Garden Talk! for the Heartland Garden Enthusiast

2017 All-America selections

2017 Perennial Plant of the Year

Local foods workshop focuses on key business issues

Valentine’s Day flower facts

Watch for insects on houseplants

Gardening tips for February

Upcoming events

http://extension.missouri.edu/adair/gardentalk.aspx February 2017

University of Missouri System, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating

Equal opportunity/ADA institution

What’s Inside

Jennifer Schutter University of Missouri Extension Horticulture Specialist 660-665-9866 schutterjl@missouri.edu

If you need this newsletter in alternative format, please contact

Jennifer Schutter at the Adair County Extension Center.

PRUNING FRUIT TREES & OTHER SMALL FRUITS Pruning can begin in late winter in northern Missouri. This is the best

time to prune fruit trees such as apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, and oth-ers, as well as brambles and grapevines.

Too often backyard growers plant fruit trees and small fruit plants and leave them untended for several years. This neglect results in poor growth and delayed fruiting. Fruit plants require annual pruning and fertilization to be pro-ductive.

Apple trees are trained to a modified leader system. The tree should be trained with one central leader or main trunk in the center, with several wide-angled limbs spaced around the leader. The tree should mature to a pyramidal shape. Pruning bearing trees is critical to maintain healthy fruiting wood. Re-move weak, diseased or dead wood, wa-ter-sprouts and root suckers.

The main objective in pruning a neglected tree is to try and open up the interior to allow good light penetration. Remove all the upright, vigorous grow-ing shoots at their base that are shading the interior. As with the young apple trees, it is necessary to select 3 to 5 low-er scaffold branches with good crotch angles and spaced around the tree. Limbs with poor angles, and excess scaffold limbs should be removed at their base.

Pruning is one of the most important and most neglected practices in home plantings of grapes. Grapes need some form of support, and pruning (training) is necessary to develop the plant and to maintain it on the support provided. Regular, purposeful pruning is essential for controlling the number, position and vigor of fruiting canes and the yield and quality of the fruit. Since winter injury of fruiting canes will occur to some extent, late winter pruning gen-erally is preferred. If pruning is delayed until near bud swell, the cuts commonly ooze sap abundantly. Though not desirable, "bleeding" seems to be of minor im-portance.

MU Extension has guides on pruning fruit trees, grapevines and small fruit plants. Call your county extension office and request the guide for the fruit plant you are needing to prune or go online at http://extension.missouri.edu/, click on Lawn and garden, then Fruits.

2017 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR With all the “buzz” about bees and butterflies, why not celebrate an excellent plant known for its ability to support insects and birds and serve as the primary caterpillar food for a beloved North American native butter-fly? The Perennial Plant Association is proud to announce Asclepias tuber-osa as its Perennial Plant of the Year™.

Hardiness-USDA Zones 4 to 9

Light-Butterfly weed grows best in full sun.

Soil-Grows best in well-drained soils and it is drought tolerant.

Uses-Butterfly weed is a perfect selection for full-sun meadow or prairie gardens as well as formal to semi-formal urban gar-dens. Flower arrangers and the plants make long-lasting cut owers.

Unique Qualities -Asclepias tuberosa are butterfly magnets. Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source for the mon-arch butterfly caterpillars.

Maintenance-Butterfly weed is subject to no serious insect or disease problems. Deer usually avoid butterfly weed.

Commonly known as butterfly weed, this long-lived and striking perennial is native to the continental United States (except for the north-east) along with the Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec. With vibrant orange/red/yellow owners that seem to jump out, butterfly weed is a great addition to a sunny garden with average to dry soils. As the common name suggests, these plants are butterfly magnets. They also have a medicinal history as treatment for pleurisy, a common ailment in early colonial times, causing wheezing, coughing and great pain due to the inflammation of the pleura round the lungs. Asclepias tuberosa reportedly was so effective in treating this ailment it earned another common name, pleurisy root.

Mature plants do not transplant well so proper siting is important. Young plants develop from a single central stem but with age plants will tiller (develop shoots) at the base, sending up multiple erect stems from a large taproot extending down a foot or more. Due to the taproot, division is difficult but can be done in early spring before new growth begins. Butterfly weed is hardy to zones 4-9 and reaches 2-3’ high with about a 2’ spread. Don’t cut back in late fall; rather wait until early spring. Mulching young plants prevents frost heaving. Be patient since butterfly weed is slow to emerge in the spring.

Butterfly weed is often grown from seed. Experts report 50-80% germination if fresh cleaned seed is used. If germination does not occur af-ter 3-4 weeks provide a 2-4 week cooling period. Collected seed will result in flower color variation. To ensure color, purchase seed from a reputable source. Propagation through root cuttings can be used to ensure quality from forms showing merit. Cutting back once, early in growth cycle, will promote compact growth.

Many bees, wasps, ants, butterflies and beetles visit butterfly weed as well as hummingbirds. All members of the milkweed family serve as lar-val food for the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) and the Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle). Let them munch on butterfly weed and you will be rewarded with these “flowers of the air.”

2017 ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS All-America Selections

(AAS) is a non-profit trialing or-ganization for plants that demon-strate great garden performance throughout North America. AAS presents sixteen exciting new winners for the 2017 garden sea-son. Each of the following varie-ties was trialed in North America by professional, independent, vol-unteer judges during one growing season. Each was trialed next to comparison varieties that are considered best-in-class among those currently on the market.

The group of AAS Win-ners for 2017 includes:

Vegetables Fennel Antares F1 Pepper Mad Hatter F1 Tomato Chef’s Choice Yellow

F1 Tomato Patio Choice Yellow F1 Okra Candle Fire F1 Pea Patio Pride Squash Honeybaby F1 Watermelon Mini Love F1

Flowers

Dianthus Supra Pink F1

Geranium Calliope® Medium Dark Red

Penstemon Twizzle Purple

Verbena EnduraScape™ Pink Bicolor

Vinca Mega Bloom Orchid Halo F1

Vinca Mega Bloom Pink Halo F1

Zinnia Profusion Red

Celosia Asian Garden These are all annual plants

that can be planted in Missouri. Gardeners should be able to find these AAS Winners for sale for the 2017 gardening season as supply becomes available throughout the chain of distribu-tion. For further information on AAS Winners, go to http://all-americaselections.org/

WATCH FOR INSECTS ON HOUSEPLANTS

This time of the year, aphids and spider mites may become a problem on houseplants, especially if they are grouped close together. You might also see mealy bugs and white flies. Inspect plants closely and on a reg-ular basis to catch insect problems before they become a major issue. Treat aphids and spider mites by holding the plant and pot upside down and submerging the foli-age in a sink full of soapy water. Wrap aluminum foil over the soil to keep it from falling out. In severe cases, spray the plant with insecticidal soap. Use a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol to remove mealy bugs. Then wipe plants with water to remove the alcohol that will have a drying effect.

If you have noticed tiny black flies that look like fruit flies around your indoor plants, they are probably fungus gnats. They are annoying when they flit about, but the 1/8-inch-long adult insects are harmless. Their tiny, worm-like larvae feed on organic matter in moist soil, which can include plant roots. To control them, al-low the soil to dry out between waterings, use sticky traps, or drench soil with a biological control.

VALENTINE’S DAY FLOWER FACTS Valentine’s Day is the number one holiday for

florists, representing 36% of all fresh flower pur-chases, for a total of $1.9 billion spent in 2016. The average price of a dozen arranged long-stemmed ros-es arranged for Valentine’s Day in 2016 was $83 (compared to $65 not arranged), according to a sur-vey by the Society of American Florists. Here in the Midwest, they are less expensive in the rural areas.

Where’s the fragrance? The hybrid roses pro-duced for the Valen-tine’s Day market are bred for perfect form and longevity in the vase, often at the ex-pense of the fra-grance. Not all Valen-tine’s flowers come from South America. California is the lead-ing producer of do-mestically produced cut flowers, account-

ing for about three-quarters of the wholesale value produced.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection protects consumers by screening hundreds of millions of im-ported fresh cut Valentine flowers for pests and dis-eases, mostly from Columbia and Ecuador. Common-ly intercepted pests include thrips, moths and aphids. The bulk of these flowers enter the U.S. through Mi-ami and Los Angeles during the Valentine season of January 1st through February 14th.

The top 10 cut flower imports during the Val-entine season are, in order: Roses, Mixed Bouquets, Dianthus, Pom-pom Chrysanthemum, Mini Dianthus, Rose bouquets, Alstroemeria, Chrysanthemum, Hy-drangea and Gerbera daisies.

LOCAL FOODS WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON KEY BUSINESS ISSUES Area farmers’ market vendors and other local food producers are invited to a workshop Friday, February 24th in Kirksville. “Selling food directly to consumers provides growers income, a chance to tell their farm’s story, and to build a close client network. It also brings unique challenges with regulation and marketing,” says Darla Campbell, agricultural business specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Presenters for the workshop in-clude Campbell, Jennifer Schutter, MU extension horticulture specialist, and Londa Nwadike, state extension food safety specialist.

Workshop topics include: The Business of Local Foods, Food Safety and Regulations Update, Optimizing Food Storage & Handling, Displaying your Product, Proper Food Sampling, and Kirksville’s Farmers’ Market Up-dates.

The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the basement meeting room of the Adair County Ex-tension Center at 503 East Northtown Road, in Kirksville. The cost is $12 per person, which includes lunch. The deadline to register is February 20. Payment is due at this time. Register by calling the Adair County Extension Office at 660-665-9866 or email Darla Campbell at campbelld@missouri.edu.

Produced monthly at the Adair County University of Missouri Extension Center, 503 E. Northtown Road, Kirksville, MO

63501 Ph. 660-665-9866 Fax 660-665-9876

Editor: Jennifer Schutter Production: Vanessa Miller and our fabulous Master Gardener volunteers

University of Missouri Extension provides equal opportunity to all

participants in extension programs and activities, and for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of their race, color,

religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or status as a protected veteran.

Garden Talk!

UPCOMING EVENTS February 4, 2017: North Cen-tral Missouri Beekeepers Asso-ciation Beginning Beekeeping class, Macon High School Cafe-teria. RSVP to Bill or Tammy at (660) 214-0132 or georges@chbeekeeping.com

February 7: Salt River Master Gardener meeting, Sesquicen-tennial Building, Palmyra, 7 pm, Rex Pflantz from Hannibal will present a program on Growing Mushrooms. Everyone is invited! February 16: 21st Annual Greenhouse Growers’ School, Bradford Research & Extension Center, Columbia, MO, 9-4, registration at 8:30. Contact me for more info.

February 24: Local Foods workshop, Adair County Exten-sion Center, Kirksville.

March 11: Gardener’s Palette, Quincy, IL. March 11: Pollinator Day, sponsored by North Central MO Beekeepers Association. Macon.

March 24: Garden workshop, Little Dixie Library, Moberly, 2-4 pm. Topics: Monarch waystations and raising monarch caterpillars the first hour. Growing cool-season vegetables the second. April 1: Grow Native work-shop, with a focus on monarch butterflies and pollinators. Kirks-ville. Details in upcoming issues.

August 23-November15, 2017: Master Gardener training class, Macon. Wednesdays, 1-4.

GARDENING TIPS FOR FEBRUARY Ornamentals Water evergreens if the soil is dry and unfrozen. Inspect summer bulbs in storage to be sure none are drying out. Discard

any that show signs of rot. Winter aconite (Eranthis sp.) and snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) are hardy

bulbs for shady gardens that push up through snow to bloom now. Take geranium cuttings now.

Sow seeds of larkspur, sweet peas, Shirley poppies and snapdragons where they are to grow outdoors now. To bloom best, these plants must sprout and begin growth well before warm weather arrives.

Seeds of slow-growing annuals like ageratum, verbena, petunias, gerani-ums, coleus, impatiens and salvia may be started indoors now.

Start tuberous begonias indoors now. "Non-stop" varieties perform well in this climate.

Dormant sprays can be applied to ornamental trees and shrubs now. Do this on a mild day while temperatures are above freezing.

Fruit Inspect fruit trees for tent caterpillar egg masses. Eggs appear as dark

brown or gray collars that encircle small twigs. Destroy by pruning or scratching off with your thumbnail.

Collect scion wood now for grafting of fruit trees later in spring. Wrap bun-dled scions with plastic and store them in the refrigerator.

When pruning diseased branches, sterilize tools with a one part bleach, nine parts water solution in between cuts. Dry your tools at day's end and rub them lightly with oil to prevent rusting.

Begin pruning fruit trees. Start with apples and pears first. Peaches and nec-tarines should be pruned just before they bloom.

Grapes and bramble fruits may be pruned now. Established fruit trees can be fertilized once frost leaves the ground. Use

about one-half pound of 12-12-12 per tree, per year of age, up to a maxi-mum of 10 pounds fertilizer per tree. Broadcast fertilizers over the root zone staying at least one foot from the tree trunk.

Vegetables Run a germination test on seeds stored from previous years to see if they

will still sprout. Start onion seeds indoors now. Sow seeds of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels

sprouts and cabbage indoors now for transplanting into the garden later this spring.

Season extending devices such as cold frames, hot beds, cloches and floating row covers will allow for an early start to the growing season.

If conditions allow, take a chance sowing peas, lettuce, spinach and radish.

Miscellaneous When sowing seeds indoors, use sterile soil mediums to prevent diseases.

As soon as seeds sprout, provide ample light to encourage stocky growth. Repot root-bound house plants before vigorous growth occurs. Choose a

container 1 or 2 inches larger in diameter than the old pot. To avoid injury to lawns, keep foot traffic to a minimum when soils are wet

or frozen. Branches of pussy willow, quince, crabapple, forsythia, pear and flowering

cherry may be forced indoors. Place cut stems in a vase of water and change the water every 4 days.

Maple sugaring time is here! Freezing nights and mild days make the sap flow.

-Missouri Botanical Garden-