11

Inside this issue:

Gimme Five 2

Walk on the Wild

Side

2

Events 3

The Fabric of Our

Lives

4

Book Review 5

Links 5

Weed of the

Month

6

Why Attract

Wildlife

7

Puzzle 8

Last Word 9

...for discerning weeders February, 2013

As we transition

briskly into February,

I would observe that

January provided an

active commencement

to our 2013 MG calen-

dar. We celebrated

Arbor Day with a suc-

cessful tree giveaway

and two commemora-

tive tree plantings,

which certainly will enhance the Extension

Office landscape. The Nursery hosted a

“potting party” at which volunteers pre-

pared 1000 sea oat seedlings for the

“grasses for classes” program. And, most

significantly, 31 new MG trainees embarked

on their classroom instruction, in prepara-

tion for eventually reinforcing our veteran

corps.

Before we totally lose sight of January, I

hope that you will consider one additional

New Year’s resolution. Specifically, think

about accepting the “Gimme Five” invita-

tion to volunteer five additional service

hours to your OCMGA in 2013. Take a mo-

ment and review the “Gimme Five” cam-

paign summary in today’s “Compost Pile”.

February offers many opportunities to be on

your way to becoming a “Gimme Five” am-

bassador, starting with participation in the

Economic Expo on Saturday, 2/02/13.

I am confident that the additional hours you

choose to volunteer this year will be reward-

ing and inspiring, and will set a great exam-

ple for the 31 MG trainees that will look to-

ward, and learn from, your leadership and

service.

DON’T FORGET!

You have to log your

hours onto the VMS

system!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By John B.

Correction: Last month we

neglected to credit Jane M. for

the great garden pictures lo-

cated on page 5 of January’s

edition.

Arbor Day—DAR tree installation

Sea Oat potting party.

Photos courtesy of Andy D., Ed &

Lynn F.

View more pictures of Arbor Day by visiting

http://jalbum.net/a/1302638

More pictures of the potting party available at

http://jalbum.net/a/1302633

22

GIMME FIVE By John B.

As is often inevitable,

we all tend to be-

come accepting of

the status quo rela-

tive to our involve-

ment in any worthy

endeavor. This can

often manifest itself

in a way which leads

to lesser participa-

tion, rationalizing

that “someone else

will do it”.

It is in this spirit,

that the “Gimme

Five” campaign is intended. Simply stated, “Gimme Five” is an

invitation for you to consider renewing your commitment to

the OCMGA by undertaking and contributing five more volun-

teer hours than you performed in 2012.

Yes, this is very modest, corresponding to less than 30 minutes

per month. But, if each active Master Gardener accepts and

fulfills this challenge, we could collectively provide more than

400 additional hours of service for the residents of Okaloosa

County in 2013.

As we are all “maturing”, many of us are facing physical limita-

tions, precluding us from doing the more rigorous volunteer

activities. But the range of MG contribution niches is well-

suited to valuing our priceless resource of experience and wis-

dom. Activities such as fielding phone calls in the Extension or

Annex Offices, speaking at a civic organization meeting, con-

tributing articles to “The Compost Pile”, updating the area hor-

ticultural resource guide, etc. are all critical needs that anyone

can perform effectively.

Already this month, several of our members have decided to

become “Gimme Five” ambassadors by volunteering at the

Nursery. In addition to giving a big boost to the regular Nurse-

ry “cast of characters”, these folks re-discovered that it was fun

and rewarding!

I believe that you, too, will rediscover that, far from being a

drudge, your renewed commitment will be a “labor of love”.

The new giving tree logo is intended to remind you to consider

becoming a “Gimme Five” ambassador by volunteering five

additional hours, but more importantly, to remember that it is

better to give than receive.

Ed note: Opportunities abound! We need folks to volunteer for

Chair of the speaker’s bureau, Activities chair, and Awards

chair!

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

By Linda M.

February brings us early signs of Spring. Here are some inter-

esting wildlife happen-

ings for this month:

BIRDS:

Early purple martin

scouts will start to ap-

pear in Florida this

month. Now is the time

to raise bird houses or

gourds.

Ospreys will begin nesting in north Florida near the end of the

month. Found throughout Florida, but may be rare in some are-

as. The interior of the panhandle has very few nesting birds, and

winter sightings are even less common. Population may be in-

creasing, however, and sightings may become more regular at

some inland lakes and rivers in the panhandle.

North Florida woodcocks begin courtship behavior. Listen at

dusk for their “peenting” in open fields.

Pileated Woodpeckers begin their mating season and will start

announcing territories by drumming on various objects includ-

ing houses and telephone poles.

Others who are beginning their nesting season include: Little

Blue and Tri-colored Herons, Wood and Mottled Ducks, and

Snail Kites.

Purple Finches and Pine Siskins will leave our feeders and begin

their migration back to northern nesting areas.

American Swallow-tailed kites begin returning to Florida from

South American wintering areas.

MAMMALS:

Eastern Moles are breeding this month in tunnels under our

lawns.

Striped Skunks begin their breeding season.

Pocket Gophers begin their spring breeding season.

REPTILES:

Alligator snapping turtles will start mating this month, with

nesting activity throughout the spring. Strictly a turtle of rivers,

though it utilizes backwater swamps, overflow lakes, and im-

poundments as well as main channels. Present year-round but

rarely observed because of secretive, bottom-dwelling habits.

Females nest in late April and May, with young emerging in

August and September.

Gopher tortoises seldom seen outside burrows.

FISH:

Crappie and Striped bass are spawning.

Large schools of Spanish mackerel roam Florida Bay.

Shad spawning occurring in rivers.

33

February 2nd

9:30am to 2pm

Emerald Coast Convention Center

February 5th

Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance

and Limited Lawn and Ornamental Pesticide

Training and Exam

Contact Sheila to register!

sdunning@ufl.edu

850-689-5850

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

February 6th, 9am @ Extension Annex, Ft. Walton

Beach

March 6th, 9am @ Extension Office, Crestview

April 3rd, 9am Shalimar Baptist Church, Shalimar

TRAINING CLASSES

All training classes are on Mondays at the Extension Office

in Crestview—beginning at 9 am

Feb. 4th (soil testing); Feb. 11th (plant science and propaga-

tion); Feb. 18th; Feb. 25th; March 4th (Turkey Creek);

March 11th; March 18th; March 25th; April 1st; April 8th;

April 15; April 22nd; April 29th (WFREC); May 6th– final

class

Click here to register on-line or email here

44

THE TOUCH, THE FEEL OF COTTON.... By Karen H.

...the faaaabric of our liiiives. There.

Now that I've implanted that song in

your brain, you can join me in trying

to shake it loose and get rid of it! It's

been bouncing around in my head for

weeks now as I've contemplated writ-

ing this article about cotton. Is there

any truth to that claim? Is cotton real-

ly the fabric of our lives? What about

wool, flax, hemp...yak hair? Don't they count too? Well, it seems

that cotton actually does hold a significant claim to the title, in

terms of the production and use of cotton world-wide. But sta-

tistics later. Let's look at some of the facts about cotton first:

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a capsule called a

boll, which surrounds the seeds of the cotton plant. Cotton is of

the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. Left to

its own devices, the cotton boll is designed to help carry the

seeds long distances on the wind so that the plant can distribute

itself. However, beginning thousands of years ago, humans real-

ized that those soft fibers might be suitable for textile use and

began to breed the plant, selecting for fluffy, easily spun varie-

ties. Cotton is one of the oldest fibers under human cultivation

and evidence of cultivation over 7,000 years old has been recov-

ered from archaeological sites, including fragments of cotton

fabric excavated in Mexico and the Indus Valley Civilization

(modern day Pakistan).

The cotton plant is in the mallow family, which is familiar to us

gardeners and includes hibiscus and hollyhocks, among many

others. The plant is a shrub, and is native to tropical and sub-

tropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Afri-

ca, and India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is

found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa. Cotton was

independently domesticated in both the Old and New Worlds.

The English name for cotton derives from the Arabic (al) qutn

which began to be used around 1400 AD. The Spanish word,

"algodón", is likewise derived from the Arabic.

After harvesting, cotton must be combed to remove the seeds.

This used to be a laborious process until the invention of the

cotton gin, which quickly separates the seeds from the fiber and

combs them for spinning. The cotton gin lowered the cost of pro-

duction and that led to much greater interest in cotton, making it

the most widely used natural fiber cloth in clothing today. (The

cotton gin was invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney and that's an

interesting story in itself: http://tinyurl.com/6pzufl). While a

single fiber of cotton is not terribly strong, when multiple curling

fibers are straightened and twisted together, they form a strong,

smooth thread that can be knitted or woven, as well as dyed. The

fiber is generally spun into yarn or thread and used to make a

soft, breathable textile. Consumers from all nations wear and

use cotton in a variety of applications. Current estimates for

world production are about 25 million tons annu-

ally, accounting for 2.5% of the world's arable

land, whether it be new world cotton, with longer,

smoother fibers, or the shorter and coarser old

world varieties.

Cotton controversies?

Yes, several. Cotton fiber is somewhat flammable,

especially the lighter fibers that hold a lot of air. Some of that is

chemically treated to reduce flammability and that causes envi-

ronmental controversy, particularly in the developing world.

Also in those regions of the world, pesticides are heavily em-

ployed to combat insect infestations. A number of producers

also genetically modify the plant, a practice viewed skeptically by

some. Cotton also has very large water requirements, which may

place stress on nations with limited water resources. In the late

20th century, there began to be greater emphasis on organic,

sustainable cotton grown and harvested without the use of pesti-

cides. It is significantly more expensive than conventionally

farmed varieties, however, and may not be practical for most

consumers.

Did you know that...

-while white is the most commonly grown color of cotton, the

plant is also grown in colors such as brown, rust and purple?

-American paper currency is composed of 75% cotton?

-the first light bulb used a cotton filament?

-"Jean" was the French name for a blended cotton-linen or cot-

ton-wool cloth popular with the sailors of Genoa, who were nick-

named "genes" by the French. So the “genes” wore “jean” and

thus the cultural phenomenon of “jeans” was born, which an-

swers THAT question!

It turns out cotton is just more cotton-picking fun than you had

ever imagined! http://tinyurl.com/ajl4uad; http://tinyurl.com/

az37ef8

Here are some tips for caring properly for your cotton garments

and textiles: http://tinyurl.com/b2sq2jj

Continued on next page

55

COTTON continued

Now, for those statistics. China is the world's largest producer

of cotton, but most of this is used domestically. The United

States has been the largest exporter for many years. Perhaps

no surprise to anyone, the Southeast region of the U.S. pro-

duces the most cotton., accounting for 4.5 million bales ginned

annually. Georgia leads the Southeast region in the estimated

number of bales ginned, followed by North Carolina, Alabama,

South Carolina, Virginia and Florida (in that order). The Mid-

South region (comprised of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee,

Missouri and Louisiana) runs a close second to the Southeast

Region in production, accounting for 4.4 million bales ginned.

People may not realize that the Southwest region (comprised

of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma) is a significant producer of

cotton, with Texas alone accounting for 3.4 million of the total

3.5 million bales ginned in that region. And the far West re-

gion gets into the act as well, with California, Arizona and New

Mexico ginning .9 million bales annually: http://tinyurl.com/

a53v8jv

The link below leads to detailed production data from the cot-

ton-producing states, with 2008 being the most recent year

shown. The table shows Okaloosa County's peak cotton pro-

duction years to have been from 2000-2002, with 9700 bales

harvested in 2001. This compares with 5,500 bales harvested

in 2008. But while overall production is down, the yield per

acre has nearly doubled, increasing from 597 pounds per acre

in 2001 to 1,100 pounds per acre in 2008: http://tinyurl.com/

b4upv9t

There are numerous other types of production data available

and anyone interested in the subject of cotton production will

find a lot here: http://www.cotton.org/econ/cropinfo/

cropdata/

And if that's not enough information, here is a whole collec-

tion of cotton information sites: http://tinyurl.com/bamcrqv

And finally, that song. Many of us will remember it from the

original fabric-of-our lives advertising campaign, that featured

such heartwarming scenes as this: http://tinyurl.com/

cwcm9w

But you may not have noticed how very hip the campaign has

become in recent years! Here are a couple of the current ads

to bring you up to speed: http://tinyurl.com/9bt2xu8

BOOK REVIEW By Marg S.

Gardeners today face a unique

challenge: how do you create a

beautiful, thriving landscape

without environmentally

harmful fertilizers, pesticides,

and water use? Sustainable

Gardening for Florida might

be the first place to look for

answers. This book provides

interesting, money-saving

ideas to reduce your ecological

footprint. It includes chapters

on composting and mulching,

integrated pest management, water-wise irrigation and rainwa-

ter harvesting, preparing your garden for disasters, and all as-

pects of managing meadows, lawns, trees and shrubs, edible gar-

dens, rain gardens and waterfront gardening. Also includes a

glossary and list of plants. 325 pp. Published by University Press

of Florida. Half of all royalties from sales of this book will be

paid directly to the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

This book is available through the IFAS Extension Bookstore and

on Amazon.

LIKEABLE LINKS

Every so often we receive really interesting links from our mem-

bers. Thanks to Ed S. and Rick H. for this month’s contributions.

Urban farming and combating the food desert in Chicago

http://tinyurl.com/cx8v527

When is a vegetable not a vegetable?

http://tinyurl.com/9wk2xzq

Earlier spring flowers due to global warming?

http://tinyurl.com/b3fv57b

Metronomes in sync

http://tinyurl.com/9drztzj

66

Weed of the Month by Jenny G.

Florida Beto-

ny, Stachys

floridana is

also called

“rattlesnake

weed” and

sometimes

“hedgenettle.”

This weed

grows on wet,

sandy soils, lawns, landscape beds, roadsides and thickets

throughout Florida, westward to Texas and northward to

Virginia. It is a problem weed in both gardens and lawns.

Florida betony is a “winter” perennial actively growing in

mid - to late fall and spring and then slowing or becoming

dormant in the extreme temperatures of winter and sum-

mer. Like most plants in the mint family, Florida Betony

has 10-15 inch, square stems with two-inch-long, oval, aro-

matic and opposite leaves. The flowers are usually pink,

have the classic mint-like structure and occur in clusters of

3-6 in the upper leaf axils. Although Florida Betony

spreads by seeds, rhizomes and tubers, seedlings are rarely

seen. Virtually all spreading is by tubers. It has the unique

characteristic of produc-

ing white tubers that look

like the rattles of a rattle-

snake, hence the name

“rattlesnake weed.” The

young sprouts growing

from the tubers have

leaves on opposite sides

of the stem which is usu-

ally square and quite

hairy.

Tubers of Florida betony

can reach lengths of more

than 1 meter in moist,

sandy soils. The tubers

are edible and some people relish their succulent flavor.

They are said to have a very fresh taste and are crisp

and crunchy when you bite into them. Tasting like a very

mild radish, the tubers can be sautéed with butter or oil,

boiled, pickled, added to soup and stews or just eaten raw

in salads. They have been known to sell for $20.00 per

pound! Who knows, maybe one day we will be figuring out

how to grow Florida betony instead of killing it! Anyone

want some fresh rattlesnake weed tubers in their salad?

However, the edible tubers are what make rattlesnake

weed such a tough weed to get rid of. They allow the weed

to spread aggressively and make it difficult to be removed

by hand. You may have better success by using an appro-

priate herbicide. Just be sure to read and follow all label

instructions. The

first line of defense

against Florida

betony in lawns is

to use cultural

practices that pro-

mote vigorous

turfgrass growth

and development.

Florida betony

does not readily

infest turfgrass

that is properly

fertilized, watered, and mowed at the correct height and

frequency. Florida betony is usually found in bare or thin

areas of the lawn. Keep in mind that the strongest defense

against weeds is a healthy lawn, so be sure to mow, ferti-

lize, and irrigate your lawn according to UF/IFAS best

management practices.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fw041

http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/problems/

weeds/florida_betony.html

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep388

http://thefamilyherbalist.wordpress.com/2 0/12/09/

florida-betony-stachys-floridana/

77

“A concern for the land and its resources is basic to our survival,

both as individuals and as a nation, for we cannot live apart

from our planetary home. Environmental quality and human

health and well-being are interdependent. Our environmental

future to a large degree

is in our hands. Work-

ing together will have a

beneficial effect on

future environments as

well as on the lives and

well-being of humans

and wildlife who will

share them.” Project

Wild

Good environmental stewardship begins in our own back

yards. When we plant trees, shrubs, and flowers around our

homes, we are also building homes for a whole community

of animals. Even if we plant only a few useful plants, we are

improving the habitat for wildlife.

Florida’s marvelous wealth and diversity of wildlife is at

risk. Over 15 fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

are now classified as endangered, threatened or of special

concern and that number grows each year. Loss of wildlife

habitat, the land, food and water animals must have to live

is largely responsible. Human population growth, develop-

ment and intensive agricultural practices have caused ex-

tensive habitat reduction and fragmentation.

Pollution, exploitation and the introduction of non-native

species of animals and plants have hurried our native ani-

mals and plants along the road to endangerment and ex-

tinction.

By landscaping with native plants, and getting rid of as

much of your lawn as possible and devoting the space to

more natural vegetation provides food and cover for wildlife

and makes your yard look more attractive.

While wildlife watching, besides just being great fun for the

whole family, you will learn more about the natural beauty

of our area, enjoy many spectacular creatures, and benefit

from the fresh air and exercise.

Wildlife contributions to people and the environment, in-

clude aesthetic, ecological, scientific, political, commercial,

economic, recreational and intrinsic values.

Wildlife viewing activities generate more than $5 billion in

Florida a year.

For us older folks watching wildlife will help to develop bet-

ter visual and hearing acuity, and generally we will become

much more observant than the average person.

Understanding how wildlife and other natural resources can

be managed and conserved helps us acquire the knowledge,

information and skills to assist in making informed and

responsible decisions affecting wildlife, people and our

shared environments.

A more conscious awareness of the plants and animals in

your yard will add a new dimension of colors, sights, and

sounds to your outdoor experiences.

Inviting nature back into our cities will make our urban

environments nicer places to grow up and live in.

Designing a landscape with native plants and wildflowers,

will save gasoline and

mowing time, and

increase the lawn’s

capacity to hold water

in the soil. Native

lawns also cut down

fertilizing needs and

help keep lakes and

wetlands clean.

Even a tiny yard is big enough to attract some animals. A

nest box, potted plants, water dish, and bird feeder will fit

in a large window box and attract birds and butterflies. No

matter what kind of yard you have, you have room for wild-

life.

Enjoying wildlife in your yard will give you an opportunity

to share what you learn with your children, grandchildren

and friends.

Sources: Project Wild, “What Have You Done for Wildlife Late-

ly?” Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, Florida

Birding Trail, National Wildlife Federation

WHY DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT WILDLIFE? by Linda M.

DON’T FORGET!

IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS, IDEAS, ARTICLES....ANYTHING

SEND THEM IN!!!!!!

88

99

Your member site:

www.ocmgamembers.org

The Foundation for the Gator

Nation.....An equal opportunity

institution.

LAST WORD By Marg S.

Have pictures or an idea for

an article?

Send it in!

Articles and pictures are

always welcome.

Most times, this column comes fairly

easily. This, my friends, is not one of

those times. Ever have one of those

days when you have too many ideas

running around? They are like potato

chips—you can’t just have one. And

choosing just one, that doesn’t seem

right at all.

The idea that keeps hounding me goes

back to the first night of psychology

class. The professor asked everyone to

respond to three questions: (1) What

makes a good student? (2) What

makes a good teacher? and (3) What

makes good curriculum? Think about

that for a moment. Sure, easy ques-

tions to answer when you’re sitting at

home but actually telling an instruc-

tor what your criteria is—not so easy.

I have to admit, he had our undivided

attention at that point. The answers

that finally started coming out were

insightful and sometimes surprising.

My choice for what makes a good stu-

dent was ‘respect’. Respect for your-

self and for others. After making that

list—we realized that most of our oth-

er qualities all related back to respect.

So what is the big deal when it comes

to respect? We all know that we want

it—but how do we define it? Do we

expect it in all avenues of our life? Of

course we do! BUT, and here’s the

kicker—do we GIVE it as much as we

want to RECEIVE it?

I think that respect is something that

we can’t possible GET until we GIVE

it. Wait, it gets a bit more detailed.

Respect can be given even when the

other person doesn’t know you’re do-

ing it! The other day, I went shopping

and after loading my purchases into

my car, I took my cart and another

that was sitting nearby to the cart re-

turn. Yes, it was out of my way. Yes, it

took time and YES it was a minor

thing. But in reality I think of it as

respecting the person who has to go

out and retrieve those carts. If you

pick up something in a store and later

decide that you don’t want it...where

is the harm in returning it to where

you got it from? Respect for the next

person in the store as well as the em-

ployee that will have to cart the item

back.

Cell phones. I supposed because they

are verboten in class, I’ve developed

the habit of making sure that my cell

is on vibrate before I even enter the

building. Not having it go off—respect

for the instructor and fellow class-

mates.

Remember when we were kids and

when someone said they would do

something? What was our response?

We always said, “Promise?” In all re-

ality we were asking for the respect of

the person to do what they said they

would do. Our words and our actions

convey respect in so many ways. And

people are watching and taking note.

You never know who may be watching

what we do and hearing what we say.

With that in mind shouldn’t we al-

ways try to aim for the most respect-

ful frame of mind possible? Shouldn’t

we always try to keep our word? I say,

yes.

On that note, I think Robert Frost

said it best:

“The woods are lovely, dark and

deep, but I have promises to keep,

and miles to go before I sleep.”

I’d like to think that we all can enjoy

the woods but never forget that we

have promises to keep with ourselves

and with each other.

Marg Stewart—Editor

Shari Farrell, Karen Harper

and

Linda Meyers—Co-Editors