Barron County Master FALL 2014 Gardener Volunteers SEPTEMBER Hello Everyone—Joel McReynolds

I have met many of you during gardens can truly be. If you are part of an OUR MISSION the summer Master Gardener meetings, organization, committee, group, club, etc. STATEMENT but in case we’ve missed each other I am that would like to learn more about these Joel McReynolds, the current Americorps issues please contact me about presenting Encourage, foster, VISTA with UW-Extension. I will be at one of your meetings. support, and promote spending the next year with UW- Help Assess Community Interest horticulture for all Extension working on a wide range of Before creating a community garden Master Gardener issues, including food insecurity. Being we must first find out if people are Volunteers and residents food insecure is simply when people do interested in a garden and would use it. We not have enough access to healthy and plan on using a variety of methods to of Barron County and to nutritious food options, often because it determine this, including offering gardening promote the UW- is too expensive. workshops and cooking classes to get people Extension from which we Creating a community garden interested in growing their own food. We are founded. would help ease the struggle for people also hope to work with several area clubs to to have healthy and distribute surveys and collect available food, while information. Would you like to also creating a place help with a class? Are you involved for people to with a club that would be celebrate the joy of interested in helping with the gardening. It is my surveys? Do you have any other Inside this issue: goal to establish a ideas about how to assess community garden in community interest? Please let me Powdery Mildew 2 Barron, and if know! successful, continue Join Our New Coalition Tomato Disorder 3 to add community We are planning on gardens to creating a new county-wide Aster Yellows 4 neighboring municipalities. I have coalition that will focus on the financial received a grant to specifically study and needs of the county, as well as food Ornamental 5 determine whether Barron is interested issues. Whether you are a business owner, Grasses in and ready for a community garden, and member of an organization, or a concerned this is where I need your help. Below I citizen we would love to have you join our outline three different areas where you group and bring your opinions, expertise, Mystery 6 can partner with me in bringing aid to the and input to the table. Let me know if you Caterpillar hungry and gardening to those without would like to join this exciting new their own land to enjoy it. movement in the community. Garden Glimpses 7 Invite Me to Speak Please contact me if you are In order to bring a community interested in helping out with any of the garden to Barron there needs to be a lot areas I mentioned. I can be easily reached of people who understand why a by emailing [email protected] community garden would make a or calling (715) 537-6380. Additionally, you difference. Awareness is key to getting can talk to me at the Master Gardener the community engaged. Awareness meetings. I look forward to partnering with about the reality of the hungry in Barron you in this exciting new endeavor that could County, and how wonderful community bring great positive change to our community.

Powdery Mildew Brian Hudelson, UW-Madison Plant Pathologist

What is powdery mildew? control. Fungicides containing dinocap, Powdery mildew is a disease that occurs on the dithiocarbamates, myclobutanil, triadimefon, triforine, above-ground parts (especially the leaves) of many sulfur or thiophanate methyl are registered for use agricultural crops (including vegetables), as well as against powdery mildew. A combination of baking soda deciduous trees and shrubs, herbaceous ornamental (1 1⁄2 tablespoons) and light weight horticultural (e.g., plants, and indoor houseplants. Conifers are not affected Sunpray®) oil (3 tablespoons) in water (1 gallon) has also by this disease. What does powdery mildew look like? been shown to be effective for powdery mildew control. The name of this disease is descriptive. The upper and Most products should be applied every seven to (less frequently) lower surfaces of leaves, as well as stems 14 days from bud break until humid weather subsides. of infected plants, have a white, powdery appearance. Be sure to read and follow all label instructions of the They look as though someone has sprinkled them with fungicide that you select to ensure that you use the talcum powder or powdered sugar. fungicide in the safest and most effective manner Where does powdery mildew come from? possible. Powdery mildew is caused by several closely Also consider pretesting any product you decide related fungi that survive in plant debris or on infected to use on a small number of leaves or plants before plants. These fungi are fairly host specific. The powdery treating a larger area to make sure there are no toxic mildew fungus that infects one type of plant (e.g., effects, particularly when treating during warmer pumpkins) is not the same powdery mildew fungus that weather. infects another (e.g., phlox). However, if you see powdery How do I avoid problems with powdery mildew in the mildew on one plant, then weather conditions, usually future? high humidity, are favorable for development of the Consider buying plant varieties that are powdery disease on a wide range of plants. mildew resistant. This won’t guarantee that your plants How do I save a plant with powdery mildew? will be powdery mildew-free every year, but should DO NOT panic! For many plants, powdery mildew result in less severe disease when it occurs. Reduce the is a cosmetic, non-lethal disease. For other plants (e.g., humidity around your plants by spacing them further cucumbers, squash, pumpkins), powdery mildew can apart to increase air flow. Be sure not to over-water as cause severe leaf loss. When a highly valued plant has this can lead to higher air humidity as well. Finally, at had severe leaf loss due to powdery mildew for several the end of the growing season, remove and destroy any years, you may want to consider using a fungicide for infected plant debris as this can serve as a source of spores for the next growing season.

Plants for Cold Climates

If you were left with dead plants after this past Whitman (revised 2011) has become a classic for the harsh winter or you need to add or replace shrubs or serious gardener. The foreword to the first edition was ornamental plants in your MGV projects, you might want written by UW’s Ed Hasslekus and the book has beautiful to consult the book, Cold Climate Gardening by Rebecca photographs. Atwater Briccetti (2000). The book has chapters on Cold climate blogger, Don Engelbretson says “The short season vegetables, herbs, roses, hardy trees and authors include virtually every winter-proven, worthwhile shrubs, designing landscapes to be viewed from indoors variety of plant, such that the book covers over 950 much of the year, season extenders and microclimates. different shrubs and trees” proven to thrive in cold The 122 page book has 50 photos and lists of the best climates. This 448 page gook, organized like an plants for northern gardens. encyclopedia, includes everything from pronunciation of Another book, Growing Shrubs an Small Trees in names to lists of suppliers. Cold Climates, by D. Lonnee, N. Rose, D. Selinger and J. 2

Tomato Disorder: Physiological Fruit Problems

Environmental factors can affect the look— variable. and sometimes the flavor—of developing tomato Blotchy ripening fruits. Because these problems are not caused by What to look for: disease organisms, there are no pesticide As the name suggests, recommenda•tions for prevention or manage•ment. blotchy ripening is charac•terized by areas of the fruit that For information about addi•tional fruit problems, fail to ripen properly. White or yellow blotches appear on please refer to Extension publication Tomato Disorder: the surface of ripening fruit while the tissue inside remains Post-Harvest Fruit Diseases (A3799). hard. The affected area is usually on the upper portion of the fruit. Symptoms are similar to those produced by Blossom end rot tobacco mosaic virus, but with the latter you will also see What to look for: mosaic discolorations on the leaves. Initially, water-soaked spots appear at or near the blossom end of mature fruits. The spots enlarge Why it happens: rapidly and may merge to form large damaged areas. Blotchy ripening is caused by inadequate fertilizer As the damaged tissue dries, the surface becomes application or low availability of nutrients. This problem is shrunken, leathery, and dark brown to black. The more prevalent in cool weather and is exacerbated by too lesions provide an entry area for secondary organisms much or too little water. that cause soft rot and fruit decay. In some cases, What you can do: there may be no external symptoms, but the inside of Blotchy ripening is cultivar specific and appears the tomato may be discolored and shrunken. more frequently on older cultivars.

Why it happens: Blossom end rot is caused by a shortage of Catfacing calcium in the developing fruit. Calcium, which is What to look for: carried in the water-con•ducting vessels, becomes Catfacing describes the presence of deep deficient when water is limiting. Even slight wilting is indentations in the blossom end of the fruit. In some enough to cause calcium deficiency in the fruit. When cases, the fruit is misshapen, becoming kidney-shaped or mois•ture is again available, the plant resumes regular otherwise distorted. growth. However, because water moves first to the Why it happens: areas that transpire most (the leaves), calcium levels This damage occurs when temperatures fall within the fruit will continue to lag for a while. below 50°F during flowering and fruit set, resulting in Calcium may also become deficient following poor pollination. In some cases, excess heat, 2,4-D herbi• applications of nitrogen in the form of urea, cide injury, and erratic soil moisture can lead to catfacing. manure, or ammonium. The plant responds with new High levels of nitrogen will aggravate this dis•order. leaf growth, using large amounts of water and nutrients; very little goes to the fruit. What you can do: What you can do: Catfacing is cul-tivar specific and appears more fre• quently on older heirloom varieties. Large-fruited cultivars You can reduce the incidence of blossom end are most sus•ceptible. rot by providing timely irrigation, mulching to conserve

soil moisture and avoiding excessive nitrogen fertilizer applications. Although varieties differ in suscep• Growth cracks tibility, none currently have suffi•cient tolerance to What to look for: provide depend•able control. Pear- and plum-shaped The skin on tomatoes may develop cracks that tomato varieties are most susceptible. Timely and split in circles around the stem end or they may spread repeated spraying of tomato fruit and foliage with a outward from the stem scar. Cracks typically appear as dilute solution of calcium chloride has been reported fruit matures. The earlier it happens, the deeper the to prevent blossom end rot, but the benefits are often cracks become. 3

Tomato Disorder: Physiological Fruit Problems Continued. . .

What you can do: activity and pollination. High nitrogen and low potassium can also lead to puffiness. Cultivars vary in their ability to withstand cracking depending on the strength and stretchability What you can do: of the skin. Very sus•ceptible cultivars will crack while still green; those with some resis•tance often don't Some tomato cultivars are more susceptible to crack until the fruit begins to turn color. this disorder than others.

Proper plant nutrition, adequate and timely irrigation, Sunscald and mulching will reduce the likelihood of growth What to look for: cracks. During hot, sunny weather, green tomatoes and tomatoes that are just beginning to show color (the Puffiness breaker stage) may develop white or light tan What to look for: discolorations where they've been exposed to direct Fruit suffering from puffiness appear sunlight. Eventually the discolored areas become sunken somewhat bloated and angular. Cavities inside the and wrinkled and are often surrounded by a yellow halo. fruit may lack the normal "gel" and the fruit is less Secondary fruit rot organisms may invade damaged fruit dense. tissue. Why it happens: Why it happens:

Puffiness results from incomplete pollination, Sunscald fre•quently occurs on plants that have fertil•ization, or seed development. Often this is due to lost their lower leaves due to Septoria leaf spot and early cool temperatures during bloom that reduce blight. Aster Yellows Common in Barron County this Summer Brian Hudelson, UW-Madison Plant Pathology

What is aster yellows? phytoplasma, a bacterium-like organism that lives in the Aster yellows is a chronic, systemic disease that food-conducting tissue (phloem) of plants. Aster yellows affects over 300 species in 38 families of broad-leaf, is rarely lethal. Thus, infected perennials can serve as herbaceous plants. Members of the aster family source of the aster yellows phytoplasma for many years. (Asteraceae), such as asters, marigolds, Coreopsis and The aster leafhopper (Macrosteles fascifrons), a purple coneflower are commonly affected by this disease. common insect, moves the aster yellows phytoplasma Vegetable crops such as carrots and potatoes are also from plant to plant. susceptible. Aster yellows occurs throughout North How do I save a plant with aster yellows? America. There is no known cure for aster yellows. Plants What does aster yellows look like? suspected of having aster yellows, including weeds such Infected plants are typically stunted and twisted, as dandelions, should be removed immediately so that with foliage that is yellow or red. Infected plants are often the aster yellows phytoplasma cannot be spread from sterile. Floral parts that are normally brightly colored may infected plants to other non-infected plants in the area. remain green, and petals and sepals may become How do I avoid problems with aster yellows in the puckered and distorted. In purple coneflower, secondary future? flower heads (often in a cluster) may emerge from the Some herbaceous plants (e.g., geraniums and primary flower head. In marigolds, flowers are often leafy impatiens), as well as most woody ornamentals, are not and a muddy green-orange color. Infected carrots have susceptible to aster yellows. Therefore these plants red leaves and form taproots with tufts of small, white should be used in areas where aster yellows is a “hairy” roots. These roots often have a bitter taste. problem. In landscape settings, attempts to control aster Where does aster yellows come from? leafhoppers as a means of controlling aster yellows are Aster yellows is caused by the aster yellows typically not effective and are not recommended. 4

Ornamental Grasses That Thrive and Survive In Zone 4— By Marilyn Saffert, Master Gardener Volunteer

Ornamental grasses add texture and distinct Perhaps my favorite warm-season grasses are in forms in our gardens. Most of the perennial ones are the Miscanthus family. Miscanthus 'Morning Light' has very vigorous and require little care. They are classified an unbeatable soft silvery foliage that appears almost into two main groups – cool-season grasses and warm- white from a distance. This 4-feet-tall compact clump- season grasses, and I have found that these 2 different former has delicate, vertical stripes and has a lovely vase classifications are important in choosing and caring for -like arching form. Porcupine or Zebra grass is another individual plants. Cool-season plants start their new Miscanthus grass that is clump-forming and is growth in early spring (April-early May) unbeatable in the garden. This 4-5-foot and since some of them are semi- clumping plant has stiffly arched leaves that evergreen, they should have ONLY their have bright yellow horizontal variegation. brown foliage cut off in the spring. Warm- Super pretty. There are numerous sizes and season grasses start their growth when the forms of Miscanthus cultivars on the air and soil temperatures become warmer. market, and most of them are zone 4 So pruning of the warm-season grasses is hardy. easily done in the spring by cutting ALL the Panicum 'Heavy Metal' Switch Grass leaves down to 6-inches. Most grasses can is a handsome 3-4-foot-tall grass that has be divided in the spring. You can tell when stiff, powder- blue leaves that turn bright- they need it because they will die out in yellow in the fall. The flowers reach 12-16- the middle. Most ornamental grasses are inches above the foliage and make a nice deer-resistant, and also drought-resistant. fall feature. Another nice tall Prairie And most are sun-lovers. Switch Grass is 'Cloud Nine' with “clouds” of Festuca 'Boulder Blue' or 'Elijah flowers. Blue' are 2 great small grasses that form 12” x 12” tufts And I should mention something about those or mounds of metallic-steel-blue fine foliage. Since it is grasses that spread by underground runners, and that a cool-weather semi-evergreen grass, you must does not always mean that they are terrible plants. The selectively prune away the dead parts early in the spring old-fashioned one is Phalaris otherwise known as just as the snow disappears. You don't want to injure Gardeners Garters. It's attractive with it's short white the tips of any newly emerging blades of grass. and green variegated leaves, but be careful when placing Another much-used ornamental grass is it in your garden. It's considered invasive, but some Calamagrostis Feather Reed Grass. 'Karl Forester' is the consider it a ground cover of sorts. One of my favorite most popular cultivar because of its upright form and spreading grasses is Blue Lyme Grass (Elymus) with it showy flower-seed-heads that turn golden in late- metallic blue foliage. It has very stiff 3-foot truly blue summer. leaves. It should never be planted in a regular garden because it will move around and pop up in the middle of It is a clump-former, so it behaves nicely with prized perennials. And years ago, I purchased Spartina other plants. Even though it is a cool-weather grass, in 'Aureo-variegata' Prairie Cord grass at the Winter our climate, it dies completely down to the ground over Greenhouse. This 6-foot-tall white and green variegated the winter. So that makes it easy to prune in early grass produces graceful swaying movement and a gentle spring. It does tolerate some shade. swooshing sound in the garden. And the last spreading Hakonechloa Japanese Forest Grass is a small, grass that comes to mind is the Miscanthus mostly shade-loving, clump-forming and slowly sacchariflorus Silver Banner grass. This is the tall one spreading plant. It is also a cool-season grass. There are with pretty plumes in September that you will see a few popular cultivars including 'All-Gold' and 'Aureola.', growing in large patches around our area. Some want to which is a variegated version. It is considered a zone 5 call it Pampas Grass, which it is not. Be very careful with plant, but many gardeners in our area have very good this one because it's very difficult to eradicate. luck situating these grasses in their shady hosta gardens. 5

Mystery Caterpillar—Tim Schultz

Master Gardener Volunteer Trainee Tim Description: Adults are wasp-like approximately Schultz recently spotted a large number of caterpillars 12 mm long. Larvae are approximately 24 mm long when chewing on a small birch tree in his yard. Not having fully grown. They are yellow-green with black blotches much luck identifying the larvae from pictures, he on their sides and a black head. emailed a picture to UW entomologist Patrick Liesch. Life history: Larvae feed in groups on the edges of Here is what Patrick had to say: leaves. First generation larvae feed from May to early “It's a species called the dusky birch July. A second, overlapping generation may occur and (Craesus latitarsus). They can be common this feed through September. If they are disturbed, larvae time of the year and often have the characteristic assume an S-shaped posture. curled posture that we see in the image. They're not Overwintering: Pupae in the soil. true caterpillars, and being a type of sawfly, they're more closely related to bees and wasps. Damage symptoms: Small trees may be defoliated, but heavy defoliation by this insect is rare. When it comes to management, most conventional Monitoring: Look in early July and then again contact insecticides will control them in September for larvae feeding on leaf as long as good spray coverage is margins. achieved. Insecticidal soap and Physical control: Remove and destroy small horticultural oil can also control populations by hand. them. For organic options, pyrethrins and spinosad ("Captain Jack's Dead Chemical control: Horticultural oil sprays are Bug Brew") will also control very effective against young larvae as long as them. Because they aren't true there is good coverage. Other insecticides caterpillars, Bt will not work against may be used against larger larvae, but there them. Since it's only on a few is no need to spray after the larvae reach 25 branches and the damage is minimal, if those branches mm in length, as they stop feeding at that point. can be reached, simply picking the larvae off by hand Biological control: No reports of natural enemies or knocking them into a bucket of soapy water is another control option.” Plant mortality risk: Low A factsheet from the University of Minnesota Biorational pesticides: azadirachtin, horticultural oil, contains the following information: insecticidal soap, pyrethrins, spinosad Dusky birch sawfly Conventional pesticides: acephate, bifenthrin, carbaryl, Croesus latitarsus, Order , Family cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, fluvalinate, imidacloprid, ; common , Native pest lambda-cyhalothrin, malathion, permethrin Host plants: Birch (Betula) species Sneak Peek Preview—Spring Garden Expo

Mark your calendar today. The Barron County Master Gardener Volunteers Spring Garden Expo will be held March 28th, 2015 at the WITC Conference Center in Rice Lake. Jeff Epping, the Director of Horticulture from the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI and Dr. Brian Hudelson, Plant Pathologist from the UW-Madison, will be two of the featured speakers. Dr. Hudelson presentation will focus on diseases of flowers, perennials, and vegetables. Other topics and speakers will be announced in the near future.

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Garden Glimpses—Eva Oestreicher 2014 Officers and Directors Eva is married to Bill and they live in Hiawatha Park in Rice Lake. She has three President: daughters and three granddaughters. Eva is a retired dialysis technician. She enjoys gar- Carol Kettner dening, quilting, reading, and her grandchildren. Eva became a Master Gardener in 2010, simply because she likes gardening. Her Vice President: friend, Pauli Storm, encouraged her to sign up. It was at a time when her brother was sick, Laura Cutsforth and Pauli just kept encouraging her to participate in the class. Millie Seabold also kept Secretary: talking to her about being involved in Master Gardeners. She said MG Advisor, Tim Jer- Wendy Kolzow genson, has also influenced her. She said of Tim, “He is just so calm and good at what he does.” Treasurer: Eva puts in a lot of hours helping out with the gardens at Benjamin’s House in Rice Donna Jasicki Lake. Benjamin’s House is a non-profit agency working with community organizations Directors: and individuals to provide housing opportunities for the homeless population. She also Penny Tietz helps out wherever she is needed. This year she will be helping out at the fairgrounds. Jill Keefer Being a Master Gardener helped Eva to see all the projects that are being done out there Millie Seabold and who is doing them. She says of Master Gardeners, “They are such calm people. And they are such interesting people, so nice and knowledgeable.” Carol Abbuehl Eva loves a variety of perennials although she finds it difficult to grow many of (Past President) them under her trees. Advisor: As a Master Gardener Volunteer, Eva has learned that you can never know Tim Jergenson enough. Her advice to other gardeners is that everyone should sign up for Master Garden- (UW-Extension) ers. She says, “Even if you are not good at gardening, there is always something to be done and interesting people to get to know.” Tongue in cheek, Eva commented, “I can teach you a lot about quilting, but not so much about gardening….yet.”

How Much Rain have We Received this Year?

Precipitation—Barron County-2013-14* 30 Yr Ave 2013 2014 May 3.12 3.92 6.42 June 4.31 3.70 6.68 July 3.88 1.57 1.72 August 4.64 1.73 5.20 September 4.17 2.14 *National Weather Service—Rice Lake Municipal Airport

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What’s Inside

 Powdery Mildew or powdered sugar? - How do you know?

 Something Is Wrong with my Tomatoes? - Check inside this newsletter to find out what it might be.

 Aster Yellows caused Hairy Carrots. - What did you say!?!

 Ornamental Grasses—Thrive and Survive

 Mystery Caterpillar - Is it really a fly?

UNIVERSTIY OF Non Profit Organization WISCONSIN—EXTENSION U.S. Postage Paid Barron, WI 54812 Permit No. 74 Barron County Extension Office Barron County Government Center 335 E. Monroe Avenue, Room 2206 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Barron, WI 54812

Phone: 715-537-6250 Fax: 715-537-6814

The University of Wisconsin—Extension provides Title IX which include affirmative action and equal opportunity in education, programming, and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, gender, creed, disability, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital or parental status, arrest or conviction record or veteran status.

Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities or limitations should be made prior to the program or activity for which it is needed. Please do so as early as possible prior to the program or activity so that proper arrangements can be made. Requests are confidential (ADA requirements.)

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