|
|
|
|
|
Piscataquis & Penobscot
Gardening Newsletter
Volume 9 Issue 11 December 2011
|
|
|
|
Mission
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the major educational outreach program of the University of Maine, with offices statewide. UMaine Extension provides Maine people with research-based educational programs to help them live fuller, more productive lives. |
Goal
The goal of the Piscataquis & Penobscot Gardening Newsletter is to provide timely information on practical, sustainable, research-based horticultural practices, tools and techniques which will improve home gardening success in our two counties. Upcoming events and programs of interest will also be included. |
Find Penobscot County Extension on Facebook
Find Piscataquis County Extension on Facebook
|
|
|
|
|
December is the Month to...
- Pick & process rose hips for pantry
 | |
sensitive fern fronds
|
staples or gift giving (think tea, candy, jelly). - Add sumac fruits and sensitive fern fronds to holiday decorations for a natural flair. Gather hydrangea, yarrow, sedum, ornamental cucumber and other dried flowers for beautiful arrangements placed around your home.
- Keep composting. It would be a real shame to just throw away all of those wonderful kitchen scraps, especially during the holiday cooking season! Store a pile of leaves beside your compost area to add with your food scraps for a well-balanced compost pile.
- Build protective covers for shrubs or plants which may break under winter snow.
- Plant paper white and amaryllis bulbs in pretty containers for winter blooms or green gifts.
- Consider a Cooperative Extension workshop. Call your local office for what's coming up. Applications for the Master Gardener Training in Penobscot County will be ready soon!
- Ready Christmas cactus by planning 4 weeks of 50-55 degree night time temperature, and draping or putting them in a dark closet for 13 hours each day/night. Then, set it out and give it a good drink to bring on holiday blooms.
- It's still a great time to use those apples you have grown! Can Cinnamon Applesauce & be rewarded with the sweet aroma filling your home. If you have questions about preserving call your local Cooperative Extension Office. http://extension.umaine.edu/county-offices/
- Start dreaming about next year's garden. Get a sketch pad or notebook. Research and collect ideas for new plants you haven't grown yet, and theme beds to be considered. Actively visualize the result. Note heights, growing requirements, the colors of blooms, and when they flower.
|
|
THANK YOU to all of you who supported 4-H by purchasing a clover, we will report how much money the counties raised when we recieve the totals.
|
 | |
photo by Karen Conlin
|
Gifts for the Gardener and Gifts from the Gardener
For friends and family members looking for gifts for a gardener, University of Maine Cooperative Extension professor and ornamental horticulture specialist Lois Berg Stack suggests books for inspiration, tools, gloves, memberships to botanical gardens & garden clubs, magazine subscriptions, or gift cards to a favorite seed company or nursery. In addition, gifts from the gardener include herbal vinegars, a garden design, dried herbs, a gift certificate for an hour of weeding, potted herbs for the winter windowsill or those fabulous pickles you made last summer.
|
|
|
Extension Food-Safety Experts Offer Holiday Meals Tips
University of Maine Cooperative Extension food safety and food preservation specialists Jason Bolton and Beth Calder are available to offer consumer tips on proper food preparation tips to keep everyone around the holiday table safe and healthy.
One of the biggest questions to arise is how long to safely store leftovers before food becomes unsafe?
Leftovers typically should be used within three to four days when stored properly in the refrigerator, they say. Some general rules include:
- Always wash hands with warm water and soap before handling food.
- Toss food that was left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour, if the air temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Store food in shallow containers so it chills quickly. Cover the food, and label the container with either a "use by date" or "today's date" to know when to toss.
- Place containers in the refrigerator to cool, not on the counter. Check refrigerator temperatures; they should be set between 34-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When reheating, heat leftovers thoroughly to 165 degrees or until hot and steaming. Soups, sauces, and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil.
- Reheat leftovers only once. If not all of the leftovers will be used within three or four days after cooking, freeze them. If unsure how long a food item has been in the refrigerator, do not taste the food to see if it is still good.
Cooperative Extension also offers several free publications about food safety, food preservation and turkey-handling tips and an online video discussing safe food handling.
For more information, contact: Jason Bolton, (207) 942-7396, or Beth Calder, (207) 581-2791 |
|
Emerald Ash Borer Quarantined Area Expanded - Again
Stephanie D. Stocks, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has added three counties in three different states to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB - Agrilus planipennis) quarantine area.
The areas were confirmed to have EAB after adults were collected during monitoring efforts in August. The counties are Winona County in Minnesota, Claiborne County in Tennessee, and La Crosse County in Wisconsin.
For more information about identification, detection, and monitoring efforts for EAB, please go to the new NPDN First Detector website and take the EAB modules.
For more information on the quarantine announcement, click here.
From the First Detector Network News
For the newsletter Please visit: http://www.sepdn.org/newsletter |
|
Revive an Old Time Craft
By Piscataquis County Master Gardener, Joy Moody
Winter is a wonderful time to enjoy the bounty from your gardens. This month, we've chosen a few fun "crafts" for you to do to bring the harvest into your home. As the holidays approach, think about filling the air with the sweet smell of apples, mingled with spices, herbs, & citrus. If you have never tried the ancient craft of dried apple head dolls, you are in for a chuckle.
Apple Doll
- Prepare a solution of 1 cup of lemon juice & 1 T. of salt. Peel your apple & let it soak 20 minutes, more or less. This will keep the face of your doll from darkening. If you want a dark skinned doll, skip this step.
- Using a paring knife, carve features into the apple. Do not concern yourself about being exact, because when the apple shrinks, everything will change!
- You can push a wire through the apple head, & fashion a hook to hang it, or place on a rack to dry. Drying will take several weeks. For faster results place in your dehydrator or in the oven at 100--200 degrees until dry, yet "spongy". Note that feet & hands can also be carved & dried.
- When the apple head has shrunk, all its wonderful wrinkled features will be present. Cloves or seeds can be inserted for eyes. A simple wire armature can be made for the body, which is then wrapped in cotton & dressed as you wish.
Apple head dolls were made in Appalachia & dressed like Hill billies to sell to tourists. They can sometimes be found in antique shops or stores that sell folk art. For more information check out http://appledolls.org
Pomanders, Potpourri, & Garlands
Apples, oranges, & lemons make attractive, aromatic pomanders for the home. To make one, stud citrus fruits with whole cloves & place in pots or, for added aroma, roll in a mixture of 4 oz. powered cinnamon, 2 oz. powdered cloves, 1/2 oz. allspice, 1/2 oz. nutmeg, 1 oz. orrisroot. This mixture can be kept in a plastic bag & reused.
Potpourri brings the mixed scents of flowers, fruits, herbs, & leaves into the home. There are many recipes for themed mixtures such a woodsy, herbal, floral, citrus. For more information visit http://gardenline.usask.ca/misc/pourri.html.
Decorative garlands can be made by drying thin slices of apples & oranges, strung with cinnamon sticks. For directions.
|
|
Featured Bulletins:
The following horticulture related Extension publications are available online or can be ordered at the Extension office nearest you. Many other publications are available for free online or may be purchased at our secure publications web site.
Making Balsam Fir Wreaths
Item #7012, Publisher: UMaine Extension
This 4-page fact sheet includes instructions and 11 drawings to lead you through wreath construction step by step, includes a materials list. 2008. Download it for free, or purchase at your local Extension office for $0.75
Greenhouses for Homeowners and Gardeners
Item #1051, Publisher: NRAES
200-page book with sample calculations, greenhouse plans and 150+ line drawings. Covers construction planning, framing materials, glazing, layouts, equipment, environmental control, and selection of kits. Also discusses window greenhouses, growth chambers and garden structures. 2000.
$30.00
Item #9001, Publisher: UMaine Extension
Learn how to prepare food safely and conserve fuel and water during a power outage. 2 pages, 1998. Download it for free, or pick one up for free at your local Extension office.
Fire Prevention in the Home - Maine Farm Safety Program/2365
Item #2348, Publisher: UMaine Extension
This 4-page bulletin explains how to prevent fires and prevent casualties in teh event of a fire through planning. Discusses fire escape plans, general housekeeping, heating equipment, smoking and holiday greens. See item 2365 for the entire Maine Farm Safety Program. 2002. Download it for free, or purchase at your local Extension office for $0.75
|
Events
Saturday December 3rd, Tractor Supply Grand Opening
UMaine Cooperative Extension has been invited to set up an informational display at Tractor Supply's Grand Opening in Dover-Foxcroft the weekend of December 3rd. There should be a large number of folks attending and it will provide a great opportunity to let folks know what Extension has to offer for gardening information and programs. 4-H will be participating and holding a bake sale during the event (yum, yum). This is an exciting opportunity to participate in the Piscataquis County wide Winter Festival Weekend!
|
|
Edited by:
Theresa Tilton, Administrative Assistant
Contact Info
Donna R. Coffin, Extension Educator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
and
Katherine Garland, Horticulturist
207-942-7396 or in Maine 1-800- 287-1485
and
Hannah Todd, Home Horticulture Coordinator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University System shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status or gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran's status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University System. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. A member of the University of Maine System.
Information in this newsletter is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned in this newsletter. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied. |
|
SURFACE MAIL RECIPIENTS CAN CONTACT THEIR COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WHEN WEB LINKS ARE INCLUDED IN AN ARTICLE.
Piscataquis County Office 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491
165 East Main Street Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426
Penobscot County Office 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485
307 Maine Avenue Bangor, ME 04401
|
|
|
|
|
