we did this we noticed bushes in between the trees and vines. We saved as many as we could, either leaving them where they were or moving them to a different location in the yard. These bushes, mostly boxwoods and yews became somewhat of an outline for my gardens. I then added perennials, ornamental grasses, trees and annuals. Sometimes you’ll even find an occasional house plant growing there just for the season. Thanks to the birds and animals I still find a variety of seedlings in the yard and try to incorporate them within the garden somewhere.
My gardens have changed over the years as our family’s needs have changed. Some of the yard space was used for a pool, so I took the opportunity to put a waterfall into that area. Then added a few rock walls, which were made from field stones we collected and brought home a little at a time from a family home in the Catskills. On one of our trips to the Catskills we purchased some apple trees which give us sweet fruit as well as create a summer privacy border. Once while we were away on vacation, a relative planted raspberry bushes, which the children love to harvest and eat them immediately (so they don’t have to share). And we allocated space for a vegetable garden and have an ample supply of dark rich soil from materials we have composted for over a decade.
One of the best aspects of this assortment of trees, shrubs and flowers is that the garden has a collage of varying shades of green highlighted by seasonal flowering plants and trees that give us the added benefit of attracting many colorful birds and beautiful butterflies. The yard and gardens have definitely evolved over the years and have become a place we all love to sit back, relax and smell the flowers! Or in my case, just do some more gardening.
THE BECKER GARDEN
42 Jesse Way, Mount Sinai
In 1981, my wife and I purchased our first home in Mt Sinai. A ½ acre plot of land scraped bare by the builder and with barely enough money to buy a bag of grass seed. I used a push lawnmower and would spend my weekend cutting and maintaining the lawn as best as I could. Over time, I would receive plants donated by family and friends or, occasionally purchase an annual or two, and create a small flower bed in order to add some color to the yard. I soon discovered(or stumbled) over the realization that gardens were much more rewarding and easier to maintain than an expanse of green grass. And so it began….
In 1996, we were lucky enough to find another new home in Mt.Sinai. This time, the builder left a solid wall of overgrown scrub and vegetation beginning 20 feet from the house. Armed with a few plants brought with me from the first house, I began to clear the undergrowth and start anew. I focused on my love of color, variety and contrast and worked within what was already planted on the property. Today, there are well over 150 different perennials and over 100 various types of shrubs and conifers creating the vibrant color and contrast I enjoy and like. The garden has also been featured in a number of local newspapers and other garden tours.
I call my gardens a painting, with each year a new canvas as I add and subtract from the previous years arrangement. Depending upon the season, the gardens change in form and affect, creating a entirely new painting within the same gardening season. Furthermore, the many paths within the garden create the opportunity to view these changes up close or from within the gardens. Water features, including two ponds and a stream, a rose garden and container plantings further enhance the ever changing experience and add to the season long enjoyment of my painting.
DIRECTIONS.
To Heritage Park:
From LIE: take LIE to exit 63 (rte 83), North. Take rte 83 8 miles to Mt. Sinai-Coram Rd. Turn left. Park is on the right.
From 347: take 347 East, which turns into rte 25A. Continue on 25A to Mt. Sinai-Coram Rd. Turn right. Park is on the left.
From 25 A (westbound). Take 25A into Mount Sinai. Turn left at Mt. Sinai-Coram Rd. Park is on the left.
From Park to:
Jesse Way: Turn right from park onto Mt. Sinai-Coram Road. Make quick left onto Jesse Way.
Laura Court: Turn left from park onto Mt. Sinai-Coram Road. Make quick left onto rte. 83. Far right lane quickly exits into Laura Court.
Harbor Beach Rd. Turn right from park onto Mt. Sinai-Coram Road. Go 1 mile to N. Country Rd. Turn right. Go about .8 miles to Pipe Stave Hollow Road. Turn left. Follow Pipe Stave Hollow to Harbor Beach Rd. Turn left.
White Birch Rd, Miller Place. Turn right from park onto Mt. Sinai-Coram Road. Turn right on rte 25A. Go 1.3 miles to Miller Place Rd. Turn left. Go 0.5 miles to Echo Ave. Turn right. Turn right at Central Blvd. and right at White Birch Rd.
PRESS RELEASES AND PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Office of the County Executive SteveLevy County Executive Jim Morgo Chief Deputy
Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan 24, 2008
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy Signs Comprehensive Fertilizer Reduction Plan
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy Signs Comprehensive Fertilizer Reduction Plan
New Law Will Prohibit Application on Frozen Ground, Require Landscapers to Take Mitigation Courses and Ban Use on Most County Properties
Multi-Faceted Approach Also Focuses on Consumer Education
Hauppauge, NY – A multi-pronged approach towards reducing nitrogen pollution from fertilizer leaching – including the prohibition of fertilizer application during cold weather and a requirement that licensed landscapers be trained in its proper use and application -- was signed into law January 23 by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.
The proposal also spells out steps to eliminate the use of nitrogen-based fertilizer on most county properties and codifies the county's organic maintenance plan that will minimize the use of fertilizers for parks, golf courses and the Suffolk County Farm.
The program also expands existing consumer education programs at the retail level with signs and brochures.
"This is an opportunity for Suffolk County to lead by example," said Levy. "We can have green parks and lavish lawns without sacrificing the health of our groundwater."
The Fertilizer Nitrogen Pollution Reduction Policy was developed by Levy with the county's Department of Environment and Energy, Department of Health and Parks Department, along with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, The Nature Conservancy, The Group for the East End, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Long Island Neighborhood Network and the Homestead A-Syst Task Force.
The plan includes:
A countywide ban on application of all fertilizers between November 1 and April 1; a period where the ground is likely to be too cold to absorb nutrients, resulting in increased leaching of nitrogen into the groundwater and surface waters;
A ban on use of all fertilizer on all county properties, with the exception of golf courses, athletic fields, the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank, and where establishing new turf along public works projects;
Codifying the county's Organic Parks Maintenance Plan, which will use the minimum amounts of slow-released fertilizers needed and limit fertilizer application rates to 3 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. over a golf course;
Use of Best Management Practices, as developed by the Suffolk County Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Program adopted by the County Legislature for nutrient management at the Suffolk County Farm;
Expansion of existing educational campaigns for consumers and retailers, such as those sponsored by the Homestead A-Syst Task Force, to promote low-maintenance lawn care and landscaping, modification of fertilizer application rates and greater use of slow-release formulas. The expanded program will include an interactive website for homeowners to determine the amounts of fertilizer needed.
Requirement that all licensed landscapers take an approved turf management course which teaches the proper use and application of fertilizers and methods to minimize nitrogen leaching. County officials estimate there are about 1,200 landscapers licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs under a home improvement license.
Requirement that retail establishments post signs to advise consumers about the risks of nitrogen-based fertilizers and assist them in choosing fertilizers that pose the least harm to the environment. Retailers must also make brochures available about the proper use and application of fertilizer products.
According to Levy, the elements of the plan could reduce the amount of nitrogen leached into groundwater and surface waters from residential use by at least 25 percent, 60 tons annually.
"Fertilizers account for 56 percent of nitrogen pollution emanating from residential properties," said Levy. "It is a more cost-effective approach to prevent nitrogen pollution at the source, rather than spending millions to remediate our waterways after the fact."
"We all need to be more conscientious about what we put on the ground and into our waterways. This bill, initiated by the County Executive, is good for consumer's wallets, and the environment," said Kevin McDonald, Director of Public Lands for the Nature Conservancy on Long Island. "Bills like this one are an important step toward restoring our waterways in Suffolk County by reducing pollution into them. We applaud the County Executive for this important measure to protect our groundwater, our harbors and bays," he added.
"We applaud County Executive Levy and the County Legislature for taking steps to reduce fertilizer use in the County. This may seem like a small step however it will produce meaningful results. Educating members of the public on the hazards of excessive fertilizer use and controlling the misapplication of this product will result in the protection of our bays, estuaries and groundwater supplies," stated Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"This law represents an innovative and educational approach to water quality protection throughout Suffolk County. Each of us has an obligation to help protect the health of our fragile bays and harbors, and the Fertilizer Reduction Law puts that obligation into action," said Robert S. DeLuca, President, Group for the East End.
"Long Island may be America's first suburb, and as such, we are leaders in maintaining green, verdant lawns. Today, Suffolk County is demonstrating environmental leadership by demonstrating the green lawns can be maintained without excessive fertilizer use. This legislation will reduce the amounts of nitrogen that makes it into our environment from synthetic fertilizers," said Neal Lewis, executive director of the Neighborhood Network. "With fertilizers, applying less at the right times, is more beneficial then applying too much."
"Any law that limits harmful pollutants from infiltrating the sources of our drinking water is welcomed and appreciated by our ratepayers", said Stephen Jones, CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority. "This legislation does just that."
GARDENNEWZ.... In Cooperation with the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, 2008 Daily Growing Degree Day and Precipitation Reports are Compiled by Thomas Kowalsick, to receive YOUR GROWING DEGREE DAY e mail reports, CONTACT twk3@cornell.edu or call 631-727-7850 x334 INCLUDE YOUR NAME, PHONE NUBER, AND E MAIL ADDRESS.
GARDENNEWZ New National Standards for Organic Food As one of his final acts in office, Secretary ofAgriculture, Dan Glickman announced the final national standards for the production, handling and processing of organically grown agriculture products. The announcement was made on December 20, 2000.Essentially, the new organic standard offers a nationaldefinition for the term "organic." It details the methods, practicesand substances that can be used in producing and handling organic cropsand livestock, as well as processed products. It establishes clearorganic labeling criteria and specifically prohibits the use of geneticengineering methods, ionizing radiation and sewage sludge forfertilization.All agricultural products labeled organic must originatefrom farms or handling operations certified by a state or privateagency accredited by USDA. Farms and handling operations that sell lessthan $5,000 worth per year of organic agricultural products are exemptfrom certification. Farmers and handlers have 18 months to comply withthe national standards. Consumers will begin to see new organic labeling onproducts in their local grocery stores by this summer, with fullimplementation by mid-2002.The final national organic standards rule, which takesinto consideration over 300,000 public comments, was published in theFederal Register on December 21, 2000. The rules, along with detailedfactsheets and other background information is available on the web at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nopSource: Condensed from USDA News Release, Release No. 04.25.00
MARCH 4 THE PORT JEFFERSON GARDEN CLUB WILL MEET AT THE BELLE TERRE COMMUNITY HOUSE. JAY WOLSTOFF AND LAURIE DONNELLY WILL MAKE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ENTITLED "YOUR GUIDE TO CONTAINER GARDENING". ALL ARE WELCOME!
March 21 st JAY WOLSTOFF and Laurie Donnelly will be making a Seaside Gardening power point presentation for the Shoreham Garden Club at 10:30am at the Shoreham Village Hall on Woodville Road in Shoreham.click here to visit their web site;http://www.shorehamvillage.org/ -
Heuchera-Coral Bells 'Caramel'®, the coolest plant
