September 2009 March 2007 GARDEN VIEWS Notes from the Chair… University of California I’m Walt Bieszczad, your Master Gardener Advisory Board Chairman for 2009‐2010. Together with my fellow board mem‐ Cooperative bers, I would like to extend a welcome to our returning Master Gardener veterans and our Master Gardeners in training. This Extension year is a first. We are expanding our trainee program to in‐ clude interested folks in the Palm Desert area. Through the Riverside County miracle of video conferencing, we will be extending our train‐ ing to the second UCR extension office in Indio, where a group 21150 Box Springs Rd of trainees will interact with the Moreno Valley class. It is Moreno Valley hoped that there will be few if any technical issues and that we CA 92557-8781 will graduate a larger class of about 40 new Master Gardeners. 951.683.6491 Ext 228 If you are not aware, we have started a plant propagation op‐ eration located at the Jurupa Mountain Cultural Center near the 60 freeway hillside metal FAX 951.788.2615 dinosaurs. It is our expectation that our Master Gardeners in training will perform at least TDD 951.276.9539 10 hours of service toward their required 50 first year service requirement at JMCC Addi‐ Email: tionally, we are conducting a plant study for UC Davis. This study, called All Stars, requires [email protected] us to maintain, monitor and report on the health of these plants. All Master Gardeners are encouraged to check out both of these projects. Things To Do in September We have many areas of interest for our members to work with and to complete your yearly service hour obligation. Let me cover a few. As noted above, we perform plant Start your fall vegetable gar- propagation, produce a monthly newsletter, and provide public outreach/education den with a good soil recipe: through our telephone problem answering phone squad. We arrange tours and social for every 100 square feet of garden you will need the gatherings for our members. We have many opportunities for public contact in schools following ingredients: a 2” and community gardens. We also have many requests for speakers to educate the public layer of organic amendments on related topics. In this regard we are currently recruiting for a replacement for our (about 4 three-cubic foot Speakers Bureau Coordinator, Elizabeth Cooper. Please contact her or myself if you would bags, and 2 pounds of an all- find the position of interest. Finally you can participate by being a Mentor to the Master purpose fertilizer. Gardeners in training through a program being developed for the new class. See page 5 First water the area to be for details of this exciting new program. gardened thoroughly to bring up weeds. Wait two weeds, Finally, I would like to thank all of you In This Issue Page then dig out the weeds. Once for your continued support of this Notes from the Chair . 1 the weeds are eliminated, dig Cutting the Mustard, Part II . 2 soil, spread organic amend- great personal enrichment program. A Spotlight on the Web . 2 ments and fertilizer on the special thank you goes out to our surface. Mix ingredients into 2009‐2010 Advisory Board members Book Review . 3 Stephanie’s Corner . 4 soil and water one last time. and to former project coordinator Mentoring Program Report . 5 Wait one week, check for Bruce Reynolds for his tireless work at Citrus Variety Collection Tour Photos . 6 weeds, then plant your fall, the JMCC propagation garden. cool weather plants. Spring & Fall Fats and You . .7 Calendar . 8 & 9 ‐Walt Veteran’s Class Schedule . 10 (From 52 Weeks in the California Garden, by Robert Smaus.) page 2 September 2009 Garden Views Cutting the Mustard‐ Part 2 by mustard plants and sequestered within their cells with less toxicity than milk‐vetch. By Linda Sun, MG Here is a partial list of matter which mustard incorporates Mustard is grown in vineyards today because it suppresses into itself. While not all of these are thought of as pollut‐ nematodes by releasing isothiocyanate into the soil which ants, in large concentrations these elements can be very is toxic to nematodes, to certain insects, mites and other harmful: antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, boron, cad‐ microorganisms. The citrus mium, cerium, cesium 137, chromium, cobalt, copper, cya‐ nematode can infect grapevines, nide, DDT, cioxins, ethidium bromide, indium, lead, manga‐ olives, citrus and pear and the nese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, PCBs, pluto‐ infected roots form those charac‐ nium, rubidium, ruthenium, strontium 90, selenium, sulfur, teristic, knobby root galls. The technetium, tin, thallium, toluene, uranium (the isotopes best reduction of nematodes is and the neutral form), vanadium, yttrium, zinc and it also achieved if the mustard is grown concentrates gold and silver. Mustard is pulled by hand close to the vine row, cut down, then covered with soil and soils do not suffer erosion as a consequence of remov‐ (No, this is still not "cutting the mustard"). Brassica juncea ing toxins. Horses do not eat mustard plants, but other is used as a green manure to suppress verticillium wilt and animals must be protected when mustard plants are used weeds and it attracts "good" insects which consume the to decontaminate soils or spills. detrimental bugs. It is plowed under every year just before the new mustard seeds are planted. Napa Valley is awash "Cutting the mustard" has nothing to do with mustering with mustard growing in the vineyards and the residents troops. It signifies meeting or exceeding the standard or have a Mustard Festival every year there. Not only does being the genuine article. O. Henry, that master of the this plant protect grapes, but it also absorbs many toxic short story, used it in Of Cabbages and Kings written either elements from the soil; then the mustard can be disposed in 1894 or 1904: "I'm not headlined in the bills, but I'm the of safely. mustard in the salad dressing just the same". O. Henry used it again in either 1902 or 1907 in The Heart of the It began with the "blind staggers"; range animals ate a West, when his character said, "I looked around and found milk‐vetch, which poisoned them because it absorbed so a proposition that exactly cut the mustard." Remember much selenium from the soil. Pelicans and other birds died that this time frame coincides with that spectacular World's in huge numbers from drinking Salton Sea water containing Fair where mustard became the rage. Mustard was some‐ selenium runoff. Plants containing selenium smell garlicky, thing that added zest or flavor to life and food, and to be "a but that does not deter sheep and sometimes cattle from cut above" the mustard was to be better than the best. It eating them. Researchers understood that selenium is a looks as though this bony, homely weed‐like plant may in mimic of sulphur and found that by adding sulfur com‐ q pounds to polluted areas, contaminants can be absorbed some ways be "the greatest among herbs". Here’s a rundown on the available links: Gardening Basics; Spotlight Your Climate Zone (which links you to the Sunset website to explain their system); finding your local MG; the IPM web‐ on the Web site (for help with pests, diseases and weeds(; the Vegeta‐ By Lucy Heyming, MG ble Research and Information Center website (which gives pdf files of many home grown vegetables); a link to the Cali‐ fornia backyard orchard website (a resource for fruit and Featuring the nut crops), the Landscape Trees, Vines and Shrubs website; CA Master Gardener Website websites that provide information on lawns, flowers, indoor plants, poisonous plants; a glossary of common horticultural http://cagardenweb.ucdavis.edu/ terms; a calendar of upcoming classes and events open to the public put on by various Master Gardener groups All web savvy Master Gardeners will want to have this throughout California; and last but not least, a weekly blog website as a favorite. This beautiful website is easy to navi‐ on various topics. gate and has a wealth of information for you and for any‐ one that you want to help with gardening problems or What can I say‐ it’s one stop shopping for gardening infor‐ questions. You can even access the Riverside Master Gar‐ mation that can really make your searches easy and enjoy‐ dener website using your password from here. able! q Garden Views September 2009 page 3 BOOK REVIEW2 Annual Fall By Yvonne Hemenway, MG Master Gardener COOL PLANTS FOR HOT GARDENS: Kick-off 200 Water‐Smart Choices for the South‐ west September 19, 2009 3 - 5 pm Greg Starr Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tuc‐ son, AZ , 2009 Sims Tree Learning Center $24.95 6111 Appaloosa Avenue Greg Starr is a self‐ Pedley, CA 92509 described plant nerd and the owner and manager of Bring your favorite dish and join the Starr Nursery in Tuc‐ son, Arizona. A familiar us as we say goodbye to sum- face in the gardening com‐ mer. munity, Starr was named Master of the Southwest by Phoenix Home & Gar‐ Bring comfortable shoes and den magazine in 2006. give yourself enough time to tour With Cool Plants for Hot Gardens, Greg Starr has provided the grounds, there's much to an encyclopedia of garden plants suited to Southwestern gardens and landscapes. He offers extensive information see. on 200 low‐water ‐use plants, including clear descriptions of each plant and its ornamental features, maintenance, Directions: take Van Buren Blvd to Limonite; and climate requirements, along with landscape applica‐ tions, precautions, tips for plant identification and a color go west on Limonite to Bain; go right on photo of the plant in a landscape setting.