11

...for discerning weeders

November, 2014 An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

A SALTY TOPIC by K. Harper Epsom salts for the bath for your tired, achy body after a gardening session: check. Epsom salts to clean your tile grout: check. Epsom salts for soaking your sore feet: check. But Epsom salts for your garden? Is that a sound practice? Well, it depends on who you ask. There is not a lot of actual research on this subject (more on that below) but there is an awful lot of anecdotal evidence/recommendations/testimony. So what are Epsom salts? How could they benefit your plants? How to use them specifically?

Epsom salts are a naturally occurring inorganic salt (chemical compound) containing magne-sium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO4. Epsom salts are named for a bitter saline spring located in the town of Epsom in Surrey, Eng-land. The spring occurs where the porous chalk of the North Downs meets non-porous London clay. Town residents discovered early on that the spring water tasted nasty. This discovery is believed to have occurred during the 17th cen-tury. Although drinking the water was not a good experience, Epsom resi-dents soon found many other uses for their icky water and a legend was born. The town acquired the 17th century version of being a spa/resort attraction to travelers who found the water to have many soothing properties. At some point it was also discovered that the magnesium and sulfate contained in Epsom salts were two ele-ments crucial to plant growth. While sulfur is almost never lacking in the soil, thanks in part to synthetic fertilizers and acid rain, magnesium can become scarce in soil, usually because of erosion or depletion of the topsoil or a pH im-balance. Depletion via leaching is particularly common in very sandy soils, in areas that re-ceive torrential rainfall (hmmm, sounds famil-iar….). The general role that magnesium plays in plant growth is in strengthening plant cell walls, allowing the plant to take in the nutrients it needs. It also aids in seed germination, pho-tosynthesis and in the formation of fruits and seeds. Some plants, such as lettuce and spin-ach, are not bothered much by a lack of magne-sium while some, such as tomatoes, can suffer substantially in their fruit production as a result of magnesium deficiency. In fact, tomatoes are one of the three garden plants for which Epsom

salts are most often recommended, the others being peppers and roses. Gardeners may know that tomatoes and peppers both belong to the Solanaceae or nightshade family while roses are of the Rosaceae family. These plant families are noted for having heavy nutritional needs which will not surprise you if you’ve grown any or all of them! It logically follows that a magnesium deficiency would be detrimental to all three. So, if some of your plants aren’t performing up to snuff and you’ve done your due diligence in de-termining via a soil test that your soil does in fact lack magnesium, here are some suggestions for using Epsom salts as a remedy:

Roses: The claims for the benefits of Epsom salts for roses include that they make the foliage greener and more lush, and produce more canes and more roses. The recommendation for apply-ing to existing rose bushes is to either mix ½ cup of Ep-som salts into the soil around the rose bush and water that in well or dissolve ½ cup of the salts in water

and use that to water the rose bush. This is rec-ommended for spring, just as the buds are be-ginning to open. An Epsom salt foliar spray (1 tbsp. of Epsom salts per gallon of water) is also suggested for roses with the caution to avoid leaf scorch by not over-using foliar spray and don’t spray leaves on hot, sunny day.

Tomatoes and Peppers: These may show signs of magnesium deficiency late in the sea-son, when their leaves begin to yellow between the leaf veins and fruit production decreases. Whether you will get more and/or larger fruits will depend on other factors as well, but using Epsom salts before the plants start to decline may help: either mix in 1 tbsp. of Epsom salts into the soil at the bottom of the planting hole when setting out transplants or mix the 1 tbsp. in a gallon of water and water the seedling.

Continued on page 2

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Peanut Butter

Challenge

2

Events 3-4

Deceptive Name 5

Weed Control 6

Book Review 7

Air Potato 8

Wildlife

Happenings

8

Updates and Info 9

All A-Buzz 10

Contest 11

Birthday Greetings 11

Last Word 12

HAVE YOU

LOGGED ON TO

VMS LATELY?

DON’T FORGET TO

KEEP

YOUR HOURS UP TO

DATE!

22

Later, use a foliar spray of 1 tbsp. per gallon of water when the plants start to flower and again when the young fruits start to form, observing the same precautions noted above for avoiding leaf scorch. I think I’ll do my own research test by trying it on a few plants next year and see if I can tell the difference as the season goes along.

And about that Epsom salt research: one professor at Washing-ton State University is not a fan. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott wrote an article that counters most of the claims made by Epsom salt enthusiasts and discusses in particular the problems with excess Epsom salts leaching into the soil and/or groundwater. Runoff of all of the materials we use whether they are “natural” or not is something we all need to be very conscious of and try to prevent. You can read Dr. Chalker-Scott’s article here: http://tinyurl.com/poxh7hz A good article at the National Gardening Association website is much more encouraging and suggests that Epsom salts in a foliar spray is the way to go. The article summarizes research being done on the use of Epsom salts at various locations. Al-though the sample size used in each test is fairly small, efforts seem to be taken to follow good scientific method in the testing process. The entire article is a good read and, if nothing else, will remind you of something you probably learned in your mas-ter gardener classes (and then forgot), which is that the uptake by your plants of magnesium, potassium, sulfur and calcium is somewhat complicated (!). Think I’ll go with that simple foliar spray thing…http://tinyurl.com/mqo2qz4 And should you decide that you don’t really need the benefits of Epsom salts in your garden, don’t forget there are still many other claims made for their usefulness including:

Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of Epsom salt.

Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.

Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups Epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak.

Splinter remover: Soak in Epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.

Face cleaner: To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of Epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Skin exfoliator: Massage handfuls of Epsom salt over your wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up towards the face. Have a bath to rinse the salts off.

Tile/grout cleaner- Mix equal parts of liquid dish soap and Epsom salts and use to scrub tile and grout. Rinse well for a streak free shine.

Volumizing hair mask- Combine equal parts of conditioner and Epsom salt and leave on hair for 20 minutes. Rinse well and let air dry for thicker hair.

Get rid of slugs- Have slugs in your garden or on your patio? Sprinkle Epsom salt to deter them.

Headache relief- soaking in a soothing Epsom salt bath may help relieve headache.

Smooth skin- Mix 1/2 cup Epsom salt with 1/4 cup olive oil and scrub skin in the shower for healthy and smooth skin.

Itchy skin or bug bites- Dissolve a tablespoon of Epsom salt in to 1/2 cup of water and cool. Spritz on itchy skin or apply a wet compress to help relieve itching.

Minor sunburn relief- Use the same ratio in the itchy skin re-lief above and spritz on to minor sunburns to help soothe them.

Help kids sleep better- Add a cup to kids’ bath water before bed to help them sleep peacefully.

Ultimately, the decision as to whether your garden might benefit from the addition of Epsom salts should be based upon your soil profile and individual needs and requirements. Remember, as we always tell others: (all together now) Get a soil test first!!

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

SALT cont’d

There is still time to participate in this year’s peanut butter challenge! Drop off locations are:

Okaloosa County Extension Office 3098 Airport Road in Crestview Open Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm

Okaloosa County Farm Bureau Office 921 West James Lee Blvd. (Hwy. 90) in Crestview Open Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm

Natural Resources Conservation Ser-vice 938 N. Ferdon Blvd. (Hwy. 85) in Crestview Open Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Okaloosa County Extension Annex 127 NW Hollywood Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach Note: This location is only available for drop-off of peanut butter each Friday from 9:30 am to 12 noon

Some locations will be closed Novem-ber 11 for Veteran's Day

Visit http://peanutbutterlovers.com for

peanut butter recipes, health and nutrition

information and to view a video of an Oka-

loosa County 3rd generation peanut farmer.

33

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

You can find even more events by going to the member web

site: www.ocmgamembers.org and click on the calendar

page. Events throughout the Panhandle are listed. Simply

click on the event and you’ll see all the pertinent informa-

tion!

SUGARCANE FIELD

DAY

NOVEMBER 6TH

There is a $10 registra-

tion fee per participant.

To register, call the Gads-

den County Extension Of-

fice 850-875-7255

Click here for more info

ANTIQUE TRACTOR DRIVE AND PULL

NOVEMBER 21ST AND 22ND

MARIANNA, FLORIDA

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

44

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

Click on the images to open up a link to the

specific event page.

Tri-County Horticulture Studies Group

Meetings and Activities for 2014

Meetings 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, lunch optional

November 20 Coordinators: Brenda Jordon and Marie Har-

rison

Location: Emerald Coast Nursery

Speaker: Designer for Leslie Odom, Owner of Nursery,

“Designs for Christmas”

Activity: On site. Emerald Coast Nursery is a great place

to shop.

Lunch: Ruby Tuesdays, Niceville General Membership Meeting

November 12th

9am

Extension Annex, Ft. Walton

USDA

Energy Initiative

Workshops

November 18 & 19

Click on the image

for information

55

What? A fern that produces flowers, although un-

impressive, and bright red berries? In this case

foxtail asparagus fern, also called "florist fern,"

isn't a fern at all. It is a member of the lily family

which encompasses tulips, daylilies, hostas and

amaryllis.

Asparagus densiflorus ’Meyersii’ is an evergreen

plant with its bushy, trailing, graceful branches

and looks great draped over a retaining wall, or in

a hanging basket. The University of Florida states

it is also used all over the country as an ornamen-

tal for borders and ground covers. The colorful

berries provide a very interesting menu for birds

who deposit seeds capable of producing unwanted

new plants in natural areas in Florida.

This plant is native to South Africa and now has

the distinction of being listed as a Category II in-

vasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.

The first step in controlling the spread of the as-

paragus fern is to prevent its sale, propagation and

planting.

The concern is that it has been found in colonies

which invade forest systems and take over native

plant species. In a publication by the University of

Florida, the following statement was made.

"Asparagus fern has the potential to be similar to

climbing asparagus, with the potential to smother

the forest understory and prevent regeneration of

canopy species.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture rates its har-

diness for zones 9 through 11. Natural areas

throughout Florida which have been impacted in-

clude Hillsborough, Lee and Polk counties proba-

bly due to the fact that the plants are drought re-

sistant, tough and obviously require low mainte-

nance in shaded areas.

One way to make use of the greenery and protect

the environment, is to grow this plant indoors. If

you are interested in growing the foxtail asparagus

fern for greenery in cut flower arrangements for

your home, the plume-like foliage can last for 2-3

weeks before yellowing. Since it is considered an

invasive species in Florida, you would not be al-

lowed to use any part of it in chapter, garden club,

or federation flower shows.

References

Asparagus fern: Invasive Plant Management Plan-

Florida Invasive http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/54

Florida Invasive Plant Education Initiative in the

Parks http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/parks/

asparagusfern.htmI

Gardening Know How: Foxtail Asparagus Ferns-

Information on the Care of Foxtail Fern

Duvauchelle, Joshua. Care of Foxtail Ferns

University of Florida IFAS, Asparagaceae

Dave's Garden, Plant Files: Foxtail Fern, Aspara-

gus densiflorus 'Meyersii’

Image from leon.ifas.ufl.edu

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

DANGEROUS PLANT...DECEPTIVE NAME by A. Rosati

66

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

BMP FOR WEEDS by L. Morris

What are safe-best-management practices for warm season grasses inundated with weeds in and around ornamental beds?

Weed growth habits are good indicators of HOW to treat varying types of weeds.

Broadleaves or dicotyledonous plants have two cotyledons(seed leaves) when the weed seed germinates. True leaves have net-like veins and usually have showy flowers. Typical examples include clovers, chickweed, Florida pusley.

Grasses are monocotyledonous plants that have only one coty-ledon, or seed leaf, present when seedlings emerge from the soil. Grasses have hollow, rounded stems with nodes (joints) and par-allel veins in their true leaves. Examples include crabgrass, tor-pedo grass, etc.

Sedges/Rushes have triangular-shaped, solid stems, while rush stems are round and solid. Both favor a moist habitat. Ex-amples are yellow and purple nutsedge and perennial kyllinga.

Weeds also can be classified by their life cycles.

Annual weeds complete life cycles in one growing season. Summer annuals complete life cycles from summer to fall.

Carolina false dandelion and cudweed are examples of biennial weeds which in their second year mature, produce seed and die.

Weeds that live more than two years are perennials. Reproduc-tion takes place using tubers, bulbs, rhizomes or stolens. Some also can produce seeds in addition to vegetative reproduction. In winter they live in a dormant state and may lose their familiar ground foliage and stems. These weeds are very difficult to elimi-nate. Torpedograss, nutsedge and various vines are members. Florida betony is a perennial weed that under sub-tropical cli-mate, initiates its growth in the fall, grows during the winter months and goes dormant during the heat of the summer but stays alive.

Pre-emergent herbicides are safer than Post-emergent herbi-cides. This layer that is laid down forms a protective coating as a deterrent to seedlings emerging; usually needs watered in to be effective. If you have kids, adults, dogs, cats etc., breaking that

Photo from okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu

barrier it is not as effective.

Post-emergent herbicides are most effective when applied to small, actively growing weeds; must remain on weed foliage one or more hours to be effective.

Do not use weed and feed herbicides in landscape beds. A drop spreader minimizes damage to ornamentals when going around beds.

Hand weeding, reducing irrigation, dense planting, well-maintained turf, weed-free transplants, organic mulch (pine straw, pine bark, straw, wood chips, etc.) synthetic mulch (plastic films, landscape fabrics, etc.) are several non-chemical methods of reducing or eliminating weeds.

Ref: Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants;

The Jokester

Pew Perspectives

Ladies, don’t forget the garage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping

around the house. Bring your husbands.

Angel Trumpets

like cooler weather!

Photo courtesy of

D. Hickenbotham

77

Invasive and Non-native Plants You Should Know, Northwest Florida.

IFAS experts have assembled these 3.75"x6" laminated cards to help

professionals, students, and the general public learn to recognize 31 of

the non-native and invasive plant species found in northwest Florida.

All of these plant species are currently targeted by the Florida Depart-

ment of Environmental Protection for control in public waters and con-

servation lands in northwest Florida.

The front of each plant card features a color photograph and plant

name to help with visual recognition, and the back contains informa-

tion about the plant's overall appearance, leaves, flowers, fruit, ecologi-

cal threat, and distribution. Alphabetized by scientific name, the cards

are bound with a metal clasping ring that allows you to remove, add, or

reorganize the cards to fit your specific needs.

This lavish set is made up of 31 plant cards and 9 informational cards

including a glossary of plant terminology; a list of plants by common

and scientific names; a labeled set of illustrated plant parts; and a bibli-

ography. A handy ruler is provided on the last card.

This set is available through the UF/IFAS Bookstore, Item #SP437 and

the cost is $20. A full set of 80 ID cars is also available (this set covers all regions in Florida) as Item # SP431 and the

cost is $35.

THIS SET IS ONLY AVAILABLE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

THE SET HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED!

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

BOOK REVIEW by M. Stewart

The Jokester

If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

Full pitcher plant

‘pond’

Photo courtesy of

D. Hickenbotham

88

AIR POTATO by D. Stever

Dioscorea bulbifera, the air potato, is a true yam. It is a

perennial vine with broad leaves and two types of storage or-

gans. The plant forms bulbils in the leaf axils of the twining

stems, and tubers beneath the ground.

New plants develop from the bulbils that form on the plant, and

these bulbils serve as a means of dispersal. The primary means

of spread and reproduction are via bulbils. The smallest bulbils

make control of air potato difficult due to their ability to sprout

at a very small stage. A distinguishing characteristic of air potato

is that all leaf veins arise from the leaf base, unlike other herba-

ceous vines such as smilax and morning glories. Flowers are in-

conspicuous, arising from leaf axils in panicles 4 inches long,

and are fairly uncommon in Florida. http://

www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database

A native to tropical Asia, air potato, Dioscorea bulbifera, was

first introduced to the Americas from Africa. In 1905 it was in-

troduced to Florida. Due to its ability to displace native species

and disrupt natural processes such as fire and water flow, air

potato has been listed as one of Florida’s most invasive plant

species since 1993, and was placed on the Florida Noxious Weed

List by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer

Services in 1999 (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/133)

Air potato can grow extremely quickly, roughly 8 inches per day,

and eventually reach over 60 feet long. It typically climbs to the

tops of trees and has a tendency to take over native plants.

An alternative planting is Florida Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia

maxima), other alternatives can be found at Flowering Vines for

Florida (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg097).

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

WILDLIFE HAPPENINGS courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension

November has arrived! Here are wildlife happenings to look for

this month.

Birds:

*Cedar waxwings come south for the winter.

*Look for downy, hairy, red-bellied, and redheaded woodpeck-

ers.

*Bald eagles begin their nesting season.

*Sandhill cranes return in full force from their breeding grounds

up north.

*Many yellow-rumped warblers , palm warblers and gray cat-

birds have arrived.

*Kinglets, phoebes, robins, and other northern songbirds arrive

for the winter.

Mammals:

*Peak of deer rutting season.

*Bears are on the move.

*Manatees begin to move to relatively warmer waters at springs.

*Look for migrating Hoary and Red Bats.

Amphibians:

*Ornate chorus frogs begin calling.

Fish:

*Spotted sea trout should enter tidal creeks around Thanksgiv-

ing.

Now is when you want to set up the winter seed and suet feeders.

Hollies, cherry laurels, privet, and other fruit plants will attract

Cedar waxwings. Bald eagles will be putting on quite the air

show with their spectacular aerial courtship displays. Only a

small number of Sandhill cranes live here year round so this is

the month to spot this majestic bird.

Since our bears will be on the move, keep an eye out while driv-

ing. Boaters be aware of speed zones and keep an eye out for

migrating manatees.

Did you ever wonder how your landscaping affects wildlife? You

can help find out by participating in a citizen-based bird-

monitoring program. The Florida Bird Monitoring Program is a

website where you can enter your bird survey data and view re-

sults from participants across Florida. If you are interested in

this program, go to http://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/birds/ and check out

how to sign up .

99

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

UPDATES AND INFO by Editorial Staff

A reminder to check out the Master Gardener program on Crest-

view Television! We have some new videos up there! http://

www.cvctv.info/channel.cfm?category=The%20Master%

20Gardener&id=4430

UPDATED PUBLICATIONS

*Sugarcane Ratoon Stunting—3 page fact sheet describing symp-toms, causal agent, prevention and control. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc002

*Controlled-Release and Slow-Release Fertilizers as Nutrient Management Tools—6 page fact sheet focusing on how to select the right fertilizer to enhance profitability and satisfy BMPs. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1255

*Sensation™ brand ‘Florida127’ Strawberry—4 page fact sheet providing information and recommendations. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1256

*New Sources of Southern Chinch Bug Resistance in St. Augusti-negrass—4 page fact sheet reporting on the results of a prelimi-nary screening to detect resistance to chinch bugs. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1239

*An Overview of US Blueberry Production, Trade, and Consump-tion, with Special Reference to Florida—8 page fact sheet provid-ing updated information about recent trends in blueberry pro-duction, consumption, and trade for the US market. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe952

*Description of Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilizers for Use in Vege-table Production—9 page fact sheet. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1247

*Extension and Community Resilience: Improving Community Disaster Preparedness Using Online Resources—4 page fact sheet describing supplemental educational materials that can be added to community resiliency training, offering background information and specific tools for disaster preparation. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc187

RECENT ARTICLES

*Splitting in Dooryard Citrus . http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/

hort/2014/10/28/fruit-splitting-in-dooryard-citrus/

*Insects Take a Break in Winter. http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2014/10/28/insects-take-a-break-in-winter/

*Paraná Pine, An Ancient-Looking Conifer for Modern Land-scapes. http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2014/10/28/parana-pine-araucaria-angustifolia-an-ancient-looking-conifer-for-modern-landscapes/

TIMELY

Controlling Mildew. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy796

Protecting ornamental plants from the cold. http://

www.solutionsforyourlife.com/hot_topics/agriculture/

cold_protection_of_ornamental_plants.html

COOL STUFF YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

It can be hard to remember what produce is in season when. Es-

pecially if you want to stock up on a particular item, when is the

peak of the season? There is a helpful chart, Eating in Season:

Produce Availability in Florida. You can download this .pdf and

check it out prior to hitting the produce aisle or the farmer’s mar-

ket. http://www.solutionsforyourlife.com/images/

Eating_In_Season%20Graphic.pdf

There is a Florida Friendly web application. The cost is $1.99 a year.

This gives you access to over 400 plants. You’ll always be able to im-

mediately check ‘right plant-right place’ from your phone or tablet.

https://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/guide/about

The gardening solutions web site has lots of good information. There

are also ’info-graphics’ that you can download. They are done in a

monthly format and cover what is blooming in a particular month. An-other monthly graphic lists edibles to plant that month. There are sev-

eral other graphics as well covering air potato (see this publication’s

article on air potato to see it), mosquito control and many more. http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/plant-of-the-month/infographics.html

We have a plethora of wildflowers. Save this link for access to a

searchable database of wildflowers AND butterflies. http://

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/

Would you really like to grow pumpkins? How about one that takes the summer heat and humidity in stride? Not to mention, relatively pest–

and disease-free? Then consider the Seminole pumpkin. http://

gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/seminole-

pumpkin.

Okay folks. We live in a digital age. We have information out there, in

many locations. Have you considered what happens to that information when we go to that great garden in the sky? Check out https://

www.yahoo.com/tech/heres-what-happens-to-your-data-after-you-die-

101447039569.html This article covers many of the on-line venues that

people frequent as well as providing good advice for advance prepara-

tions.

Demonstration gardens in the University of Florida Cooperative Ex-

tension Service http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep108

The Jokester

Decafalon (n.):

The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

1010

ALL A-BUZZ by P. Garrett

This month, we will continue our discussion on bee biology and Caste III, the worker honeybee. (Caste I, the queen and Caste II, the drone were studied in last month’s issue).

I can guarantee you, with 100% surety, that any honeybee you see foraging on a flower will be a worker bee, which we all know by now is a female! Impress your friends and family by stating this random fact when the opportunity arises.

Our beloved workers do not begin life as foragers, but tragically they will die as foragers.

Temporal polyethism. Simply defined, temporal = time, poly = many and ethism = behavior. A worker bee’s job changes as she ages, and roles are based on the juvenile hormone present in her body. Different glands de-velop which also signal a job change. As they progress and age, worker bees gradually move toward the entrance of the hive.

The very first job a worker bee has upon emergence from the cell is that of a CLEANER BEE. That is, of course, after begging for food from older bees. She soon learns to find stored pol-len (rich in protein) for herself. The ‘newbees’ (pun intended) are found in the brood area, where it is safe and warm, where they proceed to clean out all the cells where the pupa have emerged.

As mentioned, after a few days, probably about 6, her glands mature (hypopharangeal and mandibular) and she begins feeding older worker larvae a honey and pollen mixture. She also can feed the queen and begin to groom, remove waste and pick up after the queen (as an attendant). It is now that we call her a NURSE BEE.

Her next role is that of a HONEY PRODUCER. She migrates toward the entrance and receives nectar from foragers. After mixing the nectar she received with enzymes (active evapora-tion), the nectar will be placed in a cell where she fans her wings (passive evaporation). Fully ripened honey will ultimately be capped with wax and sealed.

Ever wondered how wax is produced? Workers have special wax glands on the sides of their body and after 12 days, may be con-sidered WAX PRODUCERS. Four sets of glands secrete “sheets” of wax, which the worker then takes, mixes it with her saliva, and manipulates it with her mandible. Now, new wax is ready for building new comb or capping cells.

After 14-21 days, workers will do orientation flights around the colony, as her flight muscles are developed fully by now. She is now able to defend the hive!

There are about 100 or so workers that GUARD the hive. De-pending on how large a threat is perceived, many more workers can become guards. In fact, workers are able to switch back and forth between various roles/jobs, depending on the needs of the colony. Guards begin at around 18-24 days. Each hive has a unique, distinct odor, so the guards know when an intruder tries to enter. Occasionally, I have seen yellow jackets attempt to en-ter the hive and it is amazing to watch the worker bees wrestle around with the intruder, trying to sting or even bite it.

Finally we arrive at a worker bee’s final task. That of a forager. Usually beginning at 3-4 weeks of age, but sooner if needs war-rant. She may be a SCOUT BEE, looking for new sources of wa-

ter, pollen, nectar or propolis (plant resin – more about this mysterious substance another day). Scout bees are guided to seek out food by the aroma, color, shape or markings on flowers. They communicate by doing the “wiggle” dance on the frame (the dance floor) notify-ing other FORAGERS of the lo-cation of the bounty and whether it is a good location by the inten-sity of the dance and her level of excitement. There is SO much more to foraging behaviors, but due to space I cannot cover here. Additionally, there are many wonderful publications and the first one I would recommend is (don’t chuckle, well you can if you want to) BEEKEEPING FOR DUMMIES. Seriously it's not too bad!

Can you imagine a greater love than to sacrifice oneself for the good of the colony? I reminisce on my first year of beekeeping and how heartbreaking it was for me to watch a “girl” crawling back toward her hive at the end

of the day, her wings tattered, ants covering her. I often would pick her up, to see if she had any life left in her. Could she fly again? I wanted to put her back on the ledge of the hive en-trance, but I had no idea to know which hive she belonged. So after many times of observing what seemed to be an agonizing death, I started my mercy killings. All the while appreciating each one for her gifts, and for her sacrifice.

Such a short life, five to six weeks … again, a big thank you to our beloved honeybee, Apis Mellifera.

Sources: University of Florida Dr. Jamie Ellis, Dept. of Entomology & Nematology Biology of the Honey Bee 11/18/2011

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

1111

CONTEST

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014

DON’T FORGET!

We now have a full calendar on our member web-site! Click on the event and any additional infor-

mation will be posted for that event. This calendar is updated constantly so check back often.

www.ocmgamembers.org/Calendar.html

Last month we asked the question...Who is this? We had a cou-

ple of guesses but only one correct

answer! Congratulations B.

Buckellew! Who was it? Our very

own E. Smith seen here during

phenology training.

So what’s on tap for this

month? We received a photo

and this time it is called….What

am I?

If you find this in your bower, it

might not be a flower! While

this image is pretty, it will make

things look…...bad.

Entries are due no later than midnight November 30th.

You can send in your submissions via email here

Only one entry per person. Winners of the previous

month are not eligible this time. As always, if the person

submitting the photo stumps everyone, they receive the prize for

the month. The winner will be announced at December’s meet-

ing!

Do you have something you think could stump everyone? Send

in your pictures or perhaps you have a riddle?

Go ahead, can’t hurt to guess.

P. Collins

H. Gifford

M. Harrison

L. Leon

J. Martin

C. Moody

1212

Your member site:

www.ocmgamembers.org

The Foundation for the Gator

Nation.....An equal opportunity

institution.

Have pictures or an idea for

an article?

Send it in!

Articles and pictures are

always welcome.

I have a pair of garden pants that I really,

really like. They fit great for about 5 min-

utes after they come out of the dryer. After

walking about 3 feet, said pants begin a

downward migration. Sort of like the swal-

lows heading back to Capistrano….only

slower and without a sound track. It does-

n’t help that I have a habit of shoving

things in my pockets. Knife, string, la-

bels...hey! You never know when you

might need these things. Besides, who has

the time to grab the tool bucket with the

$39 ‘bucket buddy’? Hmm?

The result is a serious case of droopy

drawers and the distinct possibility of

‘gardener’s gap.’ Gardener’s gap is a not-

too-distant relative of plumber’s butt. You

get the picture, albeit not a pretty one.

Why don’t I wear a belt, you might ask. I

think about it. Honestly, I really do think

about it. I think about it after about the 6th

time of hoisting my britches. By that time,

I’m filthy dirty (hey—I’m closer to the

ground that most of you so I’m entitled to

get more dirt on me) besides, the dirt will

inevitably fall off of me and leave a trail

through the house...that means more work

and a not-so-happy-Happy Hubby. Not to

mention that by this point I am almost

done with the project I was working

on...okay almost done is a stretch but who

wants to stop by this point...you’re in the

gardening groove! ...so why stop and go get

a belt?

This has gone on for quite a while. I’ve

stumbled and drooped my way through

many ‘moons’ of gardening in these pants.

They are old friends. I will tell you this, I

hate to discard something that (a) cost

quite a bit and (b) still has use left in it. I

have been known to wear a pair of sneak-

ers until the sole literally falls off and hot

glue will no longer fix them. Likewise, with

pants, excluding an occasional bout of gar-

dener’s gap, there are no unseemly body

parts are visible. The pockets are still rela-

tively intact. So I keep wearing them. At

this rate, I figure the pants will succumb to

overuse some time in the year 2020.

Finally, Happy Hubby, after witnessing

this predicament for several years and re-

alizing that paragraph 6 of the marriage

contract stated quite clearly that it is the

wife’s duty NOT to listen to him when it

comes to certain things (he STILL violates

paragraph 9 which states that the husband

is NEVER right...sigh...some men never

learn) presented me with an early Christ-

mas present. My very own pair of VERY

bright, rainbow colored suspenders! What

a nifty invention! You clip these suckers

on, front and back and Viola! No more

hitchin’ britches!

No longer will I face drafty breezes and

pine straw in places one should never have

pine straw. I’m the fashionista of the gar-

den now. Rainbow suspenders, combat

boots, ratty t-shirt, and camouflage pants.

Yes indeed. A vision of beauty (so says

Happy Hubby).

I will admit that these suspenders do have

a couple of drawbacks. They are elastic. As

in, get snagged on a bush and not realize it

and you could conceivably end up being

snapped into the next yard without batting

an eye. Note to self: When adjusting said

suspenders do not pull them out from your

body any distance and then release

quickly. Those metal alligator slides

HURT!

Also, you really need to remember that

these are attached when you, ummm, need

to ‘take a break’ as it were. Depending on

the urgency of your ‘break’ it can get a tad

dicey.

Laundering is another issue I have yet to

figure out. Insertion into either the washer

or the dryer results in the laundry room

sounding like a herd of Clydesdales are

impersonating River Dance. Not to men-

tion the impact this occurrence makes on

the furry denizens of this household.

Minor details I’m sure. Nothing is going

to lessen my sublime bliss at having non-

saggy pantaloons. No longer will I fear that

someone will enter the yard at the wrong

moment. No more will plant parts have

access to restricted areas!

I wonder if there are suspender accesso-

ries? A handy Velcro pocket for those easy

to lose items. Hmmmm. Have to check on

that. Now, if I can just find some socks to

match my Rainbow Brite suspenders, I will

be all set!

M. Stewart —Editor

S. Farrell , K. Harper and S.

Berry—co-editors

LAST WORD By M. Stewart

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication November, 2014