VOL. 8, NO. 1
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
JANUARY 1997
Cochise County Master Gardener
Universitv of Arizona and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooneratinn
PEOPLE PROFILEGardeners
Ganmon naims: Green Thumbs, Dirt Pe(q>le,
The hfemire Party
Range: Since tiiis si:^^ has beatinOoduced, it
has spread quiddy and cah be locatedall overthe
World. Unfortuiudely, no cure has been fouiul.
Of all the people in the worid, gardeners have
got to be one of the most interesting as tiiey are
amstantly subjectii^ themselves to all kin^ of
abuses normal people would not think oftderat-
h^. The first stq> into the Worid of ^uxteiiQg is
usually small, a few housqilaitts or turning a
postrard patch of earth into a floww or veggie
gar^. A^r minimal success they ofien decufe
to orss over iitfo otiier areas. Usually beginners
ate soft, botii mraitally and physically, until the
challenges of battlingpests and diseases, moving
tons ofrodks, mourning overdead plants, di^giiig
planthighdi» in calidie, and varmints destrcqdng
everytiupg in si^ eventually hardens than up.
Most gardeners devel(^ broad vocabularies,
spoutmg Gredc or Latin efifertlessly, and of
course, speaking that universal language-cuss
ing. Smne take the ultimate vow and ouoll in
classy and bec(»ne Master Gardeners. Garden
ers are usually referred to as 'big drramers.'
Hmre is no end in si^ for gardenov-tmce you
start there is no stopping, fo feet, there are documoited cases of people gardening £br over SO
ymirs!
Really great gardenem canbe easily identified.
Ask them about a problon you have, and they
will be the first to pass altmg tiieirmistalms, how
tlmy solved them, and as a bonus an additional
hmirofusefultips.
Usually after a fewyears in tlm field, mostgar-
^lers develop a passitm for <nie or two subjects.
Whetl^ it's pn^nigation methods, int^rated
pest mana^mmit, or xerisctqm gardenmg, they
are a wealth of infinmation and are highly re
garded as 'Garcten Figures' in the community. As
webravely venture intoa new year of gardening,
here are some resolutions fi>r the New Year;
Teach someoim-especially a diild-to ^uden *
Plant a herb gardmi * Save water thisyear-get a
WaterWiseAudit ofyourhome or business-con
tact Cade Daily at 4S8-827S, Ext. 141 to make
an appointmmit * Reduce, Reuse, Recycle this
year ♦ Start a compost pile * Becmne a Master
Gardmrer-contact the Extensicm OfBce at
458-8278, Ext. 141 for details ♦ Plant a tree ♦
Start a gatdmi journal * Getinto Natives-plant a
nativeplant * Join a garden club * Start a wild
life ^rdm
♦
Mark your caloidar for February
13-15 and attend tiie FGgh cm the Desert Fourth
Annual High Desert Gardraung & Landscape
Conference-see registration form in tins newslet
ter * Sow only one squash/zucdiini plant this
y^ * Thank tte person vbo taught you howto
^udmi.
Chert Melton
Master Gctrckner/^tiffWriter
Cochise County Cooperative Extension
1140 N. Cdombo, Sierra \lstat AZ 8S(3S
(520) 458^78, ExL 141
450 HaskeU, WUIcox, AZ 85043
(520)384^594
Ifyouhave evertried to lookup
the name of a plant in a standard
The Virtual Gardener-
bontanical reference book you
have probably run into the thicket
of specialized terms used to de
scribe the shapes of various plant
parts. The oth^ day I ran across a
Botanical Nomenclature
quiz onthe California Native Plant
Society (CNPS) Web site (http://www.calpoly.edu/~dchippin/cnps_main.html) which should help you
learn the names applied to the shapes of plant leaves. See how many you can correctly name without
peeking atthe answers. To give you some help in identifying the leafshapes in the quiz, I used an on-line
dicationary athttp://www.bucknell.edu/~rbeard/diction;html to look up the Latin and Greek roots ofthe
toms. Here they are:
• Linear
line-diaped
•Peltate
armed with a shield
•Lanceolate
lance-shaped
• Oblong
rather long
• Oblanceolate
inversely lanced-shaped
• Spatulate
shapedlike a small spade
• Peifoliate
through the leaf
• Obovate
inverselyegg-shaped
•Ovate
egg-shaped
• Deltoid
delta-shaped
• Elliptical
sht^ed like an ellipse
• Orbicular
orb-shaped
•Cuneate
wedge-shaped
Recordyour answers in die table below.
Answers
I '-o-oi '<1-6 ii-8
iH-9 5a-s iw-t ^o-c '•a-t tv-t
Gary Gruenhagen (gruenha@c2i2.com)
Master Gardener
Cuttings 'N'
Clippings
Bishic^ Room of the Sierra Vista
Library. Ext^ion Agent, Rob
Call, will be presentiirg a pn^iam
offered f(Mr free at the
Desert
Gardening & Lands^ping C(»iferrace on Fdiniary 13 ami 14. The
> The next meeting of the Sierra
are oicouiaged to bring in your ex
Vista Area Gardtmer's
traseeds (all kinds) for a s^ bag
public is cordially invited to attend
the garden dub meetiiigs. If you
have any (piestions, c(Mitact Jena
ging project. The seeds will be
Bamett at 378-9625.
(Ml How to Prune Your Trees. You
Club is
Januaiy 16, 2:00 pm at the Mona
Page!
Full Conference:
$60.00
Includes both day sessions,
2 breakfasts, 2 lunches,
& closing reception
-OH
One Day:
$40.00
Includes one day sessions,
1 breakfast, 1 lunch,
& closing reception, ifFriday
Register by January 31,1997
to avoid late charge:
$70.00 full - $45.00 one day
H^h Desert Gardening
Windemere Hotel
Landscaping Conference
Conference Center
2047 S. Hwy 92
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
(520) 459-5900
is offering special room rates for
conference participants.
Please make reservations with
Windemere Hotel and ask for
Master Gardener Conference rate.
1-800-825-4656
(
\
Fourth Annual
February 13-15,1997
Windemere Hotel
and Conference Center
Sierra Vista, AZ
Sponsored by:
Cochise County Master Gardeners
Association in conjunction with
The University ofArizona
Cooperative Extension
(
1997 Conference Program
ttt
Conference Registration
Thursday, February 13
7:30 - 8:45 am
9:00-10:15 am General Session
Regjstration and Breakfast
Date
8:45 - 9:00 am
Welcome
9:00 -10:15 am General Session
Name
Address
City_
_State
Telephone
Full Conference $60.00
10:30 -11:45 am
Nursery Owner
Marti Murphy, Arizona State Parks Environmental
High Desert Landscaping
Education
Karchner Caverns State Park
11:45 -12:00 pm
Resource ConservationService, USDA
WaterHarvesting
12:00 -1:30 pm
Lunch, Door Prizes & Exhibits
1:45 - 2:45 pm
SesdonlV
Exhibits
12:00 -1:30 pm
One Day $40.00
(AfterFeb. 1 $45.00)
1:45-2:45 pm
Amount Enclosed
Please make checkpayable to:
Cochise County Master Gardeners Assn.
General Session
Geoff Parker, District Conservationist with Natural
11:45 -12:00 pm
(AfterFeb. 1 $70.00)
The University of Arizona and Author
Insects ofthe High Desert
Judith Phillips, Landscape Designer, Author, and
10:30 -11:45 am General Session
Zip_
Carl Olson, Associate Curator ofEntomology,
Lunch, Door Prizes & F.Thihit«
A Elizabeth Davison, Propagation bySeed*
B. CathyWertz,Planting a Wild/lowerMeadow
C. JimmyTipton, Propagationby Tissue Culture
Session I
A. Rob Call,Successjul Vegetable Gardening*
B. Kim McRqmolds, Native Grasses and Wildlife
C. Gary Woodard, J.D., M.P.P. &Patsy Waterfall^
Media Toolsfor Promoting Desert Landscaping
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Exhibits
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Session V
A. Brad Marshall, Drip Irrigation*
B. Sheri Williamson, Gardeningfor Southwestern
Wildlife
C.
Fun and Profitfiom Hardshell
Session VI
Session n
1140N. Colombo
A Jan Groth, Container Gardening*
B. MarkDouglas, Growing Tree Fruit
4:15 - 5:15 pm
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
C. Steve Enteman, Pond Construction and
A. John Begeman, Dispelling Common Gardening
Cochise County Master Gardeners Association
Maintenance.
,To help with our planning, please indicate
preference for each session:
A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
1
A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
_I would like toattend Saturday Workshc^
_I would liketo attend Saturday Tour
For information please call:
The U. ofA. Cooperative Extension OfBce
Sierra Vista, AZ (520) 458-8278, Ext. 141
4:15- 5:15 pm Session HI
A. Cado Daily, "WaterWise" Conservation*
B. Robert Smith, Ph.D., rcr#n/tes-^r/dLand
Decomposers
B. JimmyTiptoa, Water Use ofNative Trees
C. Peter Gierlach, Going Wild-Growing Native:
A Design Course by Mother Nature
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Reception
C. John White,Nutsfor the Home Garden
Saturday, Februaiy 15
Friday, February 14
7:30 - 8:45 am
Registration and Breakfast
8:45 - 9:00 am
Welcome
NOTE;
A Workshq) with Cado Daily-10:00am
Implementing a WaterAudit
B. Tour of Sierra Vista Compost Facility-9:00 am
* Denotes Basic Gardening Session
SPEAKERS AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NO
n-
The Agent's
seclusion. Keep the soil drier than
normal. Once flower buds are set
plant and help maintain a healthy
plant during the holidays. During
Observations
you can cease this practice and in
the winter nwnths with less sun
crease watering.
light and cooler indoor tempera
Source: Housepkmts, The Ameri
can Horticultural Sod^, 1980,
1^.81 and 85.
tures plant growth will be slowed,
Q
My Christmas Cactus
did not bloom this
year. Whath^pened?
A "holiday" cacti. They
There
are
several
are Christmas Cactus,
Schumbergera hridgesii, with smooth leaf
mai^gins or edges; Thanksgiving
Cactus, S. truncata, ^ch blooms
earlier and has saw-tooth leaf mar
gins and two oppositely pointed
tips at the endof each leaf; and the
Easter Cactus, S. Gaertneri, which
blooms naturally in the spring and
has smooth leaf margins. These
cacti species originated from the
Brazilian jungleand grownaturally
as epiphytes (in the air) in the
branches and bark of trees. (See
December 1996 High on the De
sert
Newsletter
for
more
information.)
These plants are short-day plants
like poinsettias. Flowering is initi
ated by cool temperatures, 45° to
55° F, drier soil, and the naturally
shorter days of spring or fall. The
Christmas Cactus in question did
not bloom because one or more of
these conditions were not met.
To induce flowering, determine
what type of cactus species you
have. Ten weeks before blooms are
desired, place the plant in a cool
closet or dark cupboard from sun
down to sunup, never letting any
light reach the plant during
therefore the amount of fertilizer
should be decreased as well.
What should I do to
Q
keep my poinsettia
blooming and growing
throughout the year?
A Poinset ia, Euphorbia
pulcherrima, is a
tropical plant that
originated in Mexico.
Members
of
Euphorbia pulchei
the
Euphorbia fiunily have white latex
sap. Light requirements are bright
After the colorful bracts (we
think ofthem as flowers) fell, place
but not direct sunlight. Dim light or
the plant ina cool room and let the
darkness will shorten its life. These
plants should be watered when the
soil stay nearly dry until spring.
Repot the plant in new soil and cut
soil surface feels dry to tiie touch.
back the stems to six inches above
If a poinsettia is allowed to wilt its
life span will be shortened. Water
ing should insure that the entire
the pot rim. Then move to a sunny
root ball is moistened. Poinsettias
should not be allowed to sit in wa
centration to 1/4 to 1/2 strei^th
ter because their roots are very
prone to root rots. Ideal tempera
ing back terminal growth encour
ages branching and more blooms.
ture should never exceed 72° F
Poinsettias are short-day plants;
during the day or 65° F at night.
meaning that flowering is induced
Plants do well in high humidity en
vironments. Low humkiity and
as day lengths shorten. To insure
return holiday blomns keep in ab
location, water well, and watch for
new growth. Increase fertilizer con-
and apply at each waterii^. Pinch
temperatures over 75° F are detri
solute darkness from sundown to
mental to the plants. Beware of
sunup for ten weeks beginning in
placing plants near heat vents, on
top of televiskms, or in areas that
October. If this is too much work,
the old plant can be discarded and
are drafiy or have sudden changes
a new one purchased for the next
from hot to cold. Concentrations of
holiday season.
1/8 to 1/4 of rectmumndedstrength
houseplant fertilizer applied at each
watering will "spoon-feed" the
Robert E. Call
Exten^on Agent, Horticulture
Director, Cooperative Extension, College ofAgriculture, The University ofArizona Md Araona Countiw coopenrhi® Ths
^
oppcTtuniiy employer widtori»d to provide research, educational irtfom^tm art other services only to individuals and msUtutions that fimcbon without regard to
Vfilerao's status, or
« «
• • •
The iidbimation given herein issuppliedvrithdie tmdeistaddingtlrt
no diacfimnialion biittendedand no mdonement byCoqieMUve
Extension
Min^thed..
itayprodu(d8.aefvice8.ororgani2a&««tlrta«inenlion«d,diov»n,orindirectlyiinptiedffldmpubUcatk»donotiiig>lyendorseineiilbylliBOnhwrtyrfAnzona.
rdt&Hm.ooksr. national <mgiii, agjS* Vietnam
Pate 5
BULK RATE
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
USDA
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
PERMIT No. G268
TUCSON, ARIZONA 85721
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300
•ei* tU-
Happy New Year
&
The Cochise County Master Gardeners Association in
conjunction vvith The University of Arizona Cooperative
Extension is busy planning their Fourth Annual High De
sert Gardening & Landscaping Conference to be held Feb
Happy Gardening!
ruary 13-15 at the Windemere Hotel and Conference
From the volunteers that bring you
The Cochise County Master Gar
dener Newsletter as we begin our
Center in Sierra Vista, AZ. The past three conferences have
S* year of publication.
been very successful and the 1997 conference promises to
be even more exciting. This is an educational, fiin experi
ence for anyone and everyone with an interest in gardening.
Plan now to attend! A registration form is included in this
/newsletter. If you have any questions, please call the Coop-
eijatiye Extension Offices at the numbers listed on the froht
lofthis publication.
Newsletter Staff:
Carolyn Gruenhagen
Barbara Kishbaugh
Cheri Melton
Virginia Westphal
4/c
Robert E. Call,
Extension Agent, Horticulture