Over the Garden Gate Monthly Newsletter Clinton County Master Gardeners Editor: Carol Machael, [email protected]; 563-357-7537 Published on the first Monday of the month except during January and December. To submit an article it must be sent by E-mail as a Microsoft Word attachment to the above e-mail address. To be accepted for publication in the next newsletter, articles must be received 10 days before the first Monday of the month. Articles will be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the editor. If you are mailing something to me please use new contact info: 502 Apple Valley Lane, Clinton. Volume 7 Issue 2 March 2016 Another Successful Hort in the Heartland! Great Job! Thanks to all who planned the event !! Special thanks to presenters! Rave reviews for a wonderful and very well-attended edu- cational event.
Published on the first Monday of the month except during January and December.
To submit an article it must be sent by E-mail as a Microsoft Word attachment to the above e-mail address. To be accepted for publication in the
next newsletter, articles must be received 10 days before the first Monday of the month. Articles will be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the
editor. If you are mailing something to me please use new contact info: 502 Apple Valley Lane, Clinton.
Volume 7 Issue 2 March 2016
Another Successful Hort
in the Heartland!
Great Job! Thanks to all who
planned the event !!
Special thanks to presenters!
Rave reviews for a wonderful
and very well-attended edu-
cational event.
CLINTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES
Volume 7 Issue 2 Page 2 March 2016
February Meeting Bickelhaupt Arboretum
Roll Call-Deb Monroe, Linda Lamp, Brenda Council, Bonnie Meyers, Deb Neels, Willard Lar-sen, Todd Dierks, Mark Schroeder, Margo Hanson
Approval of Minutes-Approved
Financial Report-Mark-balance of $4041.39
Mark's Report-Josh Fielding needs help with mini-grants for growing food to be given to food banks. Deb Monroe volunteered to help with this. Kara Zidarich also seeking help on planting container gardens with the Young Mom's Club-Linda L. & Deb M. volunteered to help.
Bickelhaupt Arboretum-Margo-upcoming programs: March 5-Hort. in Heartland, March 19-Rainbarrel Class, April 16-Plant Propagation Class. Bus trip in mid July to Des Moines Botanical Gardens & Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge. For information on any of these classes or trips, contact the Arboretum.
Committees/Projects/Events
OLC-Willard-Mtg scheduled for Feb. 24 to discuss OLC project and MG Day at Fair. Will know more in April about grant submitted for OLC plantings.
Hort in Heartland-Willard- ( March 5)-Will have table with MG information. Willard will con-tact people to help with introduction of speakers. Will have free magazine table again this year.
Publicity-Deb N. - plans going forward for Spring Social on April 7 in 4H building by OLC.
Plant Sales-Willard-(May 14 & 15) will be sending out information on both plant sales and re-mind everyone to dig plants early so they look their best come sale time.
Garden Walk- Bonnie ( June 26 from 12-4PM) Had first meeting on Feb. 2. Have 3 confirmed gardens so far. Anyone knowing of a garden to add to the list please contact Bonnie Meyers (1-563-212-2097).
Old Business:
MG Room-need volunteer to help sort out and get rid of outdated information and books.
New Business:
Next mtg March 15 at the Extension Office at 9AM.
Calendar in newsletter for upcoming events-Deb N. will work on this.
Fall Classes-Mark-Would like volunteers to call possible new class members to help them with any questions they might have. That person will be their contact person for information. Willard, Brenda, & Bonnie will help with this project.
Respectfully submitted, Brenda Council, Secretary
Volume 7 Issue 2 Page 3 March 2016
2016 Master Gardener Calendar
Meetings, Events & Educational Opportunities
March 5 Horticulture in the Heartland, Clinton Community College, 7:30 am – 2:00 pm
March 15 Advisory Board Meeting at Extension Office, DeWitt at 9 am Outdoor Living Classroom (OLC) meeting to follow at approx. 10:15
March 19 Rain Barrel Class at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton, 10 am – 11:30 am
April 7 Spring Garden Social Potluck at Fairgrounds Auditorium, DeWitt
social gathering at 6 pm (see details in this newsletter)
April 16 Plant Propagation Class at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton, 10 am – 11 am
April 19 Advisory Board Meeting at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton at 9 am
May 14 & 15 Plant Sale at Clinton (Lyons Park) & DeWitt (Fairgrounds); Hours to be announced
May 17 Advisory Board Meeting at Extension Office, DeWitt at 9 am
June 21 Advisory Board Meeting at Bickelhaupt Arb, Clinton at 9 am
June 26 Garden Walk, various locations, noon – 4 pm
July 6 Master Gardener Day at the Clinton County Fair, DeWitt
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability,
political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative format
for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC
Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who share a love of gardening, an en-
thusiasm for learning, and a commitment to helping others. Perhaps you've met a
Master Gardener working at a community garden, teaching a workshop, or an-
swering questions at the fair.
“What really sets them apart from other home gardeners is their commitment to learning and sharing what
they learn with others,” said Dr. Mark Schroeder, Master Gardener Coordinator.
Master Gardener trainees attend 40 hours of classes taught by Iowa State Uni-
versity Extension staff and specialists in topics ranging from landscape trees and
shrubs, soils and botany, turf grass management, fruit culture, disease, and weed
control, soil and plant nutrition, houseplants, vegetables, and pesticide safety.
In exchange for training, participants are asked to volunteer 40 hours of service
to their local extension program. “The service opportunities are wide-ranging,”
said Schroeder. Master Gardeners answer telephone requests for gardening in-
formation, staff plant clinics or displays, speak to local groups, teach youth, pro-
vide horticulture therapy activities for the elderly, and supervise or judge county
fair horticulture activities as judges or project coordinators.
Classes for Clinton County Master Gardeners will begin Tuesday, September 27th and continue for twelve con-
secutive Tuesdays. Classes will run from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at the ISU Extension office in DeWitt, 400
East 11th Street. Deadline to sign-up for classes is September 8th, 2016. Cost of the class is $195, which in-
cludes materials. Please call the ISU Extension office at 563-659-5125 to register.
Controlling Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a European woodland plant introduced
to North America by early settlers for its culinary and alleged medicinal
qualities. In North America, European insects and diseases that control the
plant’s population are not present. Garlic mustard starts growing earlier in
the season than our native plants, and outcompetes them. It also produces large quantities of seed. It
can overrun a forest floor in a few years, destroying a previously healthy ecosystem by eliminating many
plant species. In addition, animals, birds and insects that depended on a diversity of plant species for
food and shelter can then no longer live in the infested area.
Repeat any control method for several years since garlic mustard seeds can survive in the soil for up to 7
years. Hand-pull small infestations, but do not compost the plants because most compost piles do not
get hot enough to kill the seeds. Dispose of pulled plants by burying deeply in an area that will not be
disturbed, or landfilling. To burn collected plants, burn them while still moist, because dried garlic mus-
tard seedpods can burst open and spread the seed. If you use an herbicide, spray early in spring or late
in fall, because our native plants are dormant at these times, but garlic mustard is still green and vulner-
able to sprays. A 1-2% solution of a glyphosate-containing herbicide is very effective. Glyphosate is a
nonselective herbicide, so avoid spraying nontarget plants.
Iowa State University
Clinton County Extension
400 East 11th Street
DeWitt, Iowa 52742
Organic Vegetables...Worth it?
A study just out from the British Journal of Nutrition adds to the evidence that organic production can boost key nutri-ents in foods. The study finds that organic dairy and meat contain about 50 percent more omega-3 fatty acids. The in-crease is the result of animals foraging on grasses rich in omega-3s, which then end up in dairy and meats. The findings are based on data pooled from more than 200 studies. U.S. research has pointed to similar benefits.
Organic crops — ranging from carrots and broccoli to apples and blueberries — have substantially higher concentra-tions of a range of antioxidants and other potentially beneficial compounds. That review included data from more than 300 studies. For instance, organic crops had about 50 percent more anthocyanins and flavonols compared with con-ventional crops. Anthocyanins are compounds that give fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, their blue, purple and red hues.
Consumption of these compounds is linked to benefits including anti-inflammatory effects. Flavonol compounds —
found widely in fruits and vegetables — have also been shown to protect cells from damage, which can help fend off dis-
ease.
Organic crops tend to be exposed to higher levels of stress — including insect attacks . And in response, they form compounds to help combat the stress. For example, if a carrot fly lands on a carrot and starts to chew on it, what options does the plant have? If it's a conventionally grown carrot, a pesticide can be applied to repel the pest.
But in organic agriculture, that carrot has to fend for itself a bit more. So the carrot produces compounds known as polyacetylenes, which taste bitter to the carrot fly. These polyacetylene compounds may help drive the fly away — and, serendipitously, this compound may benefit us as well.
Research in animals suggests polyacetylene compounds may play a
role in reducing inflammation and cancer risk, but it's unclear how
