VOL. 7, NO. 1 University of Arizona Cooperative Extension JANUARY 1996

Cochise County Master Gardener

University of Arizona and U,S, Department of Agriculture cooperating

Try Tagetes... AgainTagetes is the species nameform marigold, a

nice, easily grown annual flower which somepeople hate because of it's "stinky" foliage.There are varieties of marigoldwhich have littleor no "marigold" odor, such as T. erecta 'Vanilla' or 'White One' (new). T. erecta is thename ofthe commontall or "Africanmarigold."

There are also a couple ofwonderful perennial varieties that are perfect for SierraVista/Cochise County gardens. The first is T.lemmoni, a native to Southeastern Arizona. It isa large shrubby plant, and the leaves have a verystrong odor. Depending on whose nose is sniflT-ing, it can remind one of marigolds and lemon,or marigolds and mint. The fiagrance (or odor,if you will) is only noticeable when you brushagainst the plant, so you wont smell it if youleave it alone. It covert itself with golden flow-eia and so far the deer around here have refused

to eat it. The other is 71 lucidOy the commonname Sunset Western Garden B<H)k says is"Mexican tarragon." This is a very pretty plantwith leaves that are about three inches long andonly a quarter inch or so wide. When "pinched"the aroma is strong licorice or anise. The clearyellow flowers are small, but the plant covers itselfwith clusters and clusters ofthan. It is slow

to come up in the spring, so remember whereyou plantedit and you wont disturb it whenyoustart digging and planting! It blooms in latesummo* until firost in my garden.

Maggi CristMaster Gardener

In just a few weeks, March 1 & 2, theThird Annual £Ggh Desert Gardening &Landscaping Conference will be held atthe Wyndemere Hotel and Coi^erenceCenter (formerly the Ramada Inn) in Sierra Vista, Arizona. A registrationformis included in this newsletter. More information maybe obtained fi'om the Cooperative Extenrion Offices (seeaddresses and numbers below). Theconference is open to everyone, especially those with an interest in garden-

r! Plan to attend!

Cochise County Cooperative Extension450 HaskeU, WiUcox, AZ 85643(520)384-3594

1140 N. Colombo, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635(520) 458-1104, Ext. 141

Supermarket Gardening

These days you can buyplants, pots and potting soil,plant food and all kinds of garden things, including tools, atthe supermarket. But there isanother way to garden from thesupermarket, too. Have youever tried raising house plantsfrom the seeds and other partsof the fruits and vegetables youbuy? In most cases it is easy todo, and you get a pretty "free"plant to enjoy. Here are a fewof the plants I've grown in thismanner, and there are plentymore that you can try. All ofthe plants mentioned here dowell if they spend the summer"vacationing" outdoors in a protected area such as a patio orcourtyard.• AVOCADO - The method

most often used to start roots

on an avocado pit is to puttoothpicks in it and suspend itwith just the bottom touchingwater in a glass, but that hasnever worked very well for me.I just half bury the pit in a pot ofsoil and put the pot and ^1 in aplastic bag until the little plmitstarts. Pinch out the top whenit reaches about 12 inches so it

will branch and you'll have anice indoor tree.

Page 2

• DATE PALM - Plant the

pit from a dried (but untreated)date and grow your own palmtree.

• POMEGRANATE - Dwarf

or regular, these are nice easyplants with pretty orange flowers and large fruits. Th^ crmbe planted outdoors in SimaVista when they get too largefor the house.

• PINEAPPLE - Cut the

\>^ole top with a thin slice of"meat" from a ripe pineappleand let it dry for a day or two.Th^, plant it so the crown ofleaves is just at soil level in thepot and water as needed. Rootswill develop, new leaves willgrow, and with luck, some dayyou may even get a small pineapple on a stalk on your plant... but it will take a few years tobear fruit, ifat all!• CITRUS - You can plantthe seeds from any citrus ^it -lemon,lime,orange,

tangerine,grape-

fiuit, etc.All have

glossygreen leaves and art attractivepot plants. My current oik is acalmondin i^ch has tiny, verysour orange fhuts in vnnter.The best part is when a citrustree blooms because the blos

soms are very fiugrant. Kum-quat is said to be the easiest togrow as a house plant, but I

havent had problems with theothers I've tried.

• MANGO - Did you knowthat it's relatives include cashew

and pistachio nuts and poisonivy? A mango has a large pitwhich is diflScult to clean before

planting. Scrape it with a knifeor brush it with an old toothbrush to get as many of the"hairs" off it as possible. Plantit on the edge with the "eye"pointing up. First new growthis a pretty red color thatchanges to green as time goesby.• SWEET POTATOES AND

YAMS - These can be started in

a glass of water using toothpicks stuck into them to supportthem on the rim of the glass ifyou wiidi, or you can pot thebottom half of them in soil in a

pot. Roots will form and prettyvines will grow all around asunny window. You can trainthem on to a trellis or string attached to the top ofthe windowor to the curtain rod.

A/aggi CristMaster Gardener

As webegin the 7* year of tWspublication we want to thankall ofour faithful readers. You

make what we do each month

worthwhile. Wishing you all aHoppv New Veor!

Newsletter Staff:Bany R. BishopCarolyn GnienhagenElizabeth Riordon

Virginia Westphal

-yjtiMiRobert E. Call, ExtensionAgent-Horticulture

The Agent'sObservations

Continued from last month...

Myth #5: Wives* tales are information passed down fromgeneration to generation witha grain of truth. There aremany wives' tales that at onetime might have contained sometruth but over time become so

distorted that they are pure fiction. Tm sure that everyonecanthink of a wives' tale. Mythought is why are there no husband tales?! I placed a requeston the Internet to receive some

wives' tales from different partsof the country. Here are threeof the better responses that Ireceived:

1. There is an important featureabout sowing parsley. It has tobe sown by the head of thehousehold or it is very unlikelyto grow at all. So, get out andput it in the ground before yourhusband is up! Not that therecould be any dispute on thispoint, but better be on the safeside.

2. From Wginia, "I recentlygave a new neighbor in ruralVirginia some camellias, but shesaid she could not thank me. If

thanks is expressed for a giftplant, the plrnitwill die."3. Not proven or disproved asfar as I know, but last summermy aunt told me to be sure tokeep my daughter away from

the cucumbers i^en she is on

her menstrual cycle or the cucumbers would not bear finit. I

tlumked her and ignored the advice but have not been obser

vant enough to note if it waswithout merit.

Myth #6: Snake Oils are materials that are supposed toenhance plant growth or control pests. Many products aremarketed or are traditional

remedies that are said to have

value. When placed under scientific scrutiny, little if any response is observed. Grantedthere are things that can not bemeasured scientifically, howeverwhen products claimto producegrowth responses they shouldbe measurable. One productthat has been tested is the root

stimulator B-1. When tested

against other compounds itturned out that the small

amount of fertilizer in some B-1

preparations is what producesthe growth response. B-1 inand of itself was no better than

water in produdng growth response. This research has beenconducted at the University ofArizona by Dr. Jinhny Tiptonand ElizabethDavidson. Copiesof this paper are available. Ifyou would like a copy contactme. Dr. Norm Oebeker, Vegetable Specialist for Arizona, smdthat when he was a graduatestudent at Cornell University inthe late 1940's they tested B-1

and found no grov^h response.Ultrasonic flea killers for petsdo not kill, r^el, affectjumpingrates, interfere with rqjroduc-tion or development of fleas.This work was done by Dr. Mi^chael Dtyden of Kansas StateUniversity. These are only twoof many products that havemade claims and then not performed as expected.

Some interesting homeremedies were suggested when Iinquired on the Internet. Hereare some of them. From SanJuan Capistrano, CA; Societygarlic planted around roses orother aphid susceptible plantswill keep aphids away. The reason is ^t aphids are defendedand moved by ants and ants cannot stand the smell of garlic.The only problem is that one'srose garden smells like garlic.My question is, can ants smell?From North Carolina: Chewingtobacco plus Ivoiy dish soap inwater will keep insects in check.Boil the chewing tobacco(gross) with water and strain itso your sprayer will not clog.Add Ivoiy soap. Use as an insecticide. My question is howmuch soap and tobacco in howmuch water? Bay leaves inflour bins used to keep roachesout. This was found ineffective

by Dr. NGke Rust. I ask, "Whynot use a lid?" Mbc one cloveof garlic, one onion, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper, andone quart of water. Steep forone hour, add a tablespoon of

(Continued on next page)

idinfurtherance ofCboperative Extension wcxlc, a(^ ofMay 8 and June 30,1914, incoqjeiaticai with tiie United States Department ofAgriculture, James A. Ghrktenson,Coop^tive Extension, College ofA^culture, The UniviBsity ofArizmia and Arizona Ccmnties cooperating. The University ofArizona College ofAgriculture isan

equal of^rtimity enq)loyOT authorized to{xovide n^^arch, educational infinrnation and oth^soviet only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to sex,race, religion, color,national origin, age,Vietnam EraVeteran's status, ordbalnlity.The information given herein issupplied with theunderstanding thatnodiscrimination isintended andnoendorsem^byCooperative Extoision isimplied.Any products, services, ororganizations thatarementioned, diown, or indirectly iniplied inthispublicaticm donotiinply enrkxsment bytheUniversity ofArizona.

Page 3

liquid soap and spray it aroundthe house for ant and roach con

trol Sugar and yeast mixturefor killing houseffies attractedmore flies than it killed. Spearmint gum for mole and gophercontrol were found useless byBobby Corrigan, Purdue University. Plaster of Pari$ in ratbaits changed the color of rodent droppings to light gray andnothing more, according to Dr.Bill Jackson, Bowling GreenUniversity, except it caused sorerectums ofthe rats!

Myth #7: Gardening Is hardworic. It turns out that more

work is done in the garden harvesting than all other actiwtiescombined. Time harvesting, inrelationship to other gardeningactmties, increases as the sizeof the garden increases. Thisfrom work done by Dr. MichaelStevens and other researchers ,Brigham Young University.They timed the various actMtiesof planting, weeding, harvesting, and miscellaneous work in4 X 4,10X 10, 20 X 20and 50X 50 foot gardens throughout agrowing season. The time spentharvesting is more enjoyablemid passes more quickly thanthe work of preparing for planting, weeding, and other activities. They also found that the 4X 4,10 X 10, 20 X 20 and 50 X50 foot gardens yielded 8.06,7.22, 10.12, and 22.75 poundsof produce per hour of totaltime spent in the gardensrespectively.

Robert E. Call

Extension Agent, Horticulture

Paged

A TransplantedGardener...

Would you like to r^el insects firom the garden organically? In Germany I noticedmany ofthe gardeners wouldin-terplant herbs in their vegetableand flower gardens. Whenasked why, they replied, "Tokeep the bugs out." So try using herbs to control insects bycompanion planting.BASEL- fliesand mosquitoesBORAGE - tomato worm

CASTOR BEAN - moles andplant liceCATNIP - flea belles

DATURA - JapanesebeetlesDEAD NETTLE - potato bugsFLAX - potato bugsGARLIC - aphids, weevils, spider mites, Japanesebeetles, fiuittree borers

HORSERADISH - plant at thecomers ofthe garden plot to repel potato bugsETSfSSOP - cabbage mothLAVENDER - dry and place ingarments or hang up in thecloset to repel clothes moths

MARIGOLDS - Mexican beanbeetles, nematodes and manyother insects. Till into the soilafter the season is over to getthe greatest effect to repelnematodes.

MINT - white cabbage mothsMOLE PLANT - (a species ofEuphorbia) repels mice andmoles

NASTURTIUM - squash bugsand aphidsPENNYROYAL-ants

PEPPERMINT - ants andwhite cabbage butterfliesPETUNIA - beetles

POT MARIGOLD - tomato

worms and asparagusbeetlesROSEMARY - bean beetles,carrot flies and cabbage moths

RUE - Japanese beetles (do notplant ruewithbasil - theydislikeeach other)SAGE - carrot flies, ticks andcabbage mothsSANTOONA-moths

SPEARMINT - aphids and antsSUMMER SAVORY - bean

beetles

TANSY - Japanese beetles, cucumberbeetles, squashbugs andants

THYME - cabbage worms

Chert Melton

Master Gardener

Full Conference:$60.00

Includes both day sessions,2 breakfasts, 2 lunches,

& closing reception

One Day:$40.00

Includes one day sessions,I breakfast, 1 lunch,& closing reception

Register by Februaiy 16,1996to avoid late charge:

$70.00 full - $45.00 one day

Wyndemere Hotel and ConferenceCenter

(FormeriyRamadaInn)2047 S. Hwy 92

Sierra Vista, AZ 85635(520)459-5900

is oflFering special room rates forconference participants.

Please make reservations with

Wyndemere Hotel and ask forspecial

.Master Gardener Conference rate.1-800-825-4656

I

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n

Third Annual

High Desert Gardening&

Landscaping Conference

March 1 & 2,1996Wyndemere Hotel

and Conference Center

Sierra Vista, AZ

Sponsored by:Cochise County Master Gardeners

in association withThe University ofArizona

Cooperative Extension

^ t£tConference Registration

Name

Address

City_ State -Zip.

Telephone_

Full Conference $60.00

(After Feb. 16 $70.00)One Day $40.00

(After Feb. 16 $45.00)

Amount Enclosed

Please make check payable to:High Desert MG Conference

Mail to:

U. ofA. Cooperative Extension GfiBce1140 N. Colombo

Sierra Vista, AZ 85635

To help with our planning, please indicatepreference for each session:

A A A A A A

B B B B B B

C C C C C C

For information please call:U. ofA. Cooperative Extension Office,Sierra Vista, AZ (520) 458-1104, Ext. 141

)

1996 Conference Program

Friday, March 1,1996

7:30 - 8:45 am R^jstratimi and Breakfast

8:45 -10:00 am Welcome

General Session

Dr. Bill R(^rs, KGDN9 TV MeteorologistWeather in the Southwest

10:15 -11:30 am General SessionDr. Mary Olsen, U. ofA Plant PathologistPhymatotrichum Root Rot

11:30 -12:00 pm Exhibits

12:00-1:30 pm Lnnch, Door Prizes & Exhibits

1:30 - 2:45 pm Ses^n IA. Tom De Gomez, The Blm:k Locust Tree: Weed or

Marvel?

B. Dr. Dave Langston, Scorpions and OtherDesertFauna

C. Terry Mikd, Environmental Weed Control

2:45 - 4:00 pm Sesskm IIA PiSlSiJQ AsiSdiassy,Wildflawers: Fact andFantasyB. Kent Newland, TheAgave Family: Landscape

Uses

C. Kim McReynolds,Vn/ive Gross/.D.

4:00- 5:15 pm Session HIA DavidCristiani, TheGood, The Bad, and The Ugly

LandscapesB. Kevin Dahl, iVotrveC. Peter QAa\zch,Aw(Aening the DorrrumtNatives

Saturday, March 2,1996

7:30 - 8:45 am Registration and Breakfast

8:45-10:00 am Welcome

General Session

Carrie Nimmer, 7 >dscape ArchitectThe Landscape Escape

10:15 -11:30 am General Session

Dr. Tmn Doerge,U. ofA Soil SpecialistSoil Microbiology 101

11:30 -12:00 pm Exhibits

12:00-1:30 pm Lnnch, Door Prizes & Exhibits

11:30 - 2:45 pm Session IVA Elizab^ Davidson, Tricksto Vegetative

PropagationB. Lacy Bxadiey,Aboriculture: Treesfor LifeC. RussBuhrow, UnderutilizedPlantsfor the High

Desert

2:45 - 4:00 pm Session VA Kate Tiemanl, Gardening the Impossible PlacesB. Patsy WaterOdl, Creating a Waterwise LandscapeC. Dr. Norman Oddcer, VegetableGardening on the

High Desert

4:00 - 5:15 pro Session VIA De Lewis, Composting:TurningSpoils to SoilB. Dr. Paul BessQr, Iris In High Desert LemdsctqresC. Barbara Rose, RammedEarth Construction

5:15 - 6:30 pm Reception

Sunday, March 3,1996

Self-guided tmus to local areas ofinterest:A Ramsqr Canyon PreserveB. San Pedro Riparian AreaC. Ft. Ihiachuca Historical Museum

D. Coronado National Monument

^LultRobert E. Call, Extension Agent, L ^Jculture3aSBSSSasSB8SHB8SBC=

Cuttings 'N'Clippings

> Make soil cylinders forstarting seedlings this easy way.These cylinders make ine7q}en-sive substitutes for the peat pellets you buy at the store. Youwill need:

20 pounds soil mixture (youdecide what combination youwant)

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin1 quart water

Put soil mix in a 5 gallonbucket. Boil water and stir in

gelatin until dissolved. Cool.Add enough gelatin* to soil soit holds together whensqueezed. Remove both ends(save one) of an empty tomatopaste can. Place on a flat surface and fill 2/3 with soil/gelatinmix. Take saved end and pushsoil down to pack. Then, gentlyeject by pushing through. Allow about two hours for cylinders to set.

*The amount of gelatin mixturewill vary depending on the typeofsoil mixture you choose.

Linda QuintMG Trainee

> The Amazing Arizona Nfini-Festival is coming up January18 at the Oscar Yrun Commu

nity Center, Sierra Vista. Stopby the Master Gardener table ifyou have any gardening questions or just stop by and say"Hi!"

> Looking for ornamentalgourds, decorated gourds, or information on growing them?

Give Gael or Barry Bishop acall (456-2704). I understandthey have "thousands" for sale!

> Why Me, God, a book byBany R. Bishop, MG Newsletter StaflFWriter, is now availableat local book stores. In it,Bany tellshis own lifestory onhis recovery fi*om a stroke andheart attack. It is truly an inspiring story!

> The University of ArizonaCooperative Extension, ArizonaDepartment of Agriculture, andArizona Farmers, Growers, &Producers Association will be

holding a Direct Farm Marketing and Tourism Conference onFebruary 12 at the Maricopa AgCenter. The one day event isopen to any one. For more information contact Russell Tron-

stad (520 621-2425), JuUeLeones (520 621-6255), seeCurrent events at WWW site;

http://ag.aiizona.edu/ARECor contact the local CooperativeExtension offices.

> Master Gardener, Gary Gru-enhagen, will be giving a non-credit lecture at the Sierra Vista

Cochise College Campus, May4, calledIntermt-for the Fun ofit. The Int^et is a giant

communications system thatlinks millions of computers inover 100 countries. Think of it

as a giant international library.Learn how to "surf' the Net and

retrieve information firOm edu

cational organizations, governmental agencies, and commercial orgruiizations. There is lotsof gardening information available on the Internet. For more

information, contact CochiseCollege.

> Here is a quick, easy, anddelicious way to use some ofthe herbs you planted in yourgarden to discourage bugs.

Herbed Vin^arSterilize a pretty bottle (anempty wine bottle for instance)and place in it a variety ofcleaned fi'esh herbs. I like to

use a mixture of rosemary,thyme, garlic, green onions, andcayenne peppers fi-om my garden. Heat white distilled vine

gar just imtil it is warm, andpour into the bottle filling it tothe top. Seal, using a non-metallic cover, and store for aweek or so. Use the hwbedvinegar in your vinaigrette saladdressing or on a boiled cabbageand corned beef dinner. Varythe herbs to suit your t^te.Enjoy!

Carolyn GruenhagenMaster Gardener

Page 5

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

TUCSON, ARIZONA 85721

OFHCIAL BUSINESS

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAD)

USDAPERMIT No. G268

A Psalm For the San Pedro

Please take me to the San PedroWhere I have been told

Ofone ofGod's blessingsAnd a brave little river that flows.

Spirited with good intentionsMeandering fi-om South to North,

Crossing the border from Mexico.It flows free, the littlegiant

That is San Pedro.

@]leceiiierl995

Under the watchful eyes ofSan Jose Peak,Nestled in the cottonwoods of San Rafael Del Valle

Between the Mules and Huachucas,The river flows toward Phoenix

And the ghostly Gila River.

With onlyGod as my witnessThe spirit takes me to the river

On those sublimate moonlit nights,I kneel at the river's edge

And in my dream,I shed a tear

For the petite San Pedro.

It's going to take a lot ofloveBut the saints may save you yet.

My little brother.The brave river.

That is San Pedro.

Van Stetler

Master Gardener