The Compost BinA Publication of the Travis County Master Gardeners - a volunteer program of Texas AgriLife Extension

In this issue...

In the Vegetable Garden

Gardening in the Heat

Widow Spider

Organic Fertilizer Sources

A Passion for Passion Flowers

President’s Message

Guest Presenter...

Building A Healthy Soilwith John Dromgoole of The Natural Gardener

July 2010

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Inside this Issue....

• JulyMeetingSpeaker—JohnDromgoole• ThePresident’sMessage• IntheVegetableGarden• WidowSpider• GardeningintheHeat• OrganicFertilizerSources• APassionforPassionFlowers• ComingEvents

• 2010TCMGABoard

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Building a Healthy SoilJohnDromgoole, nationally recognized owner of theNaturalGardenerNursery inAustin,organic innovator, TV personality, and host of Gardening Naturally, the nation’s longestrunninggardeningshowwillspeakattheJuly7meeting.BuildingaHealthySoilisthetopic.Dromgoolehasbeeninvolvedinorganicgardeningandenvironmentalissuesforoverthirtyyears.Althoughhestudiedradioandtelevisionincollege,employmentinafriend’snurseryledtoanewdirectionforhis life—anorganicdirection.Choosingtobeapioneerinthismovementhasnotalwaysbeenaneasypath.Hewasfacedwithclientsdemandinghigh-poweredpesticidesandchemical fertilizers.Tothem,anorganicapproachwassomethingforoddballs.Then,asnow,theheartofJohn’smessagehasalwaysbeentheimportanceofbuildingthesoilandchoosingnativeorwell-adaptedplants.Duringhisyearsasaspokespersonfortheorganicmovement,DromgoolehaswrittenarticlesforTheTexasGardnerandOrganicGardeningmagazines,hostedGardeningNaturallyonKLBJAM590,appearedintheBackyardBasicssegmentofKLRU(PBSAustin)TV’sCentralTexasGardenerandhadhisnurseryfeaturedinmagazinessuchasTexas Highways,Herb CompanionandFine Gardening.His awards and accolades include recognition as a Texas Legendary Pioneer ofOrganics: the Dennis Hobbs Individual Achievement Award by Keep Austin Beautifulfor his contributions to many different Austin and surrounding area non-profit groups,schools and the general public; 10 times voted the Best Nursery In Austin in theAustin Chronicles Best of Austin Poll and 3 time winner of Today’s Garden Center’s“Revolutionary 100GardenCenters.” In 2008, TheNaturalGardenerwashonoredwiththenationalawardof“InnovativeGardenCenteroftheYear”byGardenCenterMagazine.

Meetinginformation:Wednesday,July7th,2010startingat7pm.ZilkerBotanicalGarden

July Meeting Speaker — John Dromgoole

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Hello Master Gardeners:

A Message From Your President

Tomatoes ... ’Maters ... Slicers!!

Icaneasilythinkofthreewonderfulreasonstolovesummer.Theyareswimming,watermelonsand tomatoes fresh picked from the garden! You can smell their fresh grown fragrancewhenyoupickthemfromthevine,holdtheminyourhandandmarvelthatyougrewthemyourself.Nomatterhowmuchitprobablycostyouintime,labor,compost,etc.Nomatterhowmuchyouwater,addsecretamendments,checkforworms,bugsandallotherailments,whenyoupickthatfirsttomatoitislikeloveatfirstsight!

ThisyearIamgrowingbothhybridandheirloomtomatoesandmyboys(husbandandson)havebeenjustwonderfultohelpmeeatanddecidewhichonestheylovemost.AndImustsay,myhusbanddoesnotquestionhowmuchmoneyIspendongrowingthem,noproblemwiththebudgetonthis!Whateverittakes,justkeepthosetomatoescomingintothekitchenasoftenaspossible.

Thisyearmyvarietiesconsistofthefollowing:BigBeef,Kellogg’sBreakfast, Juliet, Black Krim, Crimson Carmelo, Azoychka, SunSugar,SuperSweetandJD’sSpecialC-TexEarlyBlack.BigBeefstartedoffearlywithgreatproductionandisstillgoingstrong.Juliet,SuperSweetandSunSugararealsogoingwell.CrimsonCarmelowasthelastoneplanted,butitsgrowthhasbeenoutstandingandisnowcomingonstrong.Itisverylargeandthesunandheatseemnottobebotheringitatall.ThesamegoeswithBigBeef.

But for shear fabulous taste,we loveBlackKrimandAzoychka.BlackKrim isdarkredwithamarvelousdeeptexturedtaste. Ihavereadthat localchefs lovethecomplexflavorofBlackKrimand I certainly agree! Azoychka is a very sweet yellow that Ipurchased from our very own greenhouse. Both of these twotomatoes make for a wonderful meal of sliced tomato, freshmozzarella,basil(frommyowngarden,ofcourse)andcoveredinoliveoil.Ohmygoshgood!!Wehavebasicallybeeneatingsomeversionofthiseverynightanditreallyisthebestmealaround.

Afterthelastseveralyearsofearlytripledigitheat,deereatingeverytomatoIhadplantedandseveralotherailments,thefactthatIamstillpickingfreshtomatoesmakesitabumpercropyearforme.Iamkeepingclosedataonmytomatoesinthehopesofdoingbetternextyear.But,inallreality,mothernature’srainsorthelackthereof,heatindex,etc.usuallydictatemygrowingseason.

Here’shopingyourgarden isstillproducingandthebugsaregoingtoyourneighbors!HappyGardening!Carolyn

Above:It’slateJuneandthetomatoesarestillgoingstrong!Below:Carolyn’sgrandsonPeytonhelpingwiththedailytomatopicking.

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Ilovevegetables.Ijustlovethem.Ican’tthinkofanythingbadtosayaboutthem.I’mnosaint when it comes to eating— I love peach cobbler, ice cream, and soft, yeasty, whitebreadfreshfromtheoven—butifIoverindulge,Ifeelstuffedandlethargic.Andguilty.Butthereisneveranyguiltorregretassociatedwitheatingtoomanyvegetables.Fromplantingthe seed to harvesting the fruit, I love their distinctive colors, shapes and tastes and theuniquemanner inwhicheachvegetablematuresandfulfills itsdestiny.ThemoreIgardenthedeepermyconnectiongrowstomyhome-grownvegetables—Icheckonthemeveryday,contemplatingtheirdevelopmentandtheirultimateuse.Willtheybesautéed,grilled,roasted,pickled,casseroled,frozenforlaterconsumption,sharedwithaneighbor,orsimplyeatenwhilestanding in thegarden?Theyaremy“GreenEggsandHam”—Iwouldeat themanytime,anywhere,withanyone.

And they are so good for us, too. Scientific studies have shown that peoplewho consumegenerousamountsoffruitsandvegetablesaspartofahealthfuldietarelikelytohavereducedrisk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers.Recommendationsforfruitandvegetableintakevaryslightlybasedonage,sexandweight,butgenerallyweshouldconsume2-3servingsoffruitsand3-5servings of vegetables every day. A few years ago, theAmerican Institute for Cancer Research came out with the“NewAmericanPlate”campaign,urgingAmericanstorethinkthewaytheyeat.Theiradviceformealtimeistocomposeaplate that contains two-thirds fruits,vegetables,beansandwholegrains,andone-thirdanimalproducts.Inotherwordsthink ofmeat as a side dish, which allowsmore room for...vegetables!

July is a good time tomakemore room for vegetables inthegardenaswellasonourplates.Bynowokra,eggplant,peppers,melons,MalabarspinachandSouthernpeasshouldbeestablishedinthegardenandtheyrequireminimalcareas longas theyaremulchedandreceive1-2”ofwaterperweek.Asspringplantedcropssuccumbtotheheatandpests,pull them out and compost them if they are not diseased.Even though it is the middle of summer, gardeners mustalwaysbethinkingahead,andnowisthetimetoplanyourfall vegetable garden. Peppers, eggplant and tomatoes cangoinastransplantsinlateJulyandwillproduceuntilfrost.Asecondcropofquick-growingwarmseasonplantslikegreenbeans, squash and cucumbers can be planted in mid-lateAugust.Coolseasonvegetableslikebroccoli,carrots,collardsandbeetsusuallygoinduringSeptemberandOctober.Earnestdecisionsmayhavetobemadebasedonthespaceyouhaveavailable,butdoplantotakeadvantageofthewonderfulfallseasonbychoosingvegetablesthatyourfamilylikestoeat.

IfyouwantpumpkinsforHalloweenbesuretoplantyourseedbythemiddleofJulyasmostvarietiestake90-100daystoreachmaturity.Plantpumpkinsinhillsorrowsthatare4-6feetapart.Smallervarieties,like‘JackBeLittle’or‘BabyBear’canbegrownonatrellisorfence,

In The Vegetable Garden

By Patty Leander

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butthelargervarietiesgrowvigorousvines,sogivethemplentyofroomtoroam.Ifyouareinterested inheirloompumpkinstry ‘SmallSugar’,which isgrownforpiesand‘ConnecticutField’,whichproduces15-20poundpumpkins.‘RougeVifd’Étampes’isalarge,deeporangeFrenchheirloomthatmakesabeautifulfalldecoration.Itissometimescalledthe‘Cinderella’pumpkinbecauseitsflattenedandheavilyribbedshaperesemblesCinderella’scarriage.

When life gives you tomatoes, make salsa! And tomatosandwiches,andtomatosauce,andBLTs,andgazpacho,androastedtomatoes...Enjoythetomatosurplusbecauseasthesummerheatandlackofraintakesitstollthequalityofthefruitwilldeclineandmostplantsfallvictimtopestsanddiseases thatare increasinglydifficult tokeep in check.Agreatwaytocapturethesummerflavoroffreshtomatoesisbyroasting,canningorfreezing.It’seasytofreezetomatoes,evenwithoutcooking.Smallertomatoes,likeromas,canbefrozenwhole.Wash,coreandpeelifdesired,thenlaythemout on awax paper lined tray. Place in the freezer untilfrozen,thentransfertoglasscanningjarsorfreezerbags.Whenyouarereadytousethemjustthawunderrunningwaterandaddtosoupsorsauces.

¡salsa!4freshtomatoes,chopped(peeledandseededifdesired,butIusuallydon’t)2-3jalapenos,chopped1onion,chopped1-2clovesgarlic,smashed1/4cupcilantro1-2tspsalt1/2tsppepper1/2tspcumin2-4Tbsplimejuice1/2tspsugarChoptheonion,jalapenos,garlicandonetomatoinablenderorfoodprocessor.Thenaddtheseasoningsandtheremainingtomatoes,andblendtillitseemsright.Thisispersonaltaste.YoucanleaveitchunkybutIusuallyblendoutmostofthechunks.ThenItasteandusuallyendupaddingmoretomatoes,limejuiceandsometimesanotherjalapeno.Iletitsitabitandthengobackandtasteandadjustseasoningsifnecessary.Itgetsalittleredderandalittlespicierasitsits.**Youdonothavetouseablender/foodprocessor.Ifyouprefer,finelychopthefirstfiveingredientsbyhand,thenstirintheseasoningsandadjusttoyourtaste.

In The Vegetable Garden C o n t i n u e d . . .

Above:Avarietyoftomatousesforto-day’smealandfuturemealsfeaturingtoma-tosauce,gazpachoandfreshtomatoandmozzarellasalad.

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Grilled Vegetables

1/3cupbalsamicvinegar2tbspoliveoil2clovesgarlic,minced1-2tspItalianseasoning1-2tspsalt1/2tsppepper1½tspmolasses1onion,quartered12mushrooms,quartered1redoryellowpepper,cutintorectangles1greenpepper,cutintorectangles1smallzucchini,cutverticallyinto½”slices1smallyellowsquash,cutverticallyinto½”slices1smalleggplant,cutverticallyinto½”slices

Combinemarinadeingredients.Placevegetablesinabowlandtosswithmarinade.Letstand30minutes.Removevegetablesfrommarinadeandplaceongrillbasket.Grill,covered,for15-20minutes.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing1/3cupraspberryvinegar2-3tspsugar2tspDijonmustard1garlicclove,minced½tspsalt½tsppepper1/3–1/2cupvegetable/oliveoil

Combineallingredientsexceptoilinablender.Addoilinaslow,steadystreamuntilsmooth.IlikeatartdressingsoIusethesmalleramountofoil;addmoreforamilder,lesstartflavor.Pourovercucumbersand/ortomatoesandmarinate30-60minutesintherefrigeratorbeforeserving.

In The Vegetable Garden C o n t i n u e d . . .

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Roasted TomatoesRoasting tomatoes brings out an amazing, concentrated flavor – they can be used in sauces, pasta, sandwiches or simply as a savory snack. They don’t last long around my house, but they can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks or frozen for up to three months without compromising the flavor. ‘Juliet’ tomatoes are perfect for this recipe.

Wash,dryandsliceinhalfvertically.Arrangeonafoil-linedpan,cutsideup.Drizzlewitholiveoilandsprinklewithsaltandpepper.Roastina325ºF.ovenfor1½-2hours.Watchcarefullytobesuretheydon’tburnandadjusttemperatureortimeifnecessary.

BLTs, andgazpacho,and roasted tomatoes . . . Enjoy the tomato surplusbecauseas thesummerheatandlackofraintakesitstollthequalityofthefruitwilldeclineandmostplantswill fallvictimtopestsanddiseasesthatareincreasinglydifficulttokeepincheck.Agreatwaytocapturethesummerflavoroffreshtomatoesisbyroasting,canningorfreezing.It’seasytofreezetomatoes,evenwithoutcooking.Smallertomatoes,likeromas,canbefrozenwhole.Wash,coreandpeelifdesired,thenlaythemoutonawax-paperlinedtray.Placeinthefreezeruntilfrozen,thentransfertoglasscanningjarsorfreezerbags.Whenyouarereadytousethemjustthawunderrunningwaterandaddtosoupsorsauces.

In The Vegetable Garden C o n t i n u e d . . .

Above:Straightfromtheoven,roastedJuliettomatoes.Left:FreshandroastedJuliettomatoes.

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Widow Spiders

By Wizzie Brown

TherearefourspeciesofwidowspidersfoundinTexas,withthebestknownbeingtheblackwidow.Colorationcanvarydramatically,buttheyaretypically jetblackwithtworeddish-orangetrianglesontheundersideoftheabdomen,forminganhourglassshape(SeeFigure1).Thetrianglessometimesdonottoucheachothercreatingabrokenhourglassshape.Malesandjuvenilesaresmallerandoftenshowmorecolor,withbrightmarkingsontheirsidesorback.

Figure1.Femalewidowspider.

Females layeggs inanovalsacwhichcanhold from25toover900eggs(SeeFigure2).Dependingontemperatureandtimeofyear,eggsusuallyhatchafterabout20days.Spiderlingswillstayneartheeggsacforseveraldayswheretheycanbeseenconsumingtheirbrothersandsisters.Thesurvivorsthrowathreadofsilktothewindandarecarriedoffinaprocesscalled“ballooning”.Theyeventuallylocateashelteredspotwheretheybuildalooselywovenwebandremainfortherestoftheirlives.Astimeprogresses,thespidersbuildlargerwebstocapturelargerprey.Maleseventuallyleavetheirwebstofindfemalesformating.Mostfemalesdonoteatthemaleaftermating.

Widowspidersdonotlikebeingintheopen.Theycanoftenbefoundoutsideinprotectedareassuchasrainspouts,shrubbery,firewoodpilesorunusedBBQpits.Itisalsopossibletofindthemingarages,cellars,attics,furnitureorelectricorwatermeterboxes.Widowsareshycreaturesandoftenpeoplearebittenwhentheyaccidentallydisturbaweb.

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Widow Spiders Continued ...

Fig2.Widowspiderwebandeggsac.

Thebiteofablackwidowsometimesisnotnoticed,butwhenit is, itoftenfeelslikeapinprick.Thebitelocationwillhavetworedmarkssurroundedbyrednessandswelling.Thebitereactionissystemicandintensepainusuallyoccurswithin1-3hoursandcontinuesforupto48hours.Othersymptomsincludetremors,nausea,vomiting,legcramps,abdominalpain,profuseperspirationandriseinbloodpressure.Itisalsopossibleforbreathingdifficultiesandunconsciousnesstooccur.Ifbittenbyablackwidow,immediatelyseekmedicalattention.

Whenworkingintheyard,itisbesttowearleatherglovestoavoidbeingbittenbyvenomousarthropods.

CarolynWilliam’sprolifictomatoplantsandasummerfeastoffreshtomatoes,mozzarellaandbread.

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SummerBreakforPlantsandGardeners

HereinCentralTexas,summersareourmoststressfulseasonoftheyear—unlikeournorthernneighborswhodeclarewintertobetheirseasonofdistressforgardeners.TemperaturesfromJunethroughOctobercaneasilyexceed100F.forlongdurationswhich,whenaddedtothestrongsunlightintensitycanmakegardeningactivitiesstressfulnotonlytothegardener,buttotheplantsinthegarden.Herearesomesurvivaltips:

1.Stop Fertilizing:Withtheexceptionofpottedplantwhichlosenutrientseverytimetheyarewatered(whichisfrequentlyinsummer),mostgardenplantsgointoprotectivedormancytosurvivetheheatanddroughtofsummerconditionsinCentralTexas.Ohyes,therearesomethat thriveonthehighheat,but theyare in theminority.Fertilizingduringthesestressfulconditions encouragesnewgrowthwhich is the opposite ofwhat the plant is trying to doduringdormantperiods.Mostplantsproducenewgrowth inspringwhentemperaturesaremoremoderate.Ifyouhaveanorganicallyenrichedsoil,thereissufficientnutrienttosustainallgardenplantsthroughsummer.

2.Stop Pruning:Likefertilizing,pruningencouragesnewgrowthwhenplantsarestrugglingtogrow.Newgrowthwiltseasilyanddrawsenergyawayfromrootdevelopment.Fungusgrowduringhotandhumidconditionsandpruningopenswoundsforthemtoenter.Prunespringfloweringshrubsafterbloominginlatespringandsummerfloweringshrubsinfall.

3.Stop Planting:Oh, the garden looks so nice during springthrufall,thetemptationisalwaystheretoaddnewplantsduringsummer.But,therealityisthatthesurvivalrateofnewplantingsdropssignificantlyinhighheat.Theadditionaltranspirationthatoccursinheataddsstresstotheplantsandifrootsarenotwateredmore frequently, insufficientwater is available for transpiration— bottom line, stresses on the plant thatmake it susceptibleto disease and fungus. Plantings should be done in spring forevergreenand fall fordeciduousplantswhen temperaturesaremoderateandthereissufficientrainfalltohelpanewplantgetestablished.Anynewplantingrequiresalmostayeartobecomefullyestablishedsoyouwanttogivethemagoodheadstartbyplantingduringnon-stressfulperiods.

4.Stop Overwatering:Yes,thissoundsodd.Onewouldthinkyoucouldneverprovideenoughwatertooutdoorplantsduringhighheatsummerperiods.Youcaneasilyoverwaterplants insummercreatingwaterloggedsoil thatwill squeezeoutavailableoxygen inthesoilandcause immediateharmtoyourplants.Itdependsonyoursoilscomposition.Youneedtowaterbutforaverage,organic,well-drainedsoils,frequencyismoreimportantthanquantityandinxeriscapeenvironments,adeepwateringfocusedinthe immediateareaof theplant rootsdone less frequentlyworksbest. Ifsomeplantsarepersistentlywilting,trypinchingoffsomeofthefoliagetoreducetranspirationstress.Thisisagoodargumentforuseofxeriphyticnativeplantsasgardenchoices.

5.Cut Back on Mowing:Ifyouarestrugglingtomaintainalawninhot,dryconditions,cutbackonmowing—allowingyourgrasstoremaintallerthanmightbeaestheticallypleasing.Raisethecuttingheightto3”ormore.Thisprotectsrootsfromdryingandconserveswater.

Gardening in the Heat of Summer

By Bob Beyer

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Gardening in the Heat of Summer Continued ...

Furthermore,thicklawnschokeoutweeds(whichcompeteforlimitedwater).

6.Cut Back on Gardening Chores:Thissuggestionistohelpsavethegardeneraswellastheplants.Haveyourgardenconstructionworkdonebeforetheheathits,mulchheavilytopreventweedinfestation,andfollowthepreviousadvicesothatasplantsgodormantduringextremelyhotsummers,thegardenercangodormantaswell.Ohyes,therearealwaysafewthingstodo—weedssomehowfindawaytodefyallattemptstodiscouragethem,etc.,butgoodplanningcanminimizeyourneedtostressyourselfduringsummer.Alwaysdonecessarychoresearlyinthemorning.

InCentralTexas,wereallyhavetwodormantperiodsinthegarden,winterandsummer,thelatterbeingthemostextreme.Eveninshadyareas,plantsfeelthestressofheatandtakeprotectivemeasurestosurvive.Thegardenerneedstodothesame.Protectyourhealthaswellasyourplants.Drinkplentyofwater,takefrequentbreakswhenworkingoutdoors,thenhibernateindoorsafter10a.m.toNoondependingonweatherconditions.

Heatstroke:

The risk of heatstroke can be reduced by observing precautions to avoid overheating anddehydration.Light,loose-fittingclothingwillallowperspirationtoevaporate.Wide-brimmedhatsinbrightcolorkeepthesunfromwarmingtheheadandneck;ventsonahatwillallowperspirationtocoolthehead.Strenuousexerciseshouldbeavoidedduringdaylighthoursinhotweather;soshouldremaininginenclosedspaces(suchasautomobiles).

Inenvironmentsthatarenotonlyhotbutalsohumid,itisimportanttorecognisethathumidityreducesthedegreetowhichthebodycanloseheatbyevaporation.Insuchenvironments,ithelpstowearlightclothingsuchascotton,thatispervioustosweatbutimpervioustoradiantheatfromthesun.

Inhotweatherpeopleneedtodrinkplentyofliquidstoreplacefluidslostfromsweating.Thirstisnotareliablesignthatapersonneedsfluids.Abetterindicatoristhecolorofurine.Adarkyellowcolormayindicatedehydration.Itisdebatedwhetherwaterorsportsdrinksaremoreeffectivetoregainfluids;however,drinkingonlywaterwithoutingestinganysaltswillleadtoaconditionknownashyponatremia,whichcancausesuddendeathfromheartattack.Humanslosesaltsthroughsweatandurinewhichalsoneedtobereplacedalongwithfluids.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration publishes a heat stress checklistdesignedtohelppreventheatstress.Thislistincludes:

Knowsigns/symptomsofheat-relatedillnesses

Blockoutdirectsunorotherheatsources

Usecoolingfans/air-conditioning;restregularly

Drinklotsofwater;about1cupevery15minutes

Wearlightweight,lightcolored,loose-fittingclothes

Avoidalcohol,caffeinateddrinks,orheavymeals

Source:Wikipedia:HeatStrokehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatstroke

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Organic Fertilizer Sources for the Garden

By Chris McLaughlin

Therearemanywaystosupplementyourgardenwiththefertilizerthatitneeds—naturally.Herearesomeoftheorganicfertilizersthatyoumaywanttohaveonhand:

OrganicNitrogenSources• Animal manure You're interested inmanures that come from cows, rabbits, horses,sheep,horses,alpacas,llamas,andchickens.Notanimalsthatprimarilyeatmeatsuchasdogsorcats—that'sano-no.Manurefrommeat-eaterscancontainharmfulpathogensthat you really don'twant to come into contactwith. Usuallymanures are compostedbeforethey'reusedingardens,butsomesuchasrabbitmanuredoesn'tneedtobe.Otherssuchascowmanure,willburnyourplantsifnotcompostedfirst.Bytheway,ifyoucangetyourhandsonsomebatguano(batpoo),thisstuffisnitrogengold.

• Worm castingsTheydon'thavetobepurecastings,ofcourse.Vermicompostisideal.Plus,it'sasuper-dupersoilconditioner.

• Alfalfa meal-Notonlydoesalfalfaofferabigbangofnitrogen,it'salsoaterrificorganismactivatorforsoil.SoItosssomeintomycompost,too.Usealfalfamealontheplantsthataregluttonsforfoodlikecorn.Asusual,IliketousewhatIhaveonhandtonotonlysavetime,butalsotosavemoney.BecauseIhaverabbitsandbuytheirfeedinlargequantities,Iperiodicallydumpabitatthebaseofmyroses.Myrosesrewardmehandsomelyformygenerosity.

• Blood mealIt'sexactlywhatitsoundslike.It'sdriedbloodfromanimals...butit'sloadedwithnitrogen.

• Fish meal or fish emulsionThisisseriouslygoingtostinkforabit,butthesmelldoesn'tlastandyourplantsDIGit.Ipreferfishmealtotheemulsiononlybecausetheemulsionissaidtowashawayfaster.Buttoeachtheirown.

• Coffee groundsStopbyyourlocalStarbucksandsnagabag.Manycoffeehouseshavethe used grounds already bagged up and free for the taking. Sprinkle it around yourazaleas,rhodies(rhododendrons),blueberries,andthelikefortheacidity...butitalsobringsterrificnitrogen,too.

• Grass clippingsCallmecheap(andmanydo),butgreengrassfreshlymowedfromthelawnisanexcellentsourceoffreenitrogen.

OrganicPhosphorusSources• Rock phosphateThegoodnewsaboutrockphosphateisthatitlastsalongtimebecause

it breaks down very slowly. The bad news is that it breaks down very slowly and thephosphorusdoesn'tbecomefullyavailabletoplantsforlikeayear.Butthen,you'vegottime,right?Imeanwhere'sthefire?Additandforgetaboutit.

• Bone meal Againwith thedeadanimals.Bonemeal is animalbones thathavebeengroundedintopowder.It'shighlyphosphorusaswellascalcium,butthisisalsoaslow-releasingsource.It'sgreatforpromotingflowerblossomsaswellasencouraginggoodrootgrowth.

• Colloidal phosphateThisisasoft-rockphosphateandisalsocalled"colloidalcalciumphosphate".

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Organic Fertilizer Sources Continued ...

OrganicPotassiumSources• GreensandThisstuffisminedfrommineraldepositsthatcamefromtheoceanfloor.It’snotonlyhighinpotassiumbutit’sgoodforgeneralsoilamending,aswell.

• Kelp mealAnothergardengiftfromtheocean,kelpmealisderivedfromdriedseaweed.Thisisanexceptionallynicefertilizerasitcontainsalotoftracemineralandhormonesthat really giveplant rootswhat theyneed to create strongplants.Apopular organicfertilizingcombinationiskelpmealandfishemulsion.

• Granite mealGranitemealisfinelygroundgraniterockthatpromoteshealthyplantsby not only slowly releasing potassium, but also by helping create soil structure andimprovingsoildrainage.

Asanall-aroundgeneralsoilamendment,there’snothingbetterthancompostforyoursoil.Compostedorganicmatteraddsallkindsofnutrientsandmakesthemeasilyavailabletoplantroots.Article written by Chris McLaughlin, Master Gardener from San Ramon California, first appearing in The Vegetable Gardener (www.vegetablegardener.com) newsletter. Reprinted with permission.

APassionforPassionFlowersbyAnneVanNestAnyonewhohasgazedattheintricatedetailsofapassionflowerinfullbloomwillunderstandhowpossibleitistobeimmediatelycaptivatedbythisplant’sspell.Forallformsofpassionflowers,itishardtobelievethataflowersobeautifulisgenuineandnotavisionofhumanimagination.Onceviewed,thereisnodenyingthefactthatpassionflowersevokeastrongemotionalresponsewhentheyareinbloom.Buildingonthealluringsightofthefloweristhefragranceofsomepassionflowers,sostrongthat it leavesasweettropicalscentmemory.Gardenersfortunatetotastethedistinctive,nectaroftheediblefruitwillhaveanevenclearerunderstandingof the reason thatpassionflowersareoneof thecrown jewelsof theplantworld.Thebestnewsisthatmanyareeasytogrow.Passion flowers invokemore than an emotional response, they also have reputedmedicalproperties.Theirmostprevalentuseisasanextractionofglycoside,whichismadefromthedriedleavesanditsusedasasedativeortranquilizer.InBrazil,trainedherbalistsprescribeanherbalremedyusingtherindofthefruitasasedativeforthereliefofheadaches.InMexicoitwasandstill istakenforinsomnia,epilepsyandhysteria.Somepeopleusethejuiceasadigestivestimulant.HerbalusesdatebacktotheNorthAmericannatives(AlgonquinandCherokee)whousedpartsofthenativepassionflowertocreateancurativetranquilizer.Recently itwas discovered that passion flowers have uses that are culinary in addition totheirlong-knownmedicinalproperties.Theoilfromtheseedsisnowuseddomesticallyandindustriallyasanedibleoilsimilartosunfloweroil.Sometypesofpassionflowershaveevenbeenusedasabeveragethatisasubstitutefortea.Cautionshouldbetakenatalltimeswhenpreparingherbalremedies.Consultanexperiencedherbalistinsteadofattemptinganyself-medication.Theresultscouldbeverytragicastherawrootofpassionflowershasnarcoticeffectsandispoisonous.Historically,thefirstpassionflowers,calledMaracujaintheirnativeSouthAmericanhabitat,wereintroducedtoEuropebytheSpanishinthe18thcentury.Thestorybeginsin1609,whenaMexicanscholarshowedJacomoBosio,afellowscholar,drawingsofawonderfulflowersomarvellousthathedidnotbelievethem.Afterreceivingmoredrawingsandassurancesfrom

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A Passion for Passion Flowers Continued ...

MexicanJesuits,JacomoBosiowasfinallysatisfiedthatthismarvellousflowerdidexist.Henowfeltthatitwashisdutytopresentthe‘FlosPassionis’(flowersofpassion)totheworld.TheunusualflowerstructurewasbelievedbySpanishMissionariesandearlydiscovererstobeemblematicofthecrucifixionofChrist.Theysawthe5stamenstorepresentthewounds,3 styles for the3nails andwhite andpurple-blue for purity andheaven. Finally the leafsymbolizedthespear.OfbotanicalinterestisthefactthatitwasnotuntiltheearlynineteenthcenturythatmanyspecieswereseriouslycollectedandcultivatedinEuropeanBotanicalGardensandthenfoundtheirwaytowealthyVictoriangardener’sglasshouses.In 1820, the first passion flower was hybridized to give it properties that made it moreappropriateforthegarden.Nowtherearehundredsofhybrids inawiderangeofcolours(purples,blues,white,creamandred).Today95%ofpassionflowersarefromthetropicalrainforest regionsofSouthAmerica, the remaining5%are fromAsia,AustraliaandNorthAmerica,withstillmorenewspeciesdiscoveriesbeingmade.Botanically,passionflowerisknownasPassiflorawhichisfromthelatinword“passio”forpassionand“flos”forflower.Todatethereareabout500differentspeciesofpassionflowerswhichhavebeendiscoveredinthewild.Theyaremainlyvineswithtendrilstohelpthemclimb(cling).NorthAmericahasseveralnativePassifloravines.OneisPassiflora incarnata,whichiscalledapricotvineormaypopsinsomeareas.ItisnativefromTexastoIllinoisandcanbegrowninaprotectedlocationoutsideinBostonorNewYork.Thebloomsareanintricatebluish-whitewithpurpleaccents.Ithasasmall,ediblefruitthatproducealoudpopwhenaccidentallytroddenupon.AlthoughitislessflavourfulthansomeoftheotherSouthAmericantypes, the2-3 inch fruithasplentyofseeds tostartandsharenewplantswithgardeningfriends.Ofeconomicsignificance,somepassionflower’saregrownfortheirfruit,thelargest isthetropical,GiantGranadilla(Passiflora quadrangularis)whichhasmelonsizefruituptoinchesindiameter.ThisisthesourceofpassionfruitflavouringprocessedinCentralAmerica.Somevinesproducetwenty-fiveof thesemammothfruit inaseason.Thepassionfruitflavouringisoftenaddedtodrinksandices.Intheirnativehabitat,passionflowersarealmostexclusivehoststoover70speciesoftropicalbutterfliesintheHeliconidfamily.Thesecolorfulbutterflies relyheavilyon thisplantboth for theleaves as a larvae food source and for the nectar and pollenas an adult butterfly food source. The Niagara Parks ButterflyConservatoryusespassionflowersasoneoftheirlarvalhostfoodfortheirin-housebutterflybreedingprogram.It is thiscloserelationshipbetweenbutterfliesandpassionflowersthathelpssomespeciesavoidinsectattack.Lookcloselyatmanypassionflowerleavesandtherewillbeinflatedglandsthatmimiccaterpillareggs.Passingbutterfliesavoidlayingeggsonleavesthatalreadyareclaimedbyanotherbutterfly.Thismimicrytacticsavesthepassionflowerfrombeingeaten.Nexttimealeafygreenvineisdanglingoverhead,stoptolookforbloomsandsavorthescent.Ifyouareluckyit’sapassionflower.

The Compost Bin July 2010 Page 15

Designing Your Landscape

Basic Landscape Design Principles Saturday, July 10th, 10:00 am - noon

ZilkerBotanicalGarden

2220BartonSpringsRoad,Austin,TX78746(512)477-8672

Doesyourgardenneedaremodel?Ordoyouneedalandscapedesignbutdon’tknowwheretostart?Inthissecondlandscapedesignseminar,wewillexplorethestep-by-stepprocessofcreatingalandscapeplan.Wewilldiscussthecreationofdrawingsfromsiteanalysisthroughconcepttoafinalplantingplan.Learnhowtomeasureyouryardanddrawabaseplantoscale.Thisseminarwillintroducethetoolsyouneedtocreatethegardenyouhavealwayswanted.Thisseminar is freeandopen to thepublic. It ispresentedby theTravisCountyMasterGardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in TravisCounty.www.tcmastergardeners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardeners’helpdeskat(512)854-9600.

Better Photography in the Garden

Saturday, July 24th, 10:00 am - noon

ZilkerBotanicalGarden

2220BartonSpringsRoad,Austin,TX78746(512)477-8672

Thisclasswillhelpyoucapturethebeautyofnaturewithyourcamera.Learntipsoncapturingplantsandinsectsinthegardentogetthemostimpact.Discussionwillincludehowlighting,focallengthandapertureinteractincomposingphotographsandhowtouseyourcamera’sprograms(landscape,portrait,etc.)effectively.Afterthepresentation,we’llgooutintotheBotanicalGardentopracticeournewskills.Participantsmustbringtheirowncamera,andhaveanunderstandingofhowtoworkit.Alltypesofcameraswelcome.Prerequisite:Studytheowner’smanualofyourcamera.Bringyourcameraforsomepracticalexercises.Thisseminar is freeandopen to thepublic. It ispresentedby theTravisCountyMasterGardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in TravisCounty.www.tcmastergardeners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardeners’helpdeskat(512)854-9600.

Coming Events

The Compost Bin July 2010 Page 16

Fall Vegetable Gardening Saturday, August 7th, 10:00 am - noon

SouthwestHillsCommunityChurch

7416WHighway71,Austin,TX78735

Coolerweatherisjustaroundthecornerandnowisthetimetoprepareyourvegetablegardenforthefallandwinterseason.JoinMasterGardenerVegetableSpecialistPattyLeandertolearn thebasicsofvegetablegardeningwithanemphasisonvarieties thatflourish in thefallandwintermonths.Broccoli,lettuce,Swisschard,radishesandspinachareamongthefantasticcropsthatgrowwellinourcoolerseason.Vegetablegardensdon’tendinfall,socomelearnhowtokeepyoursgoingyearround.Thisseminar is freeandopen to thepublic. It ispresentedby theTravisCountyMasterGardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in TravisCounty.www.tcmastergardeners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardener’shelpdeskat(512)854-9600.

How to Manage Garden Insects Saturday, August 21st, 10:00 am - noon

LCRARedbudCenter,Room108N

3601LakeAustinBlvd.,Austin,TX78703Insectscanbeoneofthebiggestchallengesforgardeners.Butyoucandealwithpestseffectivelywithoutsprayinggeneralinsecticidesalloveryourplants.IntegratedPestManagement(IPM)canteachyouhowtoprotectyourgardenwithoutharmingtheenvironmentoryourplants.Learn to distinguish beneficial insects in your backyard from harmful insects. Basic IPMstrategieswillbedescribedthatcanhelpmanageinsectpeststhroughoutthelandscape,invegetablegardens,eveninthehome.Thisseminar is freeandopen to thepublic. It ispresentedby theTravisCountyMasterGardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in TravisCounty.www.tcmastergardeners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardener’shelpdeskat(512)854-9600.

ComingEvents Continued ...

The Compost Bin July 2010 Page 17

4th Central Texas Master Gardeners ConferenceUrban Farming — The Ultimate Backyard Experience

Saturday, October 9th, 8:00 am - 4:15 pm

SchertzCivicCenter

1400SchertzParkway,Building5,Schertz,Texas

Urbanfarming,ediblelandscapes,whateveryoucallit,is“growing”inpopularity;convertsflocktotalksanddemonstrationsgivenbyAgri-LifeExtensionandMasterGardeners!Now it’syour turn, joinus foraneducational funfilledday learningabout theconceptofUrbanFarmingfromthemicrobesinthesoiltothefruit,flowersandvegetablesperfectforyourhomegrownediblelandscapes.Ouresteemedspeakersare:Dr.LarryStein,Dr.DianeBoellstorff,Dr.DavidReedandDr.JoeNovak.Inadditiontooureducationaltalks,vendorswillofferbooks,plants,fruittrees,andgoodiesforyourgardeningpleasure.Visitoureducationaldisplaysonhoneybees,backyardpoultry,beneficialnematodes,compostteaandmore!OurobjectiveistoofferMasterGardenerswhousuallydon’tattendtheStateMGConferenceanopportunity toparticipate inaqualityonedayevent located inCentralTexas. MasterGardenersattendingthisconferencewillbegranted6continuingeducationhours.Earlyregistrationwillensureyourplace–theconferenceislimitedto250attendees!Registration information www.tcmastergardeners.org/what/conference/CTGCregform.pdfandagendadetailswww.tcmastergardeners.org/what/conference/agenda.html

ComingEvents Continued...

The Compost Bin July 2010 Page 18

CarolynWilliams,PresidentMandaRash,ImmediatePastPresidentRosalieRussell,VicePresidentforProgramsVickiBlachman,Co-VicePresidentforEducationBonnieMartin,Co-VicePresidentforEducationVacant,VolunteerCoordinatorforProjectsSherrillNilson,Co-VolunteerCoordinatorforTraineesPatMokry,Co-VolunteerCoordinatorforTraineesSusanJung,SecretaryMartyBerdan,TreasurerBeckyWaak,MembershipDirectorDorothyAkin,GreenhouseManagerChrisGiaraffa,GreenhouseManagerVickiOlson,GreenhouseManagerJoePosern,AustinAreaGardenCouncilRepresentativeJoKautz,StateCouncilRepresentativeTommieClayton,StateCouncilRepresentativeVacant,DirectorofPublications

PastPresidents(Non-voting):

BillBaldwinBillBoytimSusanCashinTommieClaytonSusanDeckerDonFreemanMandaRashPeggyStewartBeckyWaakWillWalker

ExOfficioMemberoftheBoard(Non-voting):

TexasAgriLifeExtensionTravisCountyHorticultureAgentDaphneRichards1600-BSmithRoad,Austin,Texas78721512-854-9600drichards@ag.tamu.edu

TrAVIS COunTY MASTEr GArdEnEr ASSOCIATIOn

2010 ExECuTIVE BOArd

The Compost Bin July 2010 Page 19

ThisissueoftheCompostBinhasbeenpublishedthankstothecontributionsofthefollowingTravisCountyMasterGardeners,andWizzieBrown—TexasAgriLifeExtensionService.

ContributingWriters:

© 2010 Travis County Master Gardeners Association

512-854-9600

Visit the websites: www.tcmastergardeners.org and

http://travis-tx.tamu.edu

EditorandLayout:AnneVanNest

Webmaster:PaulaMiddleton

BobBeyer

PattyLeander

RosalieRussell

AnneVanNest

BeckyWaak

CarolynWilliams

The End... Time to Get Gardening!