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A newsletter for gardeners in North Dakota

North Dakota State University Extension Service

Vol. 3, No.1January 2010

Continued on back page

Written by:

Tom Kalb, Extension Horticulturiste-mail: tom.kalb@ndsu.edu

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Feature stories

Testing veggie varieties 1

Attracting bluebirds 23

New European cosmos 4

Growing a pineapple 4

Favorite seed catalogs 4

New plum for the north 6

Gardening tips for January 5

This is a wonderful time of the

year for vegetable gardeners. Itsa time of hope and optimism. Theseed catalogs are arriving in themail and it is amazing to see all ofthe varieties being offered. Butwhat variety is best for us?

Its an important question. Se-lecting a good variety is the firststep to success in growing a pro-ductive garden. Gardeners whosow a superior variety can in-

Dakotans choose best veggie varietiescrease yields, reduce the need for

pesticides, and produce higherquality food.

On the other hand, gardenerswho sow a lousy variety areheaded for frustrations. No mat-ter how hard they work in prepar-ing the soil, watering, weeding,and spraying their crops, theymay have disappointing results.

We need to identify the bestvarieties for our state. Consumer

interest in gardening is soaring

due to rising food costs. One out

of every three households inNorth Dakota grows vegetablesworth well over $30 million. Threeout of four persons in our statedo not eat enough vegetables fora healthy dietthis makes usmore susceptible to infectious dis-eases (such as the flu) andchronic diseases (such as cancerand diabetes).

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Attracting bluebirdsHave you ever seen a bluebird?Most people havent. Thesepeople are missing out on a re-markable experience.

Bluebirds are gentle creaturesthat naturally bring a smile to yourface. The sky blue color of theirplumage is rich and brilliant--it isa shade of blue rarely found in

nature. The rusty feathers of itsbreast further accentuate itsbeauty.

The Eastern bluebird is a sum-mer resident of North Dakota. Itscousin the mountain bluebirdsometimes nests in the northwestcorner of our state.

Once threatened across theGreat Plains and Midwest, blue-bird populations are starting to

make a comeback.

The decline of bluebirds wasmostly caused by the reduction ofits habitat. Bluebirds prefer tonest in cavities of older trees andwooden fenceposts. But more in-tensive farming practices, in-creased use of metal fenceposts,greater use of pesticides, and thesprawl of urban developmenthave reduced the available habi-tat for bluebirds.

If that wasnt enough, two ag-gressive species of birds wereintroduced from Europe into theUnited States. These species, thehouse sparrow and starling, vi-ciously kill bluebirds and takeover their nesting sites.

The most effective way to re-store the bluebird population is toprovide adult bluebirds with good

FEATURE STORIESFEATURE STORIESFEATURE STORIESFEATURE STORIESFEATURE STORIES

nesting sites so they can suc-cessfully raise their young.

Building a bluebird nesting boxis a fun project. Many designs areavailable (see story on next page).Some common features are theuse of one-inch-thick woodenboards; holes at the top of the box

for ventilation and at the bottomof the box for drainage; a one anda half-inch-diameter entrancehole in the front of the box, and adoor that opens for monitoring theprogress of the nest.

Keep the nesting sites at least100 yards apart. A pair of boxesis often mounted at each site.Often a bluebird will nest in onebox, and another bird such as ahouse wren, tree swallow, or

chickadee will nest in the other.

Install your nest boxes in ar-eas that provide open space, suchas near open grasslands, pas-tures, orchards, hayfields, andalong roadsides.

The ground below should havegrass. Bluebirds will perch onfenceposts or branches to look forinsects in the grass. Once they

locate an insect, they will swoopdown to eat it.

Bluebirds raise one or twobroods from late April throughearly August. Nest boxes shouldbe visited at least every sevendays during this period.

Bluebird nests are easily iden-tified. They are neat and cupshaped, and typically made of finegrass. The eggs are powder blueor white.

In contrast, sparrow nests aremessy and coarse in texture.Their eggs are cream in color withirregular brown speckles.

By checking on a regular ba-sis, you can defend the bluebirdsagainst sparrows and other natu-ral enemies. You can also watchthe progress of the birds as theyraise their young. You wont bedisappointed!

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Source: University ofWisconsin-Extension

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Building a bluebird house

Years of extensive testing in Min-nesota have shown the Petersonbluebird house to be a preferred

nesting box. Its a little more diffi-cult to construct compared to thestandard rectangular boxes, butits beauty and the increased oddsof attracting a bluebird couplemake it worth the effort.

Materials: All lumber is stan-dard 1 (actually 3/4 thick) ex-cept back, inner top and bottompieces, which use standard 2 x4 (actually 1-1/2 x 3-1/2). Back:

1-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 24; front: 3/4 x3-3/8 x 12-1/2; inner top: 1/2 x3- 1/2 x 8-3/8; top: 3/4 x 10 1/4 x 2-3/4 x 17-1/2 x 14-3/8; bot-tom: 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 3; pegs: 1/4

diam. x 2-1/4 long (1-1/2 project-ing inside). Nails: 26 galvanized1-1/2 long

Use the rough side of lumberfor outside. Make two parallel sawcuts 1/8 deep beneath the entryhole for perching. Leave exteriorunpainted, or paint with lightshades of gray, beige or green.Do not paint interior or entry hole.Use wood stain or latex paint.

For more information, includ-ing more (and simpler) bluebirdhouse designs, you may contact

the Bluebrd Restoration Associa-tion of Wisconsin (www.braw.org)or Bluebird Recovery Program ofMinnesota (www. bbrp.org).

Look across the Atlantic when youneed a special flower for yourgarden. While searching for vari-eties overseas, start with thosevarieties worthy of theFleuroselect Award, comparable

to the All-America Selection Awardin the USA.

This year, there is a newFleuroselect Award winning cos-mos, Rubenza. This cosmos isnoted for its unique ruby red pet-als that mature to a traditionalrose color. I cant wait to try thiscosmos!

Double Click Snow Puff cos-mos is another 2010 Fleuroselect

Award winner. It has double flow-ers of white petals with just a blushof pink. They look like pompomsand make an attractive cut flower.

Cosmos are one of the easi-est annuals to grow. They toler-ate both heat and cold (includingunexpected frosts), not to men-tion drought and moist conditions.Seed can be sown directly in thegarden or grown from transplants.

Look for these varieties at yourgarden center; or to be sure ofavailability, order them directlyfrom seed companies such asThompson and Morgan(www.tmseeds.com).

63

17-1/2

24

13

7/8

3

2-3/4

European delights

2-1/4 x

9-1/4

14-3/8

5

12-1/2

3-3/8

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Remember the old TV show

Hawaii Five-O?

In this famous police show,Steve McGarrett, Dano and otherofficers chased after evil criminalsall over the beautiful tropical is-lands. There were lots of huladancers, grass skirts, and oceanwavesand then every showended with McGarrett catching thecrook and telling his detective:Book him, Dano. Now that wasa great show!

Although its wintry outside, youcan bring a bit of Hawaii into yourhome by growing your own pine-apple.

Go to the grocery store andselect a fruit that is freshly pickedand still green. If the leaves pull

Bring the taste of theislands to your home

off easily from the

fruit, the pineapplemay be too ripe.

After you gethome from thegrocery store,put on your Hawaiianshirt and flip-flops to get you inthe mood (wearing a grass skirtis optional). Slice off the top halfinch of the fruit, leaving the foli-age intact. Clean out the pulp from

the top so that only the outer rindis left. Set the top near a sunnywindowsill for a couple days to letthe wound dry.

Plant the pineapple top so thatone inch of the lower foliage isburied. Keep the soil moderatelymoist and fertilize monthly.

My favorite seed catalogsSeed catalogs are great!. Its sofun to see what new varietiesare available each year. Theseare my favorites:

I highly recommend the cata-log of Johnnys Selected Seeds.This company has developedseveral outstanding varietiesfor short-season areasperfect for us in North Dakota!Request their free catalog bygoing to their web site at orcalling them at 1-877-564-6697. As a bonus, their catalogis full of valuable gardening ad-vice.

Once the plant gets 18 inchestall its capable of forming a fruit.Put the plant inside a clear bag.Insert a couple of ripe apples intothe bag for a few weeks. Theapples will give off ethylene, which

will get the pineapple plant in themood to have a baby.

Several months later you willnotice a flower spike that will growinto a small pineapple. Be proudof your accomplishment and tastethe goodness of the islands!

Aloha!

If you are interested in heir-looms, you need the catalog ofSeed Savers Exchange. Its thelargest source of heirloom vari-eties available. Im not a hugefan of heirloom varieties in gen-eral, but the seed quality of this

company is truly outstanding.Contact them at their web site or 563-382-5990. Join the organizationand you gain access to 13,000varieties. Wow!

You will also like the cata-log of Jung Seed Company(www.jungseed.com). It is full ofvarieties for the north.

Several other companies of-fer an impressive array of flowerand vegetable varieties. Theseinclude Burpee, Gurneys, Ter-ritorial, and Harris. Baker CreekSeeds and Seeds of Changeare noteworthy companies for

their selection of heirlooms.

If you are looking to buylarge volumes of seed, you maywish to get the catalogs of Jor-dan Seeds and Mountain Val-ley Seeds.

All of these companies canbe found online and their cata-logs are usually free.

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GARDENING TIPS FOR JANUARYGARDENING TIPS FOR JANUARYGARDENING TIPS FOR JANUARYGARDENING TIPS FOR JANUARYGARDENING TIPS FOR JANUARY

North Dakota State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, Vietnam Era Veterans status, sexualorientation, marital status, or public assistance status. Direct inquiries to theExecutive Director and Chief Diversity Officer, 202 Old Main, (701) 231-7708.Photo credits: Jung (Black Ice) and Thompson and Morgan (Rubenza).

Trees and lawns

Sap can bleed profusely out of the pruning wounds of maples andbirches (as shown at right). Dont worrythis bleeding is completelyharmless. We do not recommend putting wound dressings on thesetrees. They heal better without the dressing, as dressings can some-times trap moisture in the wound, creating rot.

Tree branches that cast shade over flower beds should be prunedbefore spring so pruned branches do not fall onto growing plants.

Trees and shrubs have an economic value. If damaged by ice oraccident, they are sometimes covered by homeowners insurance.

Black knotty growths on plum and cherry trees should be removed

during winter. Prune 812 inches below where you see the fungusto make sure you remove all of it (including the fungus within thebranch). Remove this diseased tissue from the area since it is in-fectious.

Kentucky bluegrass is not damaged by heavy snowmobile traffic(80 passes), as long as there is an inch of snow over the turf. Seri-ous damage is caused after warm spells when the snow becomesslushy or when snowmobiles go over bare grass patches.

Flowers and houseplants

Check any flower bulbs that you have in storage. Toss out any soft,

rotted bulbs. Cool temperatures (4050 degrees) will reduce thelikelihood of bulbs prematurely sprouting.

If your African violet has stopped blooming, it likely needs a bit morelight. Move it closer to a bright window that does not get harsh after-noon sun.

Most houseplants do not actively grow in December and January.We typically do not fertilize houseplants this time of year.

Tall, spindly hibiscus plants can be pruned back to develop a bushierplant. Cut back to side shoots located down the branch. New shootswill develop wherever you make the pruning cuts. A spindly plant

can be trimmed back to only six inches tall, and it will regenerateitself. A three to four foot high hibiscus is generally ideal.

The vines of sweet potatoes make for an interesting houseplant(shown). Start your plant by placing a sweet potato in a container ofwater, leaving the top 1/3 exposed to air. Transplant the potato whena strong root system develops.

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Dakotans choose best veggie varieties (continued from Page 1)

A team of 360 garde ne rsacross the state was formed in

2009the largest team of its kindin the USAto evaluate promis-ing varieties. Project coordinatorTom Kalb says, The best way toidentify superior varieties forhome gardens is not at a researchstation. It makes more sense tofocus on which varieties performbest in home gardens under themanagement ofhome gardeners.Gardeners in North Dakota havebeen doing an amazing job of test-ing varieties for our state.

The program is simple andstraightforward. Gardeners selectvarieties from over 40 differentvegetableseverything from A(asparagus beans) to Z (zuc-chini). In many cases a new vari-ety is compared with a popularvariety. Gardeners receiveenough seeds to plant a 10-footrow of each variety. They receivesimple planting instructions and a

10-foot string to help them lay outtheir plots. Gardeners receive rowlabels and an evaluation form withsimple questions.

The evaluation form has achecklist. Gardeners mark whichof the two varieties germinatedbest, was healthier, had higheryields, and tasted better. Theynote which of the varieties they

prefer, and which of the varieties(one, none, or both) they recom-

mend to other gardeners in NorthDakota.

The program is so simple thata kid could do itand many kidsdo this project with their parentsfor school projectsas well as forfun and togetherness.

Over 1,000 reports have beensubmitted this fall and the finalresults will be available by midJanuary 2010. Some of the top

performers in the past two yearshave been Bush Blue Lake 274bean, Red Ace beet, Nelsonand Purple Haze carrot, SweetSlice and Sweeter Yet cucumber,Flashy Trout Back and New RedFire lettuce, Early Frosty pea,Spineless Beauty and FlyingSaucer summer squash, BrightLights Swiss chard, and Hon TsaiTai greens.

Results show some varieties

that win national awards do not dowell in North Dakota. For example,the Christmas melon Lambkinwon the 2009 All-America Selec-tions Award for its unique flavor;however, it performed poorly in ourtrials across the state. On theother hand, gardeners in our stateraved over a fairly unknownpumpkin variety, Neon, because

it turned bright orange in the sum-mer and matured very early.

An evaluation of the 2008project showed 100% of respon-dents felt the project was usefulto their gardening practices. Allrespondents stated they wouldrecommend the program to othergardeners. Participants especiallyappreciated being introduced tonew varieties as well as being partof a research team with other gar-deners and the university.

Thank you for the opportunityto learn and grow as a gardenerwrote a grower in Cass County. Agardener in Ward County com-mented, I loved the programitwill impact the varieties that I plantnext year.

Kalb notes that Many garden-ers thank the project for the op-portunity to participate. But weare the ones who should thank

them for all of their work in help-ing to identify the best varietiesfor us in North Dakota.

The project is always lookingfor more participants. More infor-mation on the project and previ-ous results are available at. Anonline seed catalog will be avail-able in late January.

New plum for the northAre you looking for a fancy plumthat is easy to grow? Black Icemay be for you!

Its a large plum hardy forNorth Dakota (at least to Zone 3B)with sweet, juicy, yellow flesh. Fruitripens in early August, about 2 to4 weeks earlier than most other

plums. The trees are naturallydwarf, making them easy to carefor. This Japanese hybrid needs

a pollinator for good fruit set.Toka is often used as a pollina-tor plum. The variety is being of-fered by Jung Seed Company(www.jungseed.com).