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Green Thumb Prints Newsletter of the Hancock County

Master Gardener Volunteers Gardening is our Passion . . . Education is our Purpose

Dates to Remember! Monday, March 3: Hancock County Library presentation on vegetables by Dick Deerhake, 6:30—7:30. Saturday, March 8: Fruit Tree, Grapevine, Bramble Pruning Workshop, Logan MGVs, Bellefontaine, see page 8. Thursday, March 13: Brown Bag Presentation by Larry Schock, 6:00 pm, Extension Office. Thursday, March 13: MGV Monthly Meeting, 7:00 pm, Extension Office. Saturday, March 15: Spring Buckeye District Meeting Program, Delaware, see page 10. Saturday, March 15: Art of Gardening, 8:30—3:30, OSU Lima campus. More info later. Wednesday, March 19: WFIN Phone Club, 9:00 am, Dick Schweitzer and Bill Lanning. Saturday, March 29: Spring Garden Party, Licking County MGVs, Newark, see pg 8. Saturday, April 5: Spring into Gardening, Putnam MGVs, Ottawa, see pg. 11. Monday, April 14: Library presentation on small gardens by Lauri Inkrott, 6:30.

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Here a Dibble, there a Dibble—by Sharon

Hammer Baker Ability of plants to communicate

underground—by Bob Campbell Field Trip Information, pictures, more.

Coordinator’s Corner By Bill Jones

Is it spring yet? It’s bound to be an unusual spring and summer because of the extremely cold winter. The cold and wind will likely reduce the forsythia and peach blooms as well as many of the hydrangea blooms later this summer. The hope, however, is that the insect population, especially bagworms, will be much lower. Many thanks to Marilynn Beltz for creating our booth at the Home Show. Vaun Wickerham mentioned on the radio that “it just wouldn’t be the Home Show without the Master Gardeners.” Thanks also to all of our MGVs that worked the booth answering the many questions and being our ambassadors. Look for the pictures of the booth with the set-up crew throughout this issue. We may have some new research opportunities at our Phenology Garden this year. Denise Ellsworth, OSU Educator and coordinator of the Ohio Phenology Network and the honeybee and native pollinator program for OSU, has asked us to become part of her research into the factors affecting the visits of many native pollinators. We would add some new plants to our Phenology Garden and will not only measure the time for first bloom and 95% bloom but also the plants visited by pollinators and the species of

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March 2014

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

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pollinators being observed. If this is of interest to you, perhaps we can set up a schedule for observing the plants. We will continue to record our bloom data to help in following the emergence of insects and changes in the climate. It is time to start many seeds in order have the plants ready for the garden soon after the frost-free date. If you have not tried this yet, it might be fun to start with something easier like tomatoes. Dick Deerhake will have an article in the Courier this month on seed starting. His article will provide you with lots of good information on being successful when starting seeds. Our next meeting is scheduled for March 13. Larry Schock will provide our educational Brown Bag session at 6:00 PM. Our business meeting will then take place at 7:00 pm. Hope to see you all there.

Bill

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Coordinator’s Corner—Continued

2014 Home Show at Fort Findlay Mall

THANK YOU! To Bill Lanning. After many weather related

cancellations, he did an excellent presentation on using seed catalogs to find garden treasures.

To Bob Campbell. Bob had an excellent article in the weekend section of the Courier.

To Sharon Hammer Baker and Bob Campbell for submitting articles to this newsletter.

Volunteers at the Home Show.

To the committee chairs and officers who work tirelessly throughout the year with many activities.

To Marilynn Beltz for all her efforts and organization at the Home Show.

To Bill Jones, our County Coordinator, who keeps us from going astray. He also made a presentation to the Findlay Garden Club on Soils.

To Donna Johnson for planning the field trips.

To Bob Campbell for his “Flowers of the Bible” presentation at various organizations.

To Dick Deerhake for his excellent library presentation on vegetables.

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Similar conclusions from two experiments have been shared recently with the scientific community and the world. The first was by ecologists from the United Kingdom, the second by ecologists in Canada. The first was on plants grown by farmers, the second on trees growing in the forest. Both experiments concluded that plants engage in underground communication with each other. The first experiment could benefit farmers; the second, foresters. I. As reported by the BBC News on May 13 of last year, a team of researchers has concluded that plants use underground fungi to communicate with each other. Already known was the fact that such communication goes on via the air. Could plants also communicate from beneath the ground? Scientists realized that most land plants are connected below by fungi called mycorrhizae. Many began to hypothesize that “mycorrhizae can act as a kind of information network among plants.” According to the BBC news report, these had been “recently reviewed in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, and in Trends in Plant Science.” Scientists from the University of Aberdeen, the James Hutton Institute and Rothamsted Research, all in the UK, decided to put this hypothesis to a test. They came up with an experiment to evaluate the ability of plants to communicate using these thread-like networks. The team’s experiment involved using “five broad bean plants”. They would allow “three in each group to develop mycorrhizal networks, /but prevent/ the networks’ growth in the other two.” And they would “prevent any through-the-air chemical communication” by covering all the plants with bags. The researchers reported their findings in Ecology Letters. They concluded that when an “infested plant was connected to another by mycorrhizae, the un-infested plant began to mount a chemical defense. But those not connected by the fungal networks

“showed no chemical response.” Apparently, they received no signal of attack. No communication had taken place. Newsman Eric Pfeiffer sums up the “chemical defense” as similar to those plants deploy via the air: “the study demonstrated that the plants are able to send warnings of incoming aphids to other plants connected to their network. The plants then send out a chemical signal that repels aphids and attracts wasps, a natural aphid predator.” According to Plant Scientist, “Mycorrhizal fungi live in the soil and are able to form symbioses with the majority of land plants. In return for sugars from the plant the mycorrhizal fungi provide nutrients including phosphate and nitrogen. The fungi have broad plant host ranges so an individual fungus can establish symbioses with several plants. Plants can maintain symbioses with several mycorrhizial fungi so the result is a whole series of connections between plants and fungi in the soil known as “common mycelial networks”. John Pickett, scientist at Rothamsted Research, concludes that “an evolutionary development of a symbiotic relationship” has taken place. “Mycorrhizal fungi need to get /products of photosynthesis/ from the plant, and they have to do something for the plant. In the past, we thought of them making nutrients available from the /roots and soil./ But now it looks like “we see another evolutionary role for them . . . they pay the plant back by transmitting the signal efficiently.” Pickett calls this a “powerful … fantastic signaling system.” II. As reported by Jane Engelsipen, Forest

ecologist Suzanne Simard and her colleagues at the University of British Columbia have made a major discovery: trees /as well as plants/ really do communicate and interact with each other.

“These ecologists discovered in the Canadian forests an “underground web of fungi connecting the trees and plants of an ecosystem.”

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“The Ability of Plants to Communicate Underground” By Bob Campbell

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Dr Simard was led to the discovery by the observation of webs of bright white and yellow fungal threads on the forest floor. Many of these fungi were mycorrhizal, meaning they have a beneficial, symbiotic relationship with a host plant, in this case tree roots. This symbiotic web enables the purposeful sharing of resources, that consequently help the entire ecosystem entire ecosystem of trees and plants to flourish. Microscopic experimentation revealed that the fungi actually move carbon, water and nutrients between trees, depending upon their needs. “The big trees”, explains Dr. Simard, “were subsidizing the young ones through the fungal networks. Without this helping hand, most of the seedlings wouldn’t make it.” III. The conclusions reached by both of these studies have important implications both for farmers and foresters. Rog Wood, farming correspondent for The Scotland Herald puts the chief possibility this way: “The research changes our understanding of the ways in which living things interact with one another. If crops can be managed in a way that exploits this natural communication channel, it could provide a new weapon in the battle against insect pests . . . The roots of virtually all groups of plants, including important food crops such as wheat, rice, maize and barley, are colonized by symbiotic fungi.” Pickett pictures it as a new strategy for combating aphids. “A particular, ‘sacrificial’ plant could be placed in a position “to be more susceptible to aphid infestation.” So “when aphids threaten, the network can provide advance notice for the rest of the crop.” The plants then would not be tempted to strain themselves all the time, putting up defenses when they are not needed. The plant could preserve its strength for actual aphid attack, rather than depleting it and reducing its resistance to attack.

(Continued from page 3) Another implication seems pretty obvious and is mentioned by Jane Engelsiepen. If fungi in the soil are a plant’s means of communicating the threat of insect attack, it would support the concept of no-till farming. The less disturbance of the soil, and thus of these precious fungi, the better. As a gardener, these implications give me pause on how I do my gardening. I will think twice about working and reworking my soil. It sounds like less tilling, more mulching could be essential for maintaining my fungal network and empowering my plants to survive. I may also think twice before applying insecticide or even spraying water on a rose or other plant under attack (I’ve noticed each year when aphids strike, they single out one plant for their dirty work.) Perhaps by permitting partial damage, I could be setting in motion the underground communication needed to warn the other plants, thus enhancing their ability to ward off attack. There’s also an important implication in the ability of trees in the forest to engage in underground communication with each other. The larger and older trees should not be the first to go. Dr. Simard’s research shows that at the hub of the Mycorrhizal networks, there’s a Mother Tree. The network of fungal threads begins here and spreads out to all the other trees in the forest. According to Dr. Simard’s research, when a Mother Tree is cut down, it substantially diminishes the resources and survival rate of the younger trees in the forest family. Changes may lie ahead for foresters. Instead of cutting down the old and the large, these may need to be left as they are to nurture the growth of the younger, smaller trees. Sources for this article: (Note: several words in this piece may seem to be misspelled; the quotations are from writers in the United Kingdom, whose spellings vary from ours.)

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“The Ability of Plants to Communicate Underground” - Continued

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Here a Dibble, There a Dibble . . By Sharon Hammer Baker

I’d owned a dibble for years before I knew the correct name for it. When I bought it, it was labeled a planter. After using it for several years, I ran across a funny word in an article and discovered to my delight that my humble “planter” was a dibble, a tool designed for planting small bulbs and large seeds. The word is from Middle English, only changing slightly in spelling since the 1300s; the tool has not changed at all. All dibbles have three basic characteristics: a handle, a tapered pointed body for making a planting hole and marks on the body to measure depth of planting holes. Originally, dibbles were likely hand carved, but today are turned on a lathe from a variety of woods or made with a T-handle and metal sheath on the tip. The T-handle model is available in garden catalogs, inexpensive, and may be listed as a dibbler. That first dibble of mine was the very utilitarian model: unfinished pine wood with a T-handle above a slender tapered body with a green metal cover on the pointed tip. Over time, the handle turned grubby from being held by muddy gloves and the metal tip showed signs of wear and corrosion. Not the prettiest tool in the shed! Then, about five years ago my sister sent me a birthday gift that was to be the beginning of my collection of dibbles. She had found the “interesting thing” in a little garden shop in Morro Bay, California, and although she said she didn’t know what it was, she figured I would. Indeed I did! This dibble was turned from mahogany, with a pronounced fine grain and oil finished, so it’s slightly rough to the hand. The unique feature of this dibble is the square cap on the handle. My next dibble was another gift. At the 2010 Master Gardener awards banquet, I was given the “Green Thumb” award, which was accompanied by a beautiful hand-turned cherry dibble. I was honored by the award and thrilled with the dibble. Its silky smooth finish, rich color, perfectly rounded handle and balanced, tapered body are the result of fine craftsmanship. It will never see soil! This set me on a quest to find other dibbles to add to what was now a bona fide collection. After all, isn’t a collection having more than two things of a kind? It wasn’t long before I came across two dibbles at a local shop. Both are finely finished, well turned and feature a leather loop at the top of the handle. One is pine with a very prominent grain; the other, very slender and lightweight, looks like ash. Of course, I bought them both. My next addition came last summer from a little shop in Holland, Michigan. It is the most decorative and fanciful of my dibbles. It’s turned from walnut and the body is unfinished, but the oversize handle is completely covered in Norwegian rosemal painting in reds and greens, with traditional rose and floral motifs, and signed by the artist. What an exciting find!

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I’m not sure why I’m drawn to this tool – after all, it has limited use in the garden. Perhaps the historic simplicity and elegance of its design appeal to me as an artist, or its fun-to-say name appeals to me as a writer. Perhaps it’s all the different woods. Whatever the reason, I’m now always on the lookout for dibbles in gift and garden shops, as well as in antique shops and yard sales. Who knows where or when the next addition to my dibble collection will be found.

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BBC News, Science & Environment, May 10, 2013,10 May 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22462855?print=true

Jane Engelsiepen, Trees Communicate with Each Other, and share nutrients through a sophisticated underground network , http://www.positivenewsus.org/trees-communicate-with-each-other.html)

Eric Pfeiffer, 5-13-13, http://news-yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow

“Watch out mate, aphids are about!” Plant-to-plant communication via mycorrhizal fungi http://plantscientist.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/watch-out-mate-aphids-are-about-plant-to-plant-communication-via-mycorrhizal-fungi/ (a much more detailed description of the experiment is available at this web site).

Rog Wood, Farming correspondent, The Herald, May 9, 2013 http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/farming/evidence-plants-communicate-via-underground-fungal-networks.21041866

Here a Dibble, There a Dibble . . (continued)

“The Ability of Plants to Communicate Underground”

- Continued from page 4

Mark your calendars FIELD TRIPS!!!!!!

Planting MGV-Owned Pots, Baskets, Containers of

your choice.

When: Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Where: Country Nook, Located near Bettsville (Patti Ritter, Owner)

What: Patti will provide the potting mix, plant plugs of your choice, and instructions for success. MGVs pay for potting mix and plant plugs.

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Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens — Frank A. Seiberling House.

www.stanhywet.org

When: Wednesday, July 2, 2014 (this will be a day trip similar to last year)

Where: 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, Ohio

What: The Grand Estate tour includes the guided Manor House tour and a guided tour of the major gardens, about 2-1/2 hours. The Corbin conservatory and gate lodge may be toured on our own (self-guided). The tours do not have to be taken consecutively, which allows for a rest break at on-site, Molly's Cafe'. The estate also includes a greenhouse. Lunch will be at Papa Joe's Italian Restaurant, located about a mile from the estate.

Additional information about both field trips will be provided at a later time.

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Secrest Arboretum Master Gardener Volunteer Days Spring 2014

All Master Gardener Volunteers are invited-- especially new MGVs and those who have not been to Secrest. This is the center of so much horticulture activity. It is immensely important for MGVs know about it and have the opportunity to experience the arboretum and learn there in a hands on way. Starting Thursday May 22 at Noon to 6 PM (dinner at 7) and Friday May 23 8 AM to 3 PM. You can enjoy two days or either day or part of a day.

LEARN • EXPLORE • WONDER • CONNECT • @ Secrest Experience the gardens as only a gardener can—your hands on the plants and in the soil. Walk the gardens casually or with the experts on Educational walkabouts. Learn from Ken Cochran, Joe Cochran, Denise Ellsworth and others what makes Secrest special. Shop for unique and hard to find plants available for purchase. Share work, learning and dining with MGVs from around Ohio. Earn education credit hours and volunteer hours.

Cost: No charge for this program. Food and lodging not included.

Visit: secrest.osu.edu Secrest Arboretum is located on The Ohio State University Wooster Campus,

Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center, OARDC

Send your registration and questions to Dan Poast poast4@windstream.net 937-473-3202 home, 937-286-1657 cell

This is a working event. Dress for gardening and the weather. Bring your garden tools. If weather is rough, Joe will have stuff to do in the greenhouse and nursery. Staying Thursday night? Let me know so I can plan for dinner. As May 22 approaches more info will be sent to those who respond.

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Fruit Tree, Grapevine & Bramble Pruning Workshop March 8, 2014

at Logan County OSU Extension Office The Logan County Master Gardener Volunteers and OSU Extension, Logan County will be hosting a “Fruit Tree, Grapevine & Bramble Pruning” workshop on March 8, 2014. The event will be held at the OSU Extension Office located at 1100 South Detroit Street, Bellefontaine from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm with time for questions at the end.

The featured speaker is Dr. Gary Gao, an OSU Extension Specialist and Associate Professor with OSU South Centers. Dr. Gao has been with Extension since 1994 working in Clermont and Delaware Counties prior to his joining OSU South Centers. He is also editor and co-author of “Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide”, as well as co-author of “Midwest Blueberry Production Guide”. Registration fee for the workshop will be $25.00 due by February 28, 2014. Checks can be made payable to OSU Extension. For more information, registration forms and other questions please visit logan.osu.edu or contact OSU Extension at 937-599-4227.

� Pruning & Training Apple Trees � Pruning & Training Peach Trees � Pruning & Training Grapevines

� Pruning & Training Blackberries & Raspberries.

Spring Garden Party

For garden & nature lovers Saturday, March 29

8:30—4:00 pm

Morning & Afternoon Keynote Speakers ▪ Three Additional Speakers

Continental Breakfast Lunch, Soups & Salad, Rolls

30+ Vendors ▪ Raffle & Door Prize

Presented by: Licking County Master Gardeners and The OSU Extension of Licking County

Purchase tickets at: www.fourseasonsofgardening.com

or call: (740) 503-5108 Before March 1 tickets: $25.00 each ▪ after March 1 tickets: $35.00 each

Where: Career & Technology Education Center 150 Price Road Newark, OH 43055 740-364-2333

Why We Garden From Gardeners Supply Company

This is the results from their 2013 survey of 40,000 gardeners

10. It’s my exercise.

9. I want more control over what my family eats.

8. I enjoy growing my own food.

7. I like having a beautiful property that I can be

proud of.

6. I like being and feeling healthy.

5. It gives me peace of mind.

4. It relaxes me.

3. I like being connected to the natural world.

2. I love flowers.

1. I enjoy spending time outside & around plants.

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THANK YOU AND REMINDER:

Thanks to Cheryl Miller, Larry Schock, Pam McCloud for providing the delicious refreshments at the February MGV meeting.

Reminder: Lyn Maa, Sharon Hammer Baker, and Pat Flinn will provide food for the March meeting.

Webinars: Growing Raspberries & Blackberries with Integrated Pest Management https://learn.extension.org/events/1427 or go to the following:

1. Planting, Management and Pruning Raspberries and Blackberries with IPM by Vaughn Hammond, University of Nebraska https://umconnect.umn.edu/p40892811/

2. Controlling Insects of Raspberries with IPM by Celeste Welty, Ohio State University. Special emphasis on spotted wing drosophila: https://umconnect.umn.edu/p23091031/

3. Controlling Diseases of Raspberries with IPM by Michelle Grabowski, University of Minnesota: https://umconnect.umn.edu/p48413563/

Spotted Wing Drosophilia http://carmenconnect.osu.edu/pzsusazooo/ Help with powerpoint can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbeyPahs-ng

Summit County Garden Photography Club

Promoting stewardship through photography Yearly membership fee $25.

To sign up, contact Danae Wolfe at 330-928-4769, ext. 17 or

wolfe.540@osu.edu. Members enjoy…

• Quarterly membership meetings with guest presentations

• Monthly photo walks (March-October)

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Spring Buckeye District Meeting Program

Saturday, March 15th, 2014 Willow Brook Christian Village 100 Willow Brook Way, South

Delaware, OH 43015

Time Topic / Title of Presentation Presenter 8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration – Terrace Room Coffee & pastries 9:00 – 10:30 AM The Creation of a Rose Renee Schmitz 10:30 – 10:45 AM Break 10:45 – 12:00 AM World Trends in the Rose Trade Renee Schmitz 12:00 – 1:00 PM Luncheon Buffet 1:00 – 2:00 PM Cut Flower Production vs Growing Show Roses Renee Schmitz 2: 00 – 2:15 PM Break 2:15 – 2:30 PM Announcements by Chairs & Rose Clubs 2:30—3:15 PM Business Meeting 3:15 – 3:45 PM Auction off roses Corky Thacker Buckeye Dis 1st Vice President 3:45 –4:00 AM Rose mini & miniflora pickup Corky Thacker

Registration Form Buckeye District Spring Meeting, March 15, 2014 (Please Return by February 25, 2014)

Cost - $25.00 per person (Includes an excellent hot lunch buffet and breaks)

Name _______________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________________

Telephone Number_____________________________________________________

Email Address_________________________________________________________

Number of Persons_______________________@$25.00 each__________________

Please mail check made out to Buckeye District and this form to: Larry Schock 2186 T. R. 232 Van Buren, OH 45889

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The Master Gardener Green Thumb Print is a publication of the Hancock County Extension Office, 7868 Hancock County Road 140, Findlay, OH, 45840, 419-422-3851. The Master Gardener Coordinator is Bill Jones. Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA. Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868

Beginning at 6:00 pm, the Brown Bag Training was provided by Dwight Wilson on Honey Bees. Mr. Wilson’s presentation was very informative and interactive. He discussed the many aspects of bee keeping and how important bees are in the success of certain crops. The monthly meeting was called to order at 7:25 pm. Marilynn passed around several logos that are being considered by OSUE for the Master Gardener Volunteer program. The general consensus was that the logos were very “busy” and somewhat feminine. Treasurer’s report was given by Bill Lanning. Cards with get well wishes were passed around to be signed for Jim Barnhill and Carol Brumbaugh. A book on Ornamental Grasses was purchased in honor of Jeannette Miller who passed away recently. We all signed the book to be placed in our MGV library. Jeanette’s tireless energy and smiling face will be greatly missed. Donna Johnson mentioned several potential field trips.. 1. The Toledo Zoo on Feb. 27 is hosting Fairytales, Fables and Flowers. 2. Country Nook on April 29 to bring our own containers to plant for minimal dollars. 3. Stan Hywet Estate tour in Akron on June 24th. The Recognition Banquet will be April 10th at the Extension office and will be a carry in. Larry Schock brought in some plant markers that he had labeled for consideration as fund raising items for $.75 each. They were very nice. Everyone seemed in agreement to test them out if we could at the Leisure Living Show. It was clarified that the Front and South Garden Maintenance committee would be Cheryl Miller, Marty Davis and Cathy Grossman. Bob Campbell stated that he would be presenting “Flowers of the Bible” on Feb. 25th at the First Lutheran Church and again at St. Andrews Church in March. Donna Johnson asked if there was any interest in training on Power Point. She had a sign-up sheet for those interested. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm. Submitted by Lauri Inkrott

Hancock County Master Gardener Volunteer Meeting Minutes

February 12, 2014