The Compost
Autumn 2015
Inside this issue:
MG Coordinator
Comments
2
Announcements
2-3
Horticulture
Corner
4
CC Fair Update
5
CCMG Library
6
Calendar
7
Do You App?
8
Special points of interest:

Vote for Steering
Committee and MG
of the Year

Holiday Party Dec 1

Please provide
names of those who
should be invited to
Holiday Party as VIP
Guests by Nov 14

Please post your
volunteer/training hrs
2016 MG ELECTIONS
Are you interested in serving next year? Elected Steering Committee
positions are a 1-year commitment and there is no term limit. If you are
interested in serving in any of the following positions, please let CCMGC
Luke Gustafson know by November 4th.
Chair
Vice Chair
Recording Secretary
Treasurer
(2) At-Large Member
Voting will take place online for the above positions. An email link to the ballot
form will be sent to MG’s and MG Interns once it has been finalized. Online
voting will be available from November 10th through November 23rd. Those
who do not cast a vote online will be able to vote in-person at the beginning
of the November 24th general meeting. The results of the elections will be
announced by the end of that meeting.
MG & MG Intern of the Year Election
It’s also time to vote for the Master Gardener and Master Gardener Intern of the Year 2015. The Master
Gardener of the Year Awards recognize an outstanding Charles County Master Gardener and a Master
Gardener Intern who has given over and above to the program this year. MGs and MG Interns can now
cast their votes (one for each category) online starting November 1st at this link (https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/SE/?
SID=SV_6ikjijhQc8IyemF ). The recipients of the awards will be announced at the Holiday Dinner on
December 1st. Cast your votes online no later than November 23rd or in-person at the Extension office
anytime from now until the general meeting on November 24th.
The Compost
Page 2
The wet spring this year gave way to a very dry August and September. It was a tough
couple of months for many non-irrigated landscape plants and some trees started to go
into fall mode a bit earlier than usual. Rains at the end of September and early October
broke the dry cycle and ushered in the mild autumn weather that we have enjoyed.
A lot of activity has gone on lately! First off, thanks to everyone who helped with the
County Fair activities. The flower beds around the fairgrounds looked great from all the
hard work of MGs throughout the summer. We had booths in the Flower Building and
Canning Building. The magnetic, interactive display drew a lot of people, especially
Coordinator
Comments
children. Thanks to Dave Lewis for hosting Bug Day again this year. Herb Reed,
Extension Educator, led us on a fun and informative walk. The rains from hurricane
Joaquin did not stop the compost and rain barrel workshops on October 3. Although the weather was misty
and a bit cold, people showed up and 11 compost bins and about 50 rain barrels went to new homes.
As the year winds down, I encourage you all to start planning and preparing for the coming year. In what
ways can we continue to engage and educate our community? If you have an idea for a new project or
improving an existing one, feel free to share with the project leader, other MGs or myself. We would also
appreciate your input at the 2016 planning meeting November 5th (see calendar for more details).
As we finish up the last quarter of the year, make sure you complete and log your volunteer and education
hours. For those of you in need of the latter, check out the great webinars series All Bugs Good and Bad.
Be sure to check the calendar in this edition of The Compost and also the calendar on the county Extension
website for the most up-to-date information on upcoming opportunities.
Thank you for all your service to our community!
Article by Luke Gustafson, CCMG Coordinator
Know anyone who Should be Invited to our Holiday Party?
Please provide names and addresses of anyone you know who has
been instrumental in helping or advocating for our Master Gardeners
to invite as VIP guests to our Holiday Party. Please send the name,
title, and full address to Terry Thir by Nov 7th.
Charles County Master Gardeners represented at International Master
Gardener Conference
Jane Groat joined 750 other Master Gardeners in Council Bluffs, Iowa, September 22-25, 2015 to experience
“Horticultural Horizons IN THE HEARTLAND”. A typical greeting -- in lieu of “What’s your name?” or
“Where are you from?” – was “Hi! What’s your zone?” A gardener’s zone map, of course, geographically
defines hardiness, heat, and freeze date tables suitable for planting.
The Compost
Page 3
2016 MG Planning Session
There will be a Planning Session for 2016 on Thursday, Nov 5th from 10 am to
noon at the Extension Office. ALL are encouraged to participate. See you
there!!
Longwood and Winterthur Trip
Brandywine Valley Garden tour to Longwood and Winterthur gardens includes coach luxury transportation, guided tours, and dinner. Cost: $135. All welcome. Register by Nov. 9 to Action Travel, Waldorf,
Md. See emails for more information.
Note the change of date for the MG Holiday Dinner to Tuesday, Dec 1, 5:30-8:30 pm
at Colonial Charles Clubhouse in Waldorf. Sorry for the change – originally set for
Dec. 8 – but the venue was already booked that day. See flyer for more information.
The Compost
Page 4
Growing Strawberries for Homeowners
Fall is the time of year to start preparations for establishing a new strawberry bed in
the spring. In the fall, you will you want to select your site, keeping in mind that an
elevated location with full sun and good air movement is best. Avoid sites where the
following verticillium susceptible crop has been growing in the past 2-5 years:
alfalfa, melons, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, raspberries, or strawberries.
Strawberries prefer a well-drained soil with a pH ranging from 6-7. Test the soil, and
if the pH is <6.0, add and till in lime to raise it to 6.8 (usually 5-10 lb per 100 square
feet). Consider adding manure or compost to enrich the soil (usually 20-40 lb per
100 square feet). And don’t forget to remove perennial weeds by repeatedly tilling, pulling, or using herbicides.
HORTICULTURE CORNER
By MG Intern Marlene Smith
In the spring, spread 12:12:12 fertilizer (8 oz per 100 square feet for sandy soils, 12 oz for heavier soils). Till the
soil when it is dry. For June-bearing varieties, plant in raised rows in late April – early May when soil can be
worked. Raised rows can be covered with woven “weed barriers” if desired to prevent weeds. Using the matted
row plant spacing, cut holes in the weed barrier 18 inches apart in rows that are 42-48 inches apart. Avoid planting
too shallow or too deep. Water new plants every 2-4 days in sandy soil, or every 4-6 days in heavy soils, until top
8 inches of soil is moist. Fertilize again in July/August (4-6 oz per 100 square feet).
During the planting year, remove any flowers that appear on plants; this prohibits fruit production during the first
year and encourages healthier, bushier plants. Runners produced during the summer will provide a “matted row”
appearance by fall. When runners are rooting, water as previously described for new plants.
Provide winter protection by spreading 4-6 inches of clean straw in December (after several hard freezes). When
growth begins the following spring, rake the mulch from the plants and leave
between the rows. If frost is predicted before bloom, rake the straw back on the
plants for protection.
During the second year, plants will bloom and produce fruit. Don’t fertilize in the
spring. When berries are growing, water as previously described. Harvest berries
when the plants are dry and refrigerate berries immediately. After fruit production,
renovate the matted rows. To renovate, narrow the rows with a tiller or shovel to
remove most of the growth that had spread, mow off the leaves of the plants that
are left, and fertilize in July (12 oz per 100 square feet).
Photo credit: Growing Strawberries for
Homeowners IPM webinar
Plants can be obtained from mail order nurseries in the winter or in local garden shops in the spring. Plants should
be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until time to plant. To determine the number of plants, remember that
each plant will produce about 1 quart of berries. A list of nurseries that supply strawberry plants is available from
Cornell University: http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry/nurseries/strawberries.html
To minimize disease in new strawberry crops, remember the following:
1) Use resistant cultivars from reputable sources. 2) Plant quality, disease-free plants. 3) Rotate crops.
4) Good soil drainage and proper planting depth is a must. 5) Keep leaves and fruit dry. Maintain good
airflow, narrow row widths, proper spacing, and weed control. 6) Provider winter protection. 7) Replace mulch in
early spring. 8) Remove diseased fruit and leaves throughout the season.
References: Growing Strawberries for Homeowners IPM webinar, available at: https://learn.extension.org/
events/2198#.VfCExesqexI
The Compost
Page 5
Charles County Fair 2015
The Charles County Master Gardeners concluded a very successful weekend at the 2015 Charles County
Fair, September 17-20. Our educational display in the Flower Building garnered a first place blue ribbon,
along with a special educational excellence award, equivalent to a best-in-show. Our display this year
featured hands-on children’s activities, and a scale model of a pollinator hotel popular in Europe. We also
produced a special display for the Drury (Canning) Building, with a Grow-it-Eat-it theme, including a
container garden of ornamental peppers in fruit, and a sweet potato basket.
A big thank you goes out to the design team for the educational display: MG Intern Harry Frauenfelder,
and MGs Tina Bailem and Angela Mackie-Smith. Great job! Thanks also go out to Luke Gustafson and
Pauline Spurlock for the use of their container garden and sweet potato basket, respectively.
And finally, none of our success would be possible without the dedicated volunteer MGs and MG Interns
who provided expert assistance to by staffing our displays, answering questions from the public, and
recording public interest in the MG training program and the Bay-Wise certification program. Thirteen MG
Interns (Tracy Alston, Nancy Bowie, Martha Champion, Jennifer Godlewski, Harry Frauenfelder, Linda
Ivko, Wanda Jones, Vicki Marckel, Pam Sarvis, Ellen St. Clair, Millie Santana-Stewart, Donna StewartGreene, and Jane Tyson) provided over 80 combined hours of volunteer service. Also thanks to MGs
Tina Bailem, Mary Gaskins, Marguerita Harding, Kathy Jenkins, Neal Johnson, Jan Lakey-Waters, George
Miles, Sandra Reissig, Doris Santimays, Dianne Shisler, and Mary Sims. Thank you all.
Main Display
Insect Hotel
Secondary Display
Educational Award
Article and Photos by MG Bob Peregoy
The Compost
Page 6
Master Gardener Library
From time to time, in years past, our MGs would bring up the idea of building a better library, but there
always seemed to be more pressing matters that needed attention. Our small collection of books,
manuals and flyers included some basic reference materials, but it was limited, so many of us bought our
own books.
It had to be serendipity when a series of events decided that it was time for that to change. In early
summer, MG friend Christina Allen sent a broadcast email that she had gardening books to give away.
I jumped on that piece of information, and emailed her immediately that we could use them; and Christina
was very happy that our organization, being a service group, was taking them.
My husband and I picked up the books from the Allen Farm, and a day or so later I delivered them to the
Extension Office. There I cleaned the cobwebs out of the bookcase, did a little reorganizing of what was
there, and began restocking it with our new….. well, new to us……. books. It was a tight fit, and the
bookcase couldn’t hold all of them!
Don’t you love it when things just seem to work out? Again, simply serendipity: my friend, Mary Reeves,
whom many of you know, began cleaning out her garage of a life-time’s accumulation. As if we all don’t
have our own collection of too-much-stuff, Mary was offering her “stuff” to friends, and anyone who dared
to come near her house. No doubt plenty of people arrived home from a visit to Mary’s with back seats
and trunks full of surprises!
When she offered me a tall, rosewood bookcase, my knee-jerk reaction was a loud NO! Then I looked
around my house and saw gardening books everywhere that needed a home, so I called Mary to see if
she would be okay if the bookcase went to the MGs; not just okay, she was happy for it to go to us. With
the help of husband Will, Bob Peregoy, his truck, and their strong backs, we got the bookcase from her
garage to the Extension office. And if that wasn’t enough, Mary also found about 50 books that her late
husband had purchased for various yard projects he wanted to do, which she also gave to us.
Other than what I put into the first bookcase, 60-70 books are still at my house. I have inventoried them,
and am attempting to put them in groups of like subject matter. As of this writing, the books already there
have not been inventoried, but that will change.
Any ideas, suggestions, or help with the library will be appreciated. This is meant to be for all CCMGs to
use, and take care of. By the next general meeting I hope to have our books neatly shelved in a proper
order, and looking great when I can introduce the library that just
Article by MG Barbie Walters
”happened one summer.”
Note: After Barbie wrote this article, she was able to inventory our books, which are on our website at
http://extension.umd.edu/charles-county/master-gardener/charles-county-master-gardeners-membershipevents-information
The Compost
Page 7
Calendar
Training Highlighted in Bold
November
5
Thursday; 10am—noon; 2016 Planning Session; Extension Office; Open to all MGs/Interns
14
Saturday; 11am—1:30pm; Adkins Arboretum; Soup ‘n Walk field trip; $25; Ridgely
17
Tuesday; 1-3pm; Boxwood Pruning Workshop; St Ignatius Church grounds
24
MD Tuesday; 10am; Membership Meeting; Extension Office; Open to all MGs/Interns
December
1
Tuesday; 5:30-8:30pm; Holiday Party; Colonial Charles Clubhouse
January
26
Tuesday; 10am; Membership Meeting; Extension Office; Open to all MGs/Interns
February
2-25
Tuesdays & Thursdays; 6-9pm; MG Basic Training Class; Thomas Stone High School
23
Tuesday; 10am; Membership Meeting; Extension Office; Open to all MGs/Interns
1-31
Tuesdays & Thursdays; 6-9pm; MG Basic Training Class; Thomas Stone High School
March
It’s time to…..
Published Quarterly by the Charles County Master
Gardeners, University of Maryland Extension, Charles
County Office, 9375 Chesapeake Street, Suite 119,
La Plata, MD 20646
Phone 301-934-5403 or 301-753-8195
Luke Gustafson, Charles County
Master Gardener Coordinator
Terry Shelton Thir, Steering Committee
Deborah Determan, Compost Editor
Janet McGrane, Compost Calendar
Cindi Barnhart, Compost Advisor
We’re on the Web!!
http://extension.umd.edu/charles-county/home-gardening
Submit articles, photos, reports, events, and other items for publication to Deborah
Determan at CompostSubmissions@yahoo.com by January 15, 2016 for the
Winter 2016 newsletter. If you send a photo, please include a brief description of the
activity and names of persons included in the photo, as well as the photographer’s
name. If you send a photo of a plant, please include the scientific name, if known.
The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate
against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual
orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or
national origin, marital status, genetic information, political
affiliation, or gender identity and expression.
Do You App?
If you know of an app that the rest of us might like, please send to compostsubmissions@yahoo.com.
I will try to highlight one app each newsletter.
From the Leafsnap website: Columbia University, the University of
Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution are working on
visual recognition software to help identify species from
photographs. Leafsnap is a series of electronic field guides
being developed to demonstrate this new technology. This free mobile
app helps identify tree species from photographs of their leaves and
contains beautiful high-resolution images of their flowers, fruits, petioles, seeds, and bark.