Dodge County Master Gardener Association May 2018 Issue 54

Digging in Dodge

Trout lily (Erythronium americanum) Inside this issue: Annual Plant Sale Cancelled Upcoming Meetings 2 It is with regret that we announce the can see how easy it would be to inad- Virginia Bluebells 3 cancelation of our 2018 spring plant vertently spread these through donated Help Line 3 sale. plants. Bleeding Hearts 4 An invasive Asian You can help. Learn to identify these State Conference 4 earthworm worms and report their locations to the 2018 Certified Master 5 (Amynthas spp.) Wisconsin DNR at Gardeners commonly called [email protected]. the jumping worm, 2018 Leven 1 Training 5 Amynthas differ from the European crazy worm or earthworms we are familiar with in sever- Master Gardeners in 6 snake worm, is very prolific having been al ways. They are darker in color, do not Action first spotted in Dane county in 2013 it produce body slime being dry to the Bumble Bee Flight 7 has since spread to 17 counties. The touch, darker on the dorsal side and light Season worm is easily spread in soil, mulch, on the ventral and are considerable more compost and plant materials. To slow active withering when handled or trying this advance, we thought it prudent to to escape. The most prominent differ- suspend our sale until effective protocols ence is in the clitellum, the band that are developed to ensure we are not inad- earthworms have around their bodies. vertently aiding the spread of this pest. The clitellum on Amynthas is nearer the Why is it a problem? Amynthas lives on head end. It completely circles the body or near the soil surface quickly devouring and is very light in color, almost white. any organic matter destroying soil tex- This gives greater contrast between the ture. Soil effected by these worms have clitellum and the body than found on a course coffee grounds texture that other worms. Unlike other worms where does not support plant growth. Amynthas the clitellum is raised saddle like, on is parthenogenic, producing eggs without Amynthas it is smooth with the rest of the the need for mating, so a single individu- body. al can turn into a colony. They reproduce For more information on Amynthas: fast, so even though adults do not ap- http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ pear until late June or early July they forestmanagement/documents/pub/FR- produce two generations a season. 550.pdf or https://arboretum.wisc.edu/ Adults die off in fall. The worms over win- news/arboretum-news/research-update- ter as hard egg casings called cocoons, jumping-worms-and-sleeping-cocoons/ that are from 1 to 3 mm in diameter. Since adults are not present at planting John Schellinger time and cocoons are difficult to spot you Certified Master Gardener.

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Upcoming Meetings

Anyone with an interest in gardening is welcome to attend the following free programs. Master Gardener meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of the month. Unless otherwise noted, the meetings are at 6:30 p.m. in the Administration Building, 127 E. Oak Street, Juneau.

May 24—Lifelong Gardening by Marilynn Cech. Marilynn is a Southeast Wisconsin Master Gardener. Her presentation will cover tips and techniques for gardening with ease, protecting your joints, preventing injuries and to enhance your well-being. Learn how to garden throughout life, despite physical challenges—whether you are young in age or just young at heart, by selecting the correct tools, techniques and plants.

June 28—Better than Sex? - Plant Propagation by Dr. Loretta Ortiz-Ribbing. UW-Extension Crops & Soils Area Agent. She will discuss ways plant reproduce with and without sex. The focus of the talk will be on asexual plant propagation, and why this method is used? What are some methods of asexual plant propaga- tion, and how can you can easily use them to propagate some plants? Come and find out.

July 26—Off -site tour. Available to Dodge County Master Gardener Volunteers Only*. Pat Clark will host a tour of his restored prairie in the township of Westford, that took root in 1989. He will go through the history of his land and the trials of trying to restore the land to its original state. He will give a guided tour and talk about the 180 native Wisconsin species that have been restored there. It will give members of the Master Gardener Association a glimpse into the ecological healing process of prairie restoration and what our Wis- consin and Dodge County landscape was like prior to European settlement around 1840. He will also discuss changes in the soil, the flora and fauna and himself, as well as, given his experiences over the last 27 years of dealing with this challenge. *Off site meeting is for Dodge County Master Gardener Volunteers Only. Not open to the public.

Master Gardener Websites http://www.wimastergardener.org/ https://wimga.org/

http://dodge.uwex.edu/master-gardener/ Master Gardener E-mail

[email protected]

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Virginia Bluebells In the spring, Virginia bluebells established they don't care to be disturbed. Deer and (Mertensia virginica), create a beau- rabbits generally tend to leave it alone. tiful spring flower display for the shade garden. When these native In the perennial border, Virginia bluebells mix well wildflowers emerge, you will notice with yellow or orange spring bulbs such as daffodils or dark purple spikes. As the leaves pink tulips. Maidenhair fern and Virginia bluebells are expand, they change to a blue to a nice combination for a more formal shade garden. gray-green oval shaped leaves. For the spring woodland or wildflower garden it com- The plant will grow to a height of up bines well with bleeding heart, celandine poppy, and Virginia bluebells to two feet and about one foot wide. Trillium grandiflorum. Being a spring ephemeral, it with Lungwort The sky blue trumpet shaped flow- will die back leaving a bare space in the garden. To ers open from pink buds and have a fill the gap, plant Virginia bluebells with other shade delicate sweet fragrance that will last many weeks. loving perennials that will expand and cover the gap While in bloom, the flowers attract pollinators, includ- as the growing season progresses. Hostas, astilbe, ing long tongued bees, butterflies, hummingbird Solomon seal, ferns, sedges and wild ginger are a moths and hummingbirds. After the plants are done few options for companion plants. blooming, they will die back and go dormant for the summer to reappear again the following spring. Virginia bluebells make a welcome addition to shady woodland, wildflower, or native plant gardens. The Hardy in zones 3 – 9, Virginia Bluebells prefer moist pastel colors of the flower and foliage are soft and well drained soil and part to full shade, and don't toler- soothing for a shaded area. When planted in mass, ate sunny dry locations. They naturalize readily by they make an impressive show. self seeding and by spreading by underground rhi- zomes. The plants have a long taproot, so once Chris Jacobs, Certified Master Gardener

2018 Ask A Master Gardener Helpline

May 1st – September 6th Tuesdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Thursdays: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Come in To Have Your Gardening Ques- tions Answered The Certified Master Gardener Volunteers will be located at the Dodge County Administration Building, Juneau

Website: http://dodge.uwex.edu/master-gardener Email: [email protected] Phone: 920-386-3790

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Bleeding Heart: A Late Spring Ornamental The common Bleeding Propagate new plants by making stem or root cuttings Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) after flowering. If the plant itself needs to be is an herbaceous perennial transplanted, do so carefully in the fall. Water with dangling, dainty pink, regularly for the first month to establish the new plant. red, or white heart-shaped In addition to the elegant pink blooms and fern like blooms. The blooms may foliage, bleeding heart is available in a few other be dainty, but the plant is varieties. ‘Alba’ has all white blooms and is more heat quite hardy, making this tolerant than its pink cousin, however it is not as spring bloomer a long-time garden favorite. hardy. ‘Pantaloons’ also has white flowers and is Bleeding Heart grows well in zones 2–9, requiring hardier than ‘Alba’. partial shade, well-drained, damp, but rich soil. It will ‘Gold Heart’ has the same pink blooms as other grow 2–4 feet tall and spreads 1–2 feet, is non- Dicentra spectabilis, but has unique bright gold aggressive, although some will self-seed in very moist foliage. This foliage does, however, fade in the areas. Few pests are a concern, although aphids will summer sun. occasionally feed on the flower stems and slugs may find the foliage a tasty treat. Another species is Eastern or fringed bleeding heart, Dicentra eximia, native to eastern North America. It is In late spring new foliage will sprout with a reddish smaller and more delicate, growing only about a foot color that deepens to a medium green as it matures. tall, has a longer growing season, and retains leaves The leaves have a fern-like, medium texture. Heart longer. shaped blooms with pink outer petals and white inner petals that form the heart’s point appear on arched Such a well-behaved, easy-care, spectacular plant stems. has a place in nearly every garden. A bit of afternoon shade, some extra moisture, and this plant can be As the summer progresses, when temperatures climb right at home. and moisture drops, the leaves will wither and die. As the stems die, remove them from the garden. This Carol Shirk, will leave a gap in the landscape. To counter this Certified Master Gardener problem, pair this plant with a later blooming choice such as ferns, Hosta, or astilbe. Alternatively, annuals can be used to fill the void, or potted plants can be moved in to enhance the area. Wisconsin Master Gardener Conference Autumn at the River

Join with Master Gardener Volunteers and interested gardeners from around Wisconsin for two days of educa- tion and fun in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “Autumn at the River” garden conference will be held at the Lismore Hotel near the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers. On Friday you have tour options of area horticultural attractions followed by an evening dinner and keynote talk. Saturday morning we start our conference by visiting the Eau Claire farmers market. From there we will have a delightful array of speakers on various garden-related topics to choose from. Go to https://www.wimgaconferences.com/ for information and registration. A brochure for mail-in registration is available online. The 2018 Wisconsin Master Gardener Association Conference is hosted by Barron, Chippewa Valley, Dunn, Eau Claire and St. Croix Valley Master Gardener Volunteers.

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2018 Certified Members

There are 27 Certified Master Garden Volunteers in Dodge County for 2018. A MGV must have submitted a minimum of 24 hours of volunteer service and 10 hours of continuing education for recertification and com- pleted the mandatory reporter training and the new criminal background check.

Gae Bergmann Chris Jacobs John Schellinger Mickale Carter Donna Klawitter Carol Shirk Kimberly Fay Jim Kluetzman Lynn Stanton Becky Goodrich Al Krause Thuy Tong Glen Greenfield Jan Krause Kay Voelker Ben Hagman Dennis Loomis Helen Weisensel Judy Hagman Joan Loomis Berwyn Westra Diane Hemling Kathy McMichael Marianne Zastrow Tina Hopp Jean Ramer Terry Zimmerlee Jacque Huebner

Significant Milestones 150 Hours 250 Hours 500 Hours 750 Hours 1000 Hours 2500 Hours Kimberly Fay Dennis Loomis Judy Hagman Al Krause Chris Jacobs Marianne Zastrow Lynn Stanton Dianne Priegel Diane Hemling John Schellinger

2018 Level 1 Training

Eighteen students completed the 2018 Level 1 Training. They are enthusiastic to start on volunteer opportuni- ties. They are a dynamic and outstanding group of individuals.

Connie Alderden Pam Roeseler Linda Allen Jann Seegert Evonne Boettge Debra Steinich Linda Ernsberger Pat Trapp Jane Erstad Caryl Watterson Katelyn Fischbach Frank Welz Elizabeth Haas Cherie Witkowski Patrice Hughes Deborah Wolff Nikki Poetter Faith Zoellick

Digging in Dodge I ssue 54 Pa ge 6 Master Gardeners in Action

SPARK!

4-H Family Learning Day Mayville Wellness Event

Level 1 Training Promoting DCMGA on the radio

Making Bat Houses

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Gardening with Native Plants: The Bumble Bee Flight Season Begins Memory of this year’s late slow nectar sources. Nest sites are generally underground spring may dim this month as (in animal burrows, cracks in rock walls, hollow logs, warmer temperatures and new cracks in foundations, etc.). You often see them flying growth move across the land- close to the ground back and forth across an area, scape. Garden areas with pre- sometimes landing to crawl under leaf litter or into a scribed fire several weeks ago hole. She could be exploring the location or she may Rusty-patched bumble are now showing new vegeta- have begun to establish her nest. If a queen is carry- bee queen on monarda tive growth after a cold spell. ing pollen into the hole or cavity, she is already provi- Our gardening tasks this month sioning a nest. Because she is the only bee coming include trimming back last season’s growth, planting, and going from the nest at this point, you may not see weeding, brushing up on seedling identification skills, her often. There are relatively few queens overall and monitoring plants and animals in the garden. (compared to the number of bees seen later in the summer when the colonies are larger). It takes sever- With the first growth and blooms of the year, many al weeks for the first group of workers to develop and garden insects become active—hatching, resuming begin foraging. From the end of May into mid-June, development as larvae or pupae, or coming out of you may begin to see the smaller rusty-patched bum- dormancy as adults. Because the Arboretum contin- ble bee workers (all females) with the characteristic ues to document bumble bees (including the endan- rusty patch. gered rusty-patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is Habitat: Because the queens have to locate pollen launching a new project to monitor Wisconsin bumble and nectar immediately after emerging, they are bees, here are some tips for observing bumble bees found on early flowering native species: willow at this time of year. (Salix spp.), plums and cherries (Prunus spp.), June- berry (Amelanchier spp.), leatherwood (Dirca palus- Timing: The long-term average date of first bumble tris), gooseberries (Ribes spp.), prairie-smoke (Geum bee emergence for our area is April 14. This year, triflorum), shooting-star (Primula meadia), wood beto- because of the late spring, the first bumble bee new ny (Pedicularis canadensis), and woodland wildflow- queen sightings occurred 8–10 days later than that. ers like Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) (Most, if not all, of the earliest reports were Bombus and others. Bumble bees also forage on ornamental bimaculatus, the two-spotted bumble bee, which is cherry, crabapples, and apples, and on weeds such usually the earliest to emerge of 12 native bumble as creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea), dead bee species at the Arboretum. As of late April, rusty- nettle (Lamium amplexicaule), mustards, and dandeli- patched bumble bee queen sightings had not been on. Documenting (photographing) bumble bee reported.) Watch for rusty-patched bumble bee queens on short plants is easier than on trees or queens throughout May as they emerge, establish shrubs, where it can be more challenging to get defin- and provision their nests, and raise the first cohort of itive photos. If you are interested in learning more and workers. monitoring Arboretum bumble bees, please contact Appearance: Bumble bee queens are relatively large Susan Carpenter. bees. They hatched and mated late last summer/fall As the season begins, we wel- and overwintered individually underground in several come new and returning native inches of soil. Rusty-patched bumble bee queens plant garden volunteers and have black pile (hairs) at the head and yellow pile summer student assistant gar- with a black spot on the thorax. The first two ab- deners. Our 2018 publicgarden dominal segments are yellow, with no rusty patch. tour series is underway. The The remaining four abdominal segments are black. Friends of the Arboretum plant For definitive identification, take multiple photos of the Two-spotted bumble bee sale on May 12 offers native foraging on creeping Charlie abdomen of the bee and top of the head, as there are plants for every garden. See several species that can be mistaken for each other. you there! Behavior: After emergence, the new queens have to Susan Carpenter, Arboretum native plant gardener search for a suitable nest site and find pollen and

This article was originally published on the UW-Madison Arboretum’s website: https://arboretum.wisc.edu. Reprinted with permission from Susan Carpenter.

Board of Directors

Al Krause Loretta Ortiz-Ribbing Jan Krause Local Representative to Crops and Soils Agent Secretary the WIMGA UW-Extension Office 920-261-7939 920-261-7939 920-386-3790 Chris Jacobs Diane Hemling Treasurer President 920-887-2250 920-960-6351 Gae Bergmann Lynn Stanton Local Record Keeper Vice President 920-928-3486 920-296-1868

Dodge County Master Gardener Association

UW-Extension, Administration Building 127 E. Oak Street, Juneau, WI 53039

Phone: (920) 386-3790