The Dahlia DirtNext Meeting:

Friday, March 8Simpkin’s Swim CenterSanta Cruz

7:00 Pot Luck Dinner7:30 Meeting

MBDS NEWSLETTER

Janu

ary

2019

FEBRUARY 2019

At Friday’s meeting we will have our 3rd Annual Dahlia Tuber Auction. Don’t forget to bring tubers you grew out from the tuber giveaway program last season. Joe Ghio will be our auctioneer.

Before our April meeting we will be hosting our Plant and Tuber Sale at Deer Park Shopping Center by the Red Apple Cafe on April 6th from 9-11am. Please arrive at 7:30 to help set up the sale and get your volunteer assignment. This is our big opportunity to raise the funds we need for the year so please bring all your extra tubers to the sort.  The hours of the sort are: April 3, 12-4pm, April 4th 12-4pm and April 5th 12-2pm.  The sort will be at Kevin and Karen’s farm, 296 Brown’s Valley Road, Corralitos, CA. Remember to wake your tubers up a few weeks to a month before the sort. We expect to have fewer tubers donated to our sale this year so please bring as many as possible of your own personal tubers. Plan to join MBDS members after the sale for breakfast at the Red Apple Cafe. 

Happy Gardening, Kristine  

Tuber Auction this Friday, March 8th, 2019

Bring your wallets or checkbooks this week to our 3rd Annual Tuber Auction!

What is this?

This is an auction of the new 2018 tubers that our members won at our big raffle giveaway last April. If you grew out your winnings and successfully harvested and stored your

tubers, please donate your extras back for the auction.

Auction bidding will start at $6 for AA or A sized dahlias

or $4 for everything else.

This is a great way to get new 2018 introduction dahlias. Many of which sell for over $15 if you were to purchase

directly from dahlia vendors.Please come support this fun event.

Joe Ghio will be our auctioneer and he will go over any missing details.

Call Iris if you have questions or want to check which dahlias were part of this past years tuber purchase program.

831-227-7974

MonarchsWant to help protect and grow Monarch butterflies? I have found that in Santa Cruz most, if not all, my monarch caterpillars are eaten by yellow jacks. Once I figured out how to protected the eggs and caterpillars from predators, I’ve been able to raise hundreds of monarch adults.

1. First I made a wood box armature of 2”’x 2” redwood. The entire enclosure is 6’x3’x3’.

2. Next, I planted tropical milkweed inside the box area directly into the ground. Most garden nurseries carry milkweed and monarchs will eat all the different kinds.

3. I ordered window screens to fit the box except for the back that is against a building and the bottom which is left open for planting. The screens are screwed into place (except for the lid which is free to open and close and is held down with a rock). By taking off the top screen I can maintain the plants and soil. Don’t leave any gaps between your wood and the screen as yellow jacks are good at finding holes to come through. Brown or red painters caulk can be used to elegantly fill any gaps between the wood and the screen frames.

4. I planted milkweed outside the screened area so female monarchs can lay eggs there.

5. Once the female lays eggs on the milkweed outside the enclosure I look for them on the underside of the leaves. I then snip off the whole leaf with the egg attached. I wrap the end of the leaf in paper towel and wait the four days for the eggs to hatch. The newly hatched caterpillars will start eating their leaf right away. Milkweed is their only food. Make sure to give them fresh leaves if the original leaves are wilted. After about a week, I transfer the caterpillars into the protected enclosure where they can eat and grow undisturbed by yellow jackets. In two weeks they will turn into a chrysalis and hang from a spot on the top of the eclosure. They will stay in the chrysalis form for about two weeks until a fully formed monarch butterfly emerges. after about five hours they are strong enough to fly, (may take longer in cold weather), I let the monarch fly away by opening the lid of the lid of the enclosure. If they don’t voluntarily fly off I will put my finger gently near their chest causing them to climb onto my finger. I will then release them to the air or put them on a nearby tree or plant.

5. Once the female lays eggs on the milkweed outside the enclosure I look for them on the underside of the leaves. I then snip off the whole leaf with the egg attached. I wrap the end of the leaf in paper towel and wait the four days for the eggs to hatch. The newly hatched caterpillars will start eating their leaf right away. Milkweed is their only food. Make sure to give them fresh leaves if the original leaves are wilted. After about a week, I transfer the caterpillars into the protected enclosure where they can eat and grow undisturbed by yellow jackets. In two weeks they will turn into a chrysalis and hang from a spot on the top of the eclosure. They will stay in the chrysalis form for about two weeks until a fully formed monarch butterfly emerges. after about five hours they are strong enough to fly, (may take longer in cold weather), I let the monarch fly away by opening the lid of the lid of the enclosure. If they don’t voluntarily fly off I will put my finger gently near their chest causing them to climb onto my finger. I will then release them to the air or put them on a nearby tree or plant.

There are 110 different kinds of milkweed (Asciepias). I grow three different kinds: Tropical Milkweed, Wild cotton milkweed, and Davis Milkweed. The monarchs in my yard seem to prefer the Tropical Milkweed but will eat any type if they are hungry.

There are 110 different kinds of milkweed (Asciepias). I grow three different kinds: Tropical Milkweed, Wild cotton milkweed, and Davis Milkweed. The monarchs in my yard seem to prefer the Tropical Milkweed but will eat any type if they are hungry.

If you want to read more on monarchs I have two recommendations. The first is a children's book on raising monarchs titled Raising Monarchs by Sue Fox McGovern.

My second recommendation is a very dive deep into the science of monarchs and the relationship they have with milkweed. It is titled Monarchs and Milkweed by Anurag Agrawal.

Minutes MONTEREY BAY DAHLIA SOCIETY Attendees ~21 Meeting Minutes – February 8, 2019The meeting was called to order at 7:30 by President Kristine Albrecht. Our President reminded us that we need to conclude our meetings by 9:00 or face an overtime charge.Introductions – Eight new(er) members were welcomed and introductions were done around the room.January minutes were approved unanimously. The National Garden Bureau has named 2019 “The Year of the Dahlia” and our favorite flower is being celebrated world-wide and especially in Mexico, where it originated. Our club warmly welcomes the new dahlia club formed in San Luis Obispo – the Central Coast Dahlia Society and Heather who spear-headed the effort!! President Kristine reported that the Dahlia Genome Project has submitted 28 leaf samples to be analyzed in China.

DemonstrationPresident Kristine demonstrated propagation through cuttings. She brought cuttings that she made this spring. She starts the tubers on a heating mat and sets the cuttings in small pots of washed playground sand at 70 degrees with 14 hours of light exposure per day. Other culture issues were discussed and will be covered in more detail at future meetings.

Bring tubers from your last years’ new introductions to our March meeting -we will auction off the new introductions grown last year by club members.

Lauren and Evelyn conducted our regular raffle for new introductions.

Adjourned at 8:30.Respectfully Submitted - Mary Bannister

President: Kristine AlbrechtVice President: Kevin LarkinTreasurer: Katy BannisterSecretary: Mary Bannister

Membership: Natalie Beebe Newsletter: Jan Palia

Website: Brion Sprinsock

Please send all your fascinating photos and

interesting tidbits for the newsletter to bgawlik@cruzio.com

The Crew