October 2003

Tanana
Tanana
Valley
Valley

Master Gardener

Cooperative Extension Service Tanana District Office P.O. Box 758155 Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-8155 907-474-1530

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Oct. 7 Master Gardeners will take clippings at
UAF Greenhouse, West Ridge, 7-9 p.m.
Oct. 9 Master Gardener Harvest Potluck
and Awards, 6:30 p.m., Fairbanks
Community Food Bank.
Oct. 16 The Herb Bunch meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF
University Park Building, Room 154.
Oct. 28-29 4th Alaska Noxious and Invasive
Plants Management Workshop,
Anchorage.
Nov. 4 Master Gardener meeting, 7-9 p.m.,
UAF University Park Building, Room 154.
Nov. 20 The Herb Bunch meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF
University Park Building, Room 154.
Dec. 2 Master Gardener meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF
University Park Building, Room 154.
Dec. 18 The Herb Bunch meeting, 7-9 p.m., UAF
University Park Building, Room 154.

2004
Jan. 28-29 23rd Annual Alaska Greenhouse
and Nursery Conference, Anchorage.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 2
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 4
Page 5

The Sourdough Gardener

Master Gardener Harvest Potluck & Awards
Growing Peony Seeds
Potato Scab
A Guide to Practical (Potato) Parenting
Three Cheers for Volunteers!
A Salute to Master Gardeners
Page 5 Master Gardener of the Month
Page 6 Heard it through the garden hose...
Page 6 Women: Further Your Gardening Education

Production, Layout & Design

by Ronda L. Boswell

Editor: Michele Hbert,

Land Resources Agent

W ell, Mother Nature prevented

our visit to the tree farm this year,
but we will put it on the calendar
By Virginia Damron, President for next year. For those of you who
did not join us for seed collecting
Master Gardeners
at the UAF Georgeson Botanical
of the Tanana Valley
Garden, you missed a great time
and opportunity. We had fun chatting and learning about seed collecting, saving and starting. Many thanks to Pat Holloway
for helping us and teaching us.
Boy, October looks to start out with a bang! Our regular meeting on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.
will take place at the UAF Greenhouse. We will take cuttings and again, Pat has volunteered to let us in and help us. Bring anything you need to take your cuttings home. Oct.
9 will be the first Annual Master Gardener Awards Potluck. We plan to submit our winners names and projects to the International Master Gardeners Award of Excellence
Program. This is exciting to recognize our programs and to begin to participate at the
international level. WOW, watch us now!
In November, we will be back to a regular meeting at the UAF University
Park Building and will have a guest speaker. We will discuss the advantages of becoming an incorporated nonprofit. Please plan to attend and put
your 2 cents worth in.
Hope that everyone has closed up the garden, and has frozen and canned
stuff for the coming winter. If you need any information about meetings, call
or e-mail any board member. See you at the UAF Greenhouse!

Prez Sez....

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service programs are available to all, without regard to race, color, age, sex, creed, national origin, or disability and in accordance with all applicable federal laws.
Provided in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Anthony Nakazawa, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University
of Alaska Fairbanks. No endorsement of firms and products mentioned is intended, nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned in the Master Gardener Update.

Master Gardener Update

October 2003

Plant Health through Instrumentation

T
The serious gardener knows that
:
it is far more cost effective to raise
m
healthy plants than to diagnose and
ro
F
care for sick ones. Basic plant health
THE
begins with a growing media which
has the ability to hold moisture, pro- SOURDOUGH
mote adequate drainage, is in the corGARDENER
rect ph range, and has the correct levels of major and micro nutrients.
(a.k.a. George Wilson)
In todays garden supply stores and
catalogs, we are bombarded with an
ever-increasing array of gadgets and miscellaneous paraphernalia which drain our budget and have nothing to do with plant
health. However, we live in an age when technologyavailable a short time ago only to professionalsis now available to
all of us at a reasonable cost. Soil samples, which once had to
be sent to a lab, can now be tested by the home gardener with
acceptable accuracy. A simple test to establish organic content
of soil, as well as its ability to hold moisture and drain properly,
needs only a cup of soil, a quart jar with a lid and tap water.
For testing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K),
you need a kit. So for a small investment and a little of your
time, you can eliminate many problems you may encounter
later in the growing season. Test your soil before you purchase
lime, fertilizer and other soil amendments.
Depending on the size of your garden, you should prepare a
sample that is representative of each 15- to 25-square-foot section. If your soil has been properly prepared by tilling to an
adequate depth, you should be able to attain an acceptable
sample. Take a 12 long piece of 3/4 EMT or copper pipe,
then push it down into the soil and gently remove it. Hold it
over a container and tap it until the sample falls from the tube.
After you have gathered your complete sample, mix it thoroughly. Take your sample when your garden is comparatively
dry. Spread the sample out in a pie pan or on newspaper to reduce moisture to approximately 5 percentanything above 7 per-

cent moisture will cause soil particles

to cling together.
Another helpful test can be performed with an EC (electrical conductivity) meter. This test will indicate a higher than desirable level of
salt build-up, usually from chemical
fertilizers. A Brix Scale Refractometer can tell you, early on, a great deal
about plant health. Remember, if you
notice a problem with a plant, a magnifying glass can reveal far more than the naked eye, and disease and infestation spread rapidly.
I feel the best soil test kit available to the home gardener is
the LaMott, and the best selection and prices can be found at
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply in Grass Valley, Calif.
There is commercial compost on the market which can have
devastating results. Make your own compostit is superior and
less expensive. I still like barnyard manure; dont worry about
the weeds because we will always be required to weed. We can
reduce a lot of weeding with IRT mulch and conserve moisture. Remember, you are cultivating while weeding.
When you build a compost pile, add one 5-gallon bucket water with a tablespoon of Epsom salt and one teaspoon Borax.
You will never have too much compost and the best way to
accelerate the composting process is to reduce the size of what
you add to it. Before anything goes into a compost pile, put it
through a chipper shredder. My favorite way to get free compost is to gather it from the forest. With a leaf rake and large
trash bags, you can get an abundance of the best soil-building
compounds you will ever find on the surface and for the first
inch down you will notice there is a dark in color, wholesomesmelling, loam-like material. Since it is free for the taking, it is
a real bargain.
Good soil, good water, adequate sunlight and TLC are a
gardeners elements to success.

Mark Your Calendar

Master Gardener
Harvest Potluck and Awards

Bring your extra garden produce or a can of food

to share with the food bank.
Please bring a dish to share:

October 9, 2003
6:30 p.m.

RSVP to Michele Hbert at 474-2423 or

ffmah@uaf.edu.

Fairbanks Community
Food Bank

~ A to G, main dish
~ H to N, salads and vegetables
~ O to U, bread and chips
~ V to Z, desserts

Master Gardener Update

October 2003

Growing Peony Seeds

By Andrea Moore, Commercial Peony Grower
Growing peonies by seed is time consuming, but very rewarding. I think,
all in all, it is one of the most enjoyable parts of growing peonies. I
enjoy seeing new peonies emerge, knowing someday if all goes well, they
will be large, beautiful plants that can literally stop traffic!
After the seedlings have survived the first winter, plant in the
field in rows under high shading and do not allow them to dry
out during hot weather. Good drainage during all phases of
seedling growth is very important! Also, I would protect your
seedlings from continuous long rains in early spring with plastic row covers. Also use a floating row cover if early spring
freezes are expected.
Another way to grow seedsfor those in
temperate (Northern) areasis to let nature
do its job. I have heard this works very
well and is the way most people germinate their seeds. Plant peony
seeds is in spring and early summer; this gives the seeds time to
grow their first root. Then, during the fall and winter, the
dormancy of the shoots is
broken and the plants form
their first shoots.
Place seeds for outdoor
germination in clay pots
with well-drained potting
soil. Sink the pots into the
soil so the rims are covered.
In late fall, dig the pots up
and check the seeds for root
germination. Dump the
slightly moist pot over and
the seeds and soil just fall
out. Many of the seeds will
have grown roots; take these
seeds and plant them about 2
inches below the surface of the
soil in clay pots, then sink into
the soil again and mulch heavily
for the winter. The following
spring, if all goes well, the seeds
should send up their first shoots. During the first year, move the pots to a location with high shade (or half day or more of
shade) and keep evenly moist. Seedlings are not
as tolerant of heat and drought as adult peonies and need protection from harsh weather.
It may take five or more years before your seedlings flower,
so they are a long-term investment of time and effort. But, if
you are successful, you are the only person in the world with
that one particular plant you have grown!

he seeds of your plant are not ripe until fall, so leave

the pods on until the pod seam starts to open. Then remove the seeds and allow them to dry several days before planting. The usual ripening time for most peony seeds is
late summer to early autumn, or August to October. You may
choose to plant the seeds immediately if they ripen early enough
(August) or wait to plant them the following spring.
Planting seeds the following season gives
them a whole spring and summer before
winter arrives.
Basically, peony seeds are double
dormant. They require one period of
warmth to grow the root and a period of two to three months of
temperatures below 35 degrees
Fahrenheit to break the dormancy of the shoot. After the
shoot is growing, the plant will
grow slowly the first year and
pick up speed as it matures.
I start 10 to 25 seeds in
plastic bags containing moist
vercumulite or peat moss.
Always label and date the
package and put it at temperatures of 70 to 72 degrees
Fahrenheit until the roots are
about 1 1/2 inches long. This
will take about three to eight
months. Then plant the young
plants carefully in small pots
with a light potting mix and put
them in the refrigerator or in a
cool greenhouse during the winter for approximately three months.
The ideal temperature is between 30
to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. After that,
they are placed in a warm, shaded location outside or on a windowsill for four
months until the shoots appear. In fall, put
them outside in a protected place such as in raised
beds that are heavily mulched. Some will survive the following winter and a few will not. If the seeds are from a valuable
species, give them extra protection the first winter by putting
them in a heated storage area with the heater set at just above
freezing.

~For more information, visit www.naturespromise.com/growingseeds.html. If you have

any questions, you may e-mail me at cascade@televar.com.

Master Gardener Update

October 2003

otato

S cab

What is potato scab?

Controlling potato scab

otato scab is caused by an indigenous soil-borne bacteria. Growth of this pathogen is favored by dry, alkaline
soil, especially during the early part of the growing season. Irrigating may reduce scab. Scabby potatoes can be eaten,
but scabs should be removed.

There is no single control measure that seems to work to control scab. The following measures, when practiced together,
have proven helpful:

Add 2 lbs. of elemental sulfur per 100 square feet in fall or

spring.

Types of potato scab

Avoid the use of fresh manure just preceding potato crop.

Two types of scab are present in our soils. One type, deep or Rotate crop. Plant potatoes in the same ground only once

pitted scab, produces brown lesions, which are small at first

but then enlarge and become corky. The lesions frequently extend below the skin of the potato and leave deep pits when the
corky tissue is removed. Thin-skinned potato varieties are susceptible to this type of scab.
Another type, surface scab, has numerous small russeted
lesions that can nearly cover the surface of the potato. With
this type of lesion, slight protuberances with depressed centers
may form. These lesions are covered with a small amount of
corky tissue. Russet varieties are susceptible to surface scab.
Animals that consume raw potatoes infected with scab can
pass the pathogen on in the manure and possibly infect previously uninfected areas if the manure is used as a fertilizer.

every four or five years.

Wash tools with water to remove soil residue to decrease

transferring the scab bacteria to uninfected areas.

Plant scab-resistant varieties.

Provide adequate irrigation once plants emerge.
Avoid putting scab infected potatoes or peelings into
garden compost.

Scab-resistant potato varieties

Thin-skinned potato varieties are more susceptible to scab
than the heavier skinned varieties such as russets. The following varieties have shown some resistance to potato scab in
Alaska field trials:

Potato scab and yields

Potato scab appears to have some influence on total yields.

Severely blemished tubers drastically reduce attractiveness and
market value. In restaurant use, waste from scabby potatoes
sometimes amounts to one-third of the total weight of the potato. In some instances, scab may predispose tubers to chewing insects. In addition to potatoes, scab may infect beets, radishes, turnips, rutabagas and carrots. Crop rotation and selection of planting sites in the home garden is important.

Variety
Tuber Description
Alasclear..............Round, white-skinned
Krantrz.................Oblong russet
Highlat.................Oblong russet
Highlite................Oblong russet

~ Article from UAF Cooperative Extension Service Publication

said she would stay on the straight and narrow, and
wouldnt associate with those high class Yukon Golds, or
the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise
their trade on all the trucks that say Frito Lay.
Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent
Yam to Idaho P.U. (thats
Potato University) so that
when she graduated shed
really be in the Chips.
But, in spite of all they did
for her, one day Yam came
home and announced she
was going to marry Tom
Brokaw. Tom Brokaw! Mr.
and Mrs. Potato were very
upset. They told Yam she
couldnt possibly marry Tom
Brokaw because he is
just.................

ell, Girl Potato and Boy Potato had eyes for each
other, and finally they got married, and had a
little sweet potato, which they called Yam.
Of course, they wanted the best for Yam. When it was
time, they told her about
the facts of life. They
warned her about going
out and getting half-baked,
so she wouldnt get accidently mashed, and get a
bad name for herself like
Hot Potato, and end up
with a bunch of Tater Tots.
Yam said not to worry, no
Spud would get her into the
sack and make a rotten potato out her! But, on the
other hand, she wouldnt
stay home and become a
Couch Potato, either. She
would get plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her Shoestring cousins.
When she went off to Europe, Mr. and Mrs. Potato told
Yam to watch out for the hard-boiled guys from Ireland.
And the greasy guys from France called the French Fries.
And when she went out west, they warned her to watch
out for the Indians so she wouldnt get scalloped. Yam

A Guide to

Practical

(Potato)

Parenting

(Are you ready for this? OK! Here it is!.........)

A COMMON TATER!!
~ Contributed by Joan Robson

Master Gardener Update

October 2003

e
e
s
r
r
h
e
T
che or...
f

A Salute to Master Gardeners!

Master
Gardener
of the
Month:

Wendy Anderson

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? A childrens garden and play space is located in
the center of the Fairbanks Community Garden and is maintained by volunteers. It is a wonderful place to meet friends, nibble raspberries and smell the flowers.

Community Garden Sprouts Success

he Fairbanks Community Garden started about 1979 when The Alaskan Federation for Community Self-reliance, Inc., received a free lease of land from
Fern Palfy, who owned the land where the Fairbanks North Star Borough
Administrative Building sits today. The community garden sprouted and flourished in this location for several seasons.
In 1983, the garden moved from Pioneer Road to its present location in Hamilton
Acres. The 2.5-acre site is leased free from the borough. The garden received a onetime state grant of $20,000, which was used to clear land, install electricity, put in a
well, build a fence, and generally prepare the garden site for use.
Today, the Fairbanks Community Garden is an entity in its own right. When
the original 10-year lease was up, the gardeners got together, formed their own
nonprofit organization, and re-leased the
land. The garden is currently run through
three elected officials and is funded by
the collection of plot fees each spring.
Garden plots rent for $25 per year.
There are 85 plots available, averaging
600 square feet. The site includes water
spigots near each garden and basic tools
such as shovels, rakes and hoses. For
more information on the Fairbanks ComSPRING CLEAN-UP DAY Joe and Dan munity Garden, visit www.home.gci.net/
prepare the Fairbanks Community Garden for ~fairbankscommunitygarden or call
Wendy Anderson at 456-5494.
another productive summer season.

endy Anderson is a Master

Gardener Extraordinaire
who works hard to spread the
good news about gardening.
A 1999 graduate of the Master Gardener program, Wendy has gardened
in the Fairbanks area since 1978. The
Master Gardener class offered Wendy
additional understanding and enthusiasm to share with others. Wendy
says she learned a lot!
One of her most impressive volunteer commitments is serving as coordinator of the Fairbanks Community
Garden. For about 10 years, Wendy
has worked hard to keep the garden
running and making improvements as
ideas arise.
Wendy developed a web site for the
garden, which tells about its history,
membership and current events. She
organizes annual work parties and
helped develop a childrens garden.
The most recent project was building
a moose fence to keep out Alaskas
largest pest!
Wendys favorite crop to grow is
herbs, while her most interesting gardening experience took place on top
of the pipeline off Steele Creek Road.
She says It grew fabulous!
Longtime Master Gardener Palmer
Peterson shares this comment: I admire Wendy Anderson for her tireless
achievements involved in her keeping the Fairbanks Community Garden going at such a high level of
accomplishment.

Master Gardener Update

October 2003

"

Heard it
through the
garden hose..."

Women: Further Your Gardening Education

Snippets from Barb Fays Herb Notebooks

One of the worlds largest sources of funding exclusively

for graduate women, the American Association of University
Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation supports aspiring
scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local
communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and
those pursuing professions where women are under-represented.

Have you been using herbs in your barbecuing endeavors?

Here are some suggestions of ways they can be used:
~
~
~
~
~
~

American Fellowships support women doctoral candidates completing dissertations and scholars seeking funds for
postdoctoral research leave or for preparing completed research
for publication. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent
residents. One-year postdoctoral research leave fellowships,
dissertation fellowships and summer/short-term research publication grants are offered.
Career Development Grants support women who hold a
bachelors degree and who are preparing to advance their careers, change careers or re-enter the work force.
Community Action Grants provide seed money to individual women, AAUW branches and AAUW state organizations, as well as local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or nondegree research projects
that promote education and equity for women and girls.
Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships provide professional development opportunities for women public school
teachers; improve girls learning opportunities, especially in
math, science and technology; and promote equity and longterm change in classrooms, schools and school systems.
International Fellowships are awarded for full-time graduate or postgraduate study or research to women who are not
U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Supplemental grants support community-based projects in the fellows home country.
Selected Professional Fellowships are awarded to women
who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who intend
to pursue a full-time course of study (during the fellowship
year) in designated degree programs where womens participation traditionally has been low.
University Scholar-in-Residence, located at a college or
university, undertakes and disseminates research on gender and
equity for women and girls.

As a smoke-producing material
As a brush for basting sauce
In marinades and oils
In dry rubs
Sandwiched between items of food on your skewers
Herb stems as skewers

Here is a good recipe for a dry rub:

Lemon Rosemary Rub
1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients. Mix until well blended. Rub
evenly over the surface of your favorite steaks for grilling.
(Makes enough to season 2 lbs. of beef.)

Dorli McWaynes Parsley Pesto

As you harvest your herb garden this fall, try this recipe for
all your excess parsley:
2 C parsley, packed
2 C spinach or basil, packed
1/2 C parmesan or Romano cheese
3/4 C walnuts or pine nuts
1/4 to 1/2 C olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

To order multiple copies of the AAUW Educational Foundation fellowships brochure that includes these general descriptions for each fellowship program listed here, e-mail
aauw@act.org; call 319-337-1716, Ext. 60; or write to the customer service center at AAUW Educational Foundation, Dept.
60, 2201 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52243-4030.

Process in food processor. All ingredients are approximate

and can be altered.