Green Thumb Garden Club of Effingham News & Views

The Green Thumb Club had many interesting speakers this past year and have kept busy with their ongoing projects as well as the garden walk in June which was very successful.

A past member, Bob McBride, demonstrated how to make a garden mushroom from Perlite, peat moss and Portland cement. If kept outside, it can be sprayed with Krylon Crystal Clear to protect it. Flower pots can also be made in this manner.

Member Beth Wattelet gave a program on how many of our plants and flowers came from other areas or other countries. She noted that when settlers traveled to new places, they used straw for packing material. Within this straw could be found seedlings or plants. Many of the flowers and insects we now have are not native to America, such as geraniums, asters, buttercups, tulips, violets, boll weevils, Japanese Beetle, killer bees, starlings, possums, and English sparrows. Kudzu and honeysuckle is spreading across the south, damaging many trees and landscapes.

Chuck Cunningham, member, gave a talk and demonstration on braiding various types of vines (grape) and saplings.

Richard Metheney, the husband of one of our members, demonstrated his creation of walking sticks. He has over 225 sticks (canes) and uses sassafras. Hackberry and Wild honeysuckle is used to set the curves in the sticks. He uses doorknobs, carved heads, whiskey lids, deer horns, plastic balls, etc. for the tops. There are many colors of stain used and uses two to three coats on a stick. He gathers the wild honeysuckle in a southern Illinois woods where they grow rampant. He waits until winter when there are no leaves and finds a stick that he can twist vines onto.

Andrew King, who recently was awarded his Eagle Scout Award, spoke to the club regarding his project at Ballard Nature Center. He built 16 bird boxes: the largest, of which he built 8, was for the Barred owl and had to be placed 20 feet in the air. Getting them placed correctly in the trees was one of the major accomplishments. He also built boxes for the Wood Duck, Flying Squirrels and Kestrels. Andrew showed CD pictures as he told us about the construction of placement of the boxes.

Mr. Jim Weiss, president of the Board at Ballard Nature Center, spoke about their upcoming Wildlife Plant Sale. Plants must be ordered by April 1, 2010 and can be picked up May 8th which is the day of the sale. Most of the plants listed are perennials, however on the day of the sale there will be herbs and annuals. Many of the plants, trees and shrubs listed are not common ones which you will find at the nurseries, although they have a few of them too. The list includes plant groupings for butterfly gardens and hummingbird/finch gardens and are available in 4 1/2 inch pots or 1 gallon pots. All trees and shrubs are in 3 gallon containers and are conservation grade. Each one is described and the height and width given that they will grow to. It also includes the zones which are best for the tree/shrub. Prices range from $16 to $20. An order sheet or more information can be obtained by contacting them by phone (618-483-6856) or email info@ballardnaturecenter.org

Horticulture and conservation tips given throughout the year:

To help control mites and other bugs on your indoor plants, use Safer soap, soaking the plant by spraying it once a week for three weeks.
If growing herbs inside during the winter, be sure the window lets in enough of the right kind of sunshine. Some windows block the sun and the herbs will suffer.
February is a good time to trim bushes and flowers, especially roses. Being able to see the structure of a plant when trimmed is especially helpful. For ornamental grasses, tie them at the bottom then cut before the new growth starts. If they die in the center, dig them out; usually the outside ones will grow inward.
Be aware of which plants are invasive; three new ones are lettuce, burning bush and lantana: lantana is not considered invasive in some areas because it will die in the winter.
Feed dogwoods in March strengthening them with 1/2 cup Epsom Salts sprinkled around the base and use two tablespoons for roses bushes. Use 10-10-10 on lilacs after they bloom. Lime will take care of the acidity that some plants get from nearby oak trees. If your daffodils are not blooming as they should, it is possible they are getting too deep. Divide and replant; the depth should be double the bulb size.
Pink and blue hydrangea's should not be pruned until after August. The big leaf hydrangea should be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded.
Pine needles are very good for mulching dogwoods.
Zamioculcas Zamiifoloia (better known as the ZZ plant) is beautiful and has been around for many years. It has thick fleshy leaves which are naturally glossy. They looked polished because they are so shiny. One rule that almost all of the BEST indoor plants have is--they grow slow. The ZZ is no exception. It is easy to propagate but develops slowly. They are grown in 4-inch pots through 14 inch pots. They can reach 3 feet in height. It is better kept on the dry side and away from any hot direct afternoon sun as the plant can burn.
Have a problem with fungus gnats? To get rid of them take yellow paper and put something sticky on it (like glue). The gnats are attracted to the color and stick to the paper.
Beware of the Emerald Ash Borer. It has killed tens of millions of ash trees in southeastern Michigan and tens of millions more in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, just to name a few of the states. The adult causes little damage but the larvae feed on the inner bark, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. The damage begins at the top of the tree and works its way down. The adult is metallic green, 1/2 inch long with a flat back, purple abdomen segments. The larva is creamy white, legless with flat bell-shaped body segments. It is almost impossible to kill although systemic treatment, which is expensive, has been known to help. For more information, contact the Illinois Extension Center.