VOL. 8, NO. 11 The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension NOVEiMBER 1997

f/^Cochise County Master Gardener

The Universitv of Arizona and U.8. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

GARDEN BASICS:

Tool Time

"If it ain't broke, ckm't fix it" is amotto fiiat does not apply topower equipment and hand tools.Annual maintenance at the end of

the gardenseasoncan extend dieirlives to a ripe old age. Widi theseason windkg down and cooler,fidl temperatures ahead, it's agreat time to prq;)are tools forwinter storage.

First let's talk about servicinggasoline oigine machines. Mostlarge machines such as lawnmowers, tillers, and chipper/shredders are four Qrcle engines.This type of engine bums puregasolineand uses oil in a s^aratechamber to lubricate movingparts. Before servicing any enginediscoimect the spark plug cablefiom the spark plug. Drain oil accordingto the owner's manual andtake it to a service center that recycles oil. Please do not disposeofoil or gasoline on to theground!I reuse the oil for cleaniiig hand

tools. Fill the engine with fieshoil.

Cleaningor rq>lacing the air filter is also vital. A dirty filter hinders performance by limiting airto the carburetor. Foam filters

contain oil and can be washed in

warm soapy water. Rinse andsqueeze diy. To reoil die filter,place it a plastic bag and addabout three tablespoons of motoroil and knead the filter until it is

« a great time toprepare tools forwinter storage.**

saturated. Blot the filter to remove

excess oil and reinstall. Paper filters shouldbe replacedwith a newone. It's also a good idea to replacethe spark plug everyyear.Other things to check for areclogged mufflers and chutes,cracked fuel lines, frayed startingcords, electric cords as well asany extensions cords. Sharps orreplace blades, clean and chargebatteries on engines with electricstarters, and brush the engine freeof dirt and debris. Finish by lubricating all moving parts with a fowdrops of motor oil or spray

lubricant and wipingdownthe exterior with a <kmp cloth. Thencmmectthe spark plug and run theorgine for a fow minutes to distribute the fiesh oil. This will provide the engine with a protectivecoating.

Now is the tin^ to either drain

the fuel tank or add a fuel stabi

lizer. Gasoline that is allowed to

stand for more than eight weekscan go stale, cloggit^ fuel linesami the carburetor with a gummyresidue. Two cycle engines, suchas chainsaws and string trimmers,have no separate oil reservoir.Gasolineand a special oil is mixedin specific proportions and addedto die fiiel tank. Servicing is simpler and oil changesare eliminatedbut they are harder to keep mn-ning smoothly because oil mixedwith gas can clog and corrodesmall raigines. It is essential todrain the tank if the engine willnot be used within two or three

weeks. Refor to the owner's man

ual Mien servicing equipment asthey have extensive guidance,checklists, and instructions.

(Continued on next page)

On the otiier hand, probably themost neglected tods in the servicing department are the hand tools.Routine care should include clean

ing after each use. After pruningdiseased and infected plants, toolsshould be cleaned in a 1:10 bleach/

water solution. Brush off any excess dirt and dip the metal bladeinto a bucket of sharp builder'ssand several times to clean thor

oughly. This is where I recycle theused motor oil-mix it into fee sand

-it gives fee metal a protectivecoating and ke^s it from rusting.Handles can get wom down-sandand apply a coating of linseed oil.If cracked buy a new rq>lacementhandle or retape wife hockeytape.

Sharp tools will perform efficiently and effortlessly but only ifthey are kept sharp. A standard flatfile will do fee job or have yourtools professicmally sharpened.

Declare a tool time weekend and

service your tools. You'll feel better and both you and your equipment will be ready for fee warm,sunny spring days ahead.

Cheri MeltonMaster Gardener/Staff Writer

Newsletter Staff:

Carolyn Gruenhag»iCheri Melton

Virginia Westphal

Robert E. Call,Extension Agent, Horticulture

Page 2

"Buy Recycled"Myths

1. Recycled products are hard tofind, liiis used to be true, but nolonger. From fee nei^borhoodgrocery store to national retailers,stores sell thousands of productsmade from or packaged in recycledcontent materi^.2. Recycled paper isn't as goodas nonrecycled paper. Recycledcontent papers now share the sameprinting and performance characteristics as their virgin equivaloit.Recycled papersno Imger lookdif-fermt. You can now find recycledcontent papers wife the samewhiteness and brightn^s as virginpapers. They also offer the samelevelof run ability and high qualityimaging on copiers, and laser ardinkjet printers.3. Recycled producta cost more.This used to be the case for somematerials, but things have changed.Many recycled products are pricedcompetitively wife feeir nonrecycled counterparts. In fiict, somemay be lesse^qtensive.4. Recycled products are inferiorin quality. Ilus is simplynot true.Recycled products have the samequality, reliability, and dependability. A 1996 survey by the Buy Recycled Business Alliance askedhundreds of corporate purdiasingagents about feeir satisfectionwiferecycled content products. The survey results showed that 97% of respondents were pleased wife theperformance of recycled ccHitentproducts.

KEEP RECYCLING

WORKING:

BUY RECYCLED

HEABD IT

OH THB

GBAPBYINE:

ACE Garden Place, SierraVista, is looking to hire twocertified Master Gardenerswith energy and interest inlearning as salespersons.Opportunities are part-timeand full-time. Interested? CallJerry Ambrose at 458-3650for details.

VCuttings

'N'

Clippings

READERS TAKE NOTE!!!Please comply fee endosedup form if you wife to continuereceiving the Cochise CountyMaster Gardener Newsletter and

return it by mail or drop it off atfee Willcox or Sierra Vista

Cooperative Extension Office. Itis required by penalty mail lawsfeat our mailing list be updated.If we do not receive yourcompleted form by November 21,your name will be dropped fromfee mailing list We don't want tolose any of you! Do it right away!

The November 5 and December 3

Cochise County Master GardenersAssociation meetings will be held atthe Ace Hardware Training Room,3756 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista, at5:00 pm. They will end promptly at6:00 pm due to the advancedtraining class.

•rs.

First Annual

America

Recycles DayThousands of Americans across

the country will be joining togetherto celebrate the first America Re

cycles Day on November IS. Arizona is taking part by holdii^Arizona Recycles Day <m the sameday. To participate in this nationalpublic awareness canq)aign, Co-chise County residents can plet^to keep recyclingworking by siding in a pledge card. Everyonepledging to recycle more inever way they choose, will be ottered in national as well as state

drawings for great prizes. Thegrand prize is a $200,000 American Green Dream House built of

recycled and energy efiScient materials and there is a children's prizeofa trip to DisneyWorld for four.

America Recycles Day is a spin-off of the very successful TexasRecycles Day. In 1996 some145,000 Texans pledged to increase their reQ^clirtg efforts and300 special events were held. VicePresi(to A1 Gore is HonoraryChairman of this first national re

cycling drive and sponsors are amix of public and private groupsincluding U. S. EPA, U.S. Pos^Service, Steel Recyclirig Institute,Home Depot, SolidWaste Association of North America, Safoty-Kleen, Union Canq) Corporatitm,and foe U.S. Qnifermce of

Mayors.According to the Co-Chairs of

America Recycle Day, "This is atremendous opportunity for us toeducate, encourage, and persuadeaU Americans that recyclirig is nota trend but a necessary (XHiqxHioitofa sustainable ravironment." The

message they want to get across isthat recyclirig is alive, well, cost-

effective and good for ourenvircmmoit.

The average American thro\isaway more than 4 pounds of garbageevery day, vfoich ad^ up toabout 208 millimi tons of trash in

I995-a decrease of more than I

millirm tons fiom 1994. This de

crease is due to file increase in re

covery rates for recycling, including yard wastecomposting aidmulching as well as efforts bymanufitcturers to reduce or lightweightpadcagirig.

Chmrman

Vice Presi-

^nt Gore

saysfiiathe"..tqiplaudsthe efforts

that have

resulted in

(»ie of our

most significant en-

vironmoital

adiieve-

m^ts inthe

last twentyyears-foe establishmentofthousands of recyclirig programsall over the country." The U.S. as aidiole is doing a better and betterjob of s^arating out recyclablematerials from their trash with foenational average of 27% of garbage recovered and recycled.However, to build on this and keeprecycling working, by boosting thesagging market value for recycla-bles, we all need to make foe effortto buy recycled.

Ilierefore foe theme of this

year's evoit is "Keep RecyclingWorking; Buy Rer^cl^." Remember foe three diasing arrows in foerecycling symbol. The first arrowrepresoits collection of reQ'clables,the second, manufiicturirtg into anew product, while the third arrowis the purchase of recycled ccmtentproducts. By choosing a shoppingcart with this recyclirig symbol in it

as this year's logo, foe message isenqihasized, that you're n<^ reallyrecycling until you "Buy Recycled."

Many recycled content productsare now available at similiar pricesand quality to "virgin" presets.By looking for foe symbol vriien weshop and choosing those products,we can do our part in protectingour Qivironm^it by conservingnatural resources, saving energyand landfill i^pace and creatingjobs. By buying recycled, the nation's consumers can vote for recycling and build markets forfinistedproducts made frmn the recyclablesteel, glass, prqier, plastic, andaluminum materi^s foey place at thecurbor in drop-offfiicilities. If youcan't find any recycled products atyour stores, talk to foe managersabcNit carrying brands that have re-Q'cled content such as Gre^ Forest iKiusehold paper products.

Arizona is way bdiind nuist oftl^ nation in recycling with a10.4% state average inI996. It isone ofcmly four states that has notset state recycling goals. MasterGardeners can help said a messageto the state as well as to the countyfiiat foey want more recycling bysendirig in a pledge card. Posters inpost offices arul elsewhere in eachtown will let you know where toget pledge cards. For more infor-matitm abouthow yourcommunitywill be celebrating America Recycles Day, how you can help set upro^ycliii^ or \^re to get pledgecards please call Doug Dunn at384-3594 or Valerie McCaffrey642-3842.

To get pledge cards by mail call1-800-CLEAN-UP, fiie Biviron-mental Recycling Hotline or pledgeviatheAmerica Recycle DayWebsite(wwwamericarecyclesday.org).

Valerie McCaffreyGuest Writer

Page 3

The Virtual Gardener-

Water and Plants

In last numth's article we learned

a cotq)le of important facts abouthow water behaves in the soil. This

month we will begin learning howto effectively water our plant-s—^where to apply the water, howmuch to J^ply, and how to judgewhen we ne^ toapply mote water.Before we address those issues,however, we need to consider whathappens whoi water is applied tothe soil.

Water Ming on tl^ soil may infiltrate into the soil, run off to otherlocations, or evt^orate back intothe air. Only the water that infiltrates into the soil becomes potentially available to our plants. Waterthat runs off or evaporates is notavailable to fiie plant we are watering. We can prevent the runoff lossby applying water slowly and con-tainii^ it aroimd the plant widiberms or dq)ressi<ms, and we canreduce the loss to evaporatkm byapplying a thick layer of mulcharound our plants.

Water that infiltrates into the soil

initially moves downward under theforce of gravity until it is grabbedand held to soil particles byelectrostatic attracti<Hi, is taken upby the roots of plants, or readiesthe ground water table. Where thewater table is very deqi—^the usualcase for us who live in the HighDesert—^none of this infiltratingwater will teach the water table.

Instead it will be captured by soilparticles where it will remain untilit is liberated by a plant or evaporated back into die atmosphere.Most of the water that is taken upby the roots of plants movesthrough the plants to the leaveswhere it is transpired back into theair as water vapor. Very little of

Page 4

the water diat a plant takes in is ac-tudly heldwithin die plant. It is estimated, for exanqile,diat a field ofcom may transpire as mudi as ISinches of water during a singlegrowing seascm. We can oivisitm aplant as a straw suckiiig water outof the soil and r^uming most of itto the atmosphere. As the water isdqileted fi'om soil particles arouiuithe roots, those particles steal water fixHn particles Mher away, replenishing the water available forthe plant until the available wateris used up.

Since the roots are the organsprimarily respcaisible for providingwater to plants, we should applywater vdiere the roots are, morespecifically \diete die water absorbing parts of the roots are. Asobvious as this seans, tyiplyingwater to the wrcaig location is afi-equent mistake, especially withshrabs and trees. The roots ofmost

plants have a branching stracturethat looks much like the branches

that we see above ground. Theroots are large in diameternear theplant and become smaller andsmaller in diameter outward fi'mnthe plant. The large root stmcturesdmnselves are merely ccaiduits.Water and nutrients are actuallyabsorbed by tiny stmctures at-tadied to ^ roots called roothairs. You might think of these asanalogous to leaves on thebranches oftrees. Just as leaves are

found near the aids ofbranches, soroot hairs are found near the ends

of roots. In the case of shmbs andtrees, most of the root hairs areconcaitrated in a rir^ adendingfipom about half way to the dripline outward up to three times theradius of the drip line. The drip

line marks the outer limit of wherewater dripping off die leaves of thetree would M cm the ^und. Thisline may be of considerable distance fiom the truiik. For example,1 have a mesquite tree in my yardwith a drip line that is nearly 30fort from the trunk. That meansthat most water absorpticm for diattree probably occurs starting at adistance of about IS feet fitxn thetrunk and extendiiig to as much as150 fort from the trunk, an area ofnearly 70,000 square fort! Compare diese numb^ with the si2esofdie wells or the locations of dripemitters many people place aroundtheir trees and you can see that it'sno wonder that their trees andshmbs oflrai suffer stress fiom lackof water. In addition to spreadmgoutward fixnn the plant, most plantroots are found at relatively shallow depths. Many people seem tobelievethat trees, shmbs, and otherplants have long tap roots thatpoirtrate to the water table. In fiict,most of die water absorbing rootsof trees and shmbs are foundwithin one to three fort of thesurfiice.

For more information on wateringyour plants, the Michigan StateUniversity Web site at:http://msue.msu.edu/insue/imp/mod03/01800544.btiiil.

GaryA. Gruenhagen, Master Gardenergruenha@sinosa.com

fyi(y*fyr ty''Y'^

'November Hemlnbers

y This is a goodtimeto install adrip systemy Rqilacesummer mulch withfiesh mulch

y Start a winterherb gardoiy Protectplants fixnn fixist(The bulletinFrost and Frost Pro-tection is available from die Coq)-erative Extension offices.)

iWould theperson who borrowed the Weeds book from theSierraVistaCooperative Extension officeplease return it assoon aspossible. Thank you!

The Agent'sObservations

*

:¥xi:«v

What is die propercare of an amaryllishouseplant?

amaryllis house-Iplant is in the genus

not be

widi the outdoor Amatyllis bella

donna. Both are native to South

Afiica. Amaryllis should have several hours of sunlight or brightlight all day. Keep the soil ev^ymoist and feed every other week,except during fell. What fee straplike leaves tum yellow, dry out feeplant for at least two months afterremoving fee driedleaves. Keep theplant in a cool, dry,dark place, afterthis rest period repot fee amaryllis,duriiig late fell orearly winter, in asandy soil mix wifebonemeal or superphosphate. Set feeupper half of thebulb above fee soil

surfece. Firm the soil and lightlywater until growth restarts. Toottmch water can cause rottiiig.When leaves b^in yellowing startfee procedure over again. The largeflower stodc topped wife two to sixhuge trumpet-shared flowers makethis long lived houseplant worthkeeping!Source: House Plants. 1980. The

American Horticultural Society.Franklin Center, PA. Page 86.

ijM Should I fertilize aid|water my trees duringthe winter? How about

oftrees and

ishrubs duriitg the win-|ter in the high d^ertIshould not be d(»ie.Fertilizer could stimu

late plants to come out of dor-numcy, new growfe to b^in andthai winter damage could occur.These plants are "resting" abovefee ground but do have activity inthe roots if soil temperatures arewarm. Normally trees and shrubsthat go into winter wife adequatesoil moisture do not iKed wateringduring fee winter. Usually winterrains or snow provide enough water. Wife cold air and soil temperatures evergreens will use littlewater. Deciduous plants will notuse any water because leaves havefallal and are not transpiriiig.However, if winta moisture is notsufficient to keep the roots moistfeey will die. Ova the past two drywinters supplanental irrigation hasbeen needed in Codiise County. Ifno winter moisture occum for amonfe or six wedcs then wata.

Many evergreen trees have diedfrom winter moisture stress. The

plant actuallydies in the late springas tenqieratures and wata donandsincrease but the roots died duringfee winter. Without an adequateroot system plants will not live.Houseplants are generally trt^ical

in origin and survive best in warmhumid environments. Housqilantsneed to be watered because of the

limited soil volume feey are confined to. House tanperatures arewarm and aUow plants to ccmtinueto grow. The bast way to determinesoil moisture is to stick a finga in

fee soil (me to two inches. If thesoil feels dry, wata; if soil feelsnmist, dcm't wata.

Fertilizing housqilants durir^ thewinta mcmfes is not oicouragedbecause of reduced light fircmi feesun. However, if you are "spoonfeeding" your plants, that is givinga little fertilizer at each watering,cut back (m the fertiliza by giving

to 14fire normal amount.Many house plants need high hu

midity to be "h^rpy." This is especially true wife fems. Wife forcedair ^ting in many homes, househumidity can be lower during thewinta than during fee hot summabecause of swanq) (xmla use. Humidity can be created by placingfee potted plant on top of a pebblefilled shallow dish. Fill the dishwife water as needed, maintainingthe water level near the tcq). Thedish slmuld have a diameta nearlyas large as fee plant diameter. Thepebbles are important so that feepotted plant is not sitting in waterwhich will cause soil saturaticm,and feus root rot. As fee waterevaporates a humid environment iscreated in which a tropical plantwill grow andferive. This is muchbetter than using a squirt bottlethreetimesa day to try and humidify fee plant!

Robert E. CallExtensionAgent, Horticulture

REMINDER!!!

Master Gardeners and MGTrainees are reminded that anadvanced Landscape Designtraining class begins Nov. 5. Ifyou wantto attend andhaven'tregistered ya - call Joyce in theSierra Vista Ckxqjerative Extensionoffice right away!

Issued infurtherance ofCooperative Extension acts ofMay 8and June 30,1914, inco<^>eration with the United States Department ofAgriculture, Jamra A.Chri8teiw»,Director, Cooperative Extension, College ofAgriculture, The University ofArizona and Arizona Counties cooperating. The University ofArizona College ofAgriculture isanequal opportunity employer authorized toprovide research, educationai information and other services only toindividuals and institutions that function without regard tosex,race, religion,color,national origin, age, VietnamEra Veteran's status,or disability.The information given herein issupplied with theunderstanding that nodiscrimination isintended and noendorsement byCkx^teratrve Extension isin^lied.Any products, services, ororganizations that arementioned, shown, orindirectly implied inthis publication donotinqily endoisanent bytheUniversity ofArizona,

Pape 5

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

TUCSON, ARIZONA 85721

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

FENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE S300

Sago PalmsI have always thought that sago

palms were veiy beautiful. Since Ihave lived most of my life in areaswhere the temperatures stay well below fieezing for most of ^ winterseason, I only saw these palms usedas decorative, indoor plants. Aftermoving to Arizona, I have seen manysagos planted outdoors.

My research on sago palms has revealed that there are actually twoplants which bear the same name.Both Metroxylon palms and Cycasrevoluta (also referred to as a J^-nese sago palm) are called sagopalms. The former belongs to thepalm genera, whereas the latter is amember of the Cycas genus. Thefive species of MetroTQ^lon palm,vhich is a massive tree that accumu

lates starch in the pith of the trunk.

are found in five sqiarate areas ofMicronesia and Melanesia. Speciesinclude M salomonense ^eavy nutpalm or ivorynut palm),M warbur-gii, andM sagu. Thelast palmis the(me which is called a sago palm.Found in Mala3^ia, Indonesia, Mindanao, and New Guinea, it grows to26-65 feet tall and 6 inches to two

feet in diameter!

The Jiqianese sago palm belongsto the Cycas gmis, which includesapproximately 40 to SO species suchas C. circinalis (Queen sago), C. tai-wcmiana, and C. rumphii of palmlike plants. C. revoluta (Japanesesago palm), found mainly in theJ^ianese Nansei Islands and SimdiChina, is much smaller thanM sagu.Although the trunk can grow to 10feet high and 16 inches in diameter,many are only half this size. Cycasrevoluta is a choice container or

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAD)

USDA ' 'PERMIT No. G268

bonsai plant, useful fer a tropicallook, and the most widely grown cy-cad. It is tough and hardyto IST.Sources: A Guide to Palm and Cy-cads of the World (Lynette Stewart)and Sunset Western Garden Book

Karen C. Brown

MG Trainee

infi>-line

458-8278, Ext. 141 ^with your questionsor to make

an appointment.Ask for Cade Daily.