MSMA Use

From Dr. Aaron Patton's Turf Tips:

Continued use of MSMA

On January 16, 2009, the MAA Research Task Force (Task Force) signed an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which permits the continued use of MSMA. The details of the agreement and the conditions set forth for the various uses of the product are summarized below.

MSMA Use on Golf Courses, Sod Farms and Highway Rights of Way will be Continued

MSMA sale for the use on golf courses, sod farms and highway rights of way will continue until December 31, 2012, with use of stocks permitted until December 31, 2013. During 2012 (before the discontinuation of these uses), EPA, through one of the Agency’s external peer-review groups, will evaluate the scientific information available on any risk posed by inorganic arsenic. The use of MSMA will continue beyond 2013 should the review result in a conclusion that there is no health concern at the doses of exposure resulting from the relevant uses. EPA will also take into account additional information available on the benefits conferred by MSMA. This is particularly important due to the increased problems of weed resistance to products other than MSMA, particularly in the Southeastern United States.

Certain uses of MSMA will not be permitted after December 31, 2010 (sale of MSMA
for these used will stop on December 31, 2009).

Those uses are:
• Residential turf (This is inclusive of sports fields and park areas)
• Drainage ditch banks, railroad, pipeline, and utility rights of way, fence rows, storage yards and similar non-crop areas

The Long Term Outlook for Uses of MSMA Other than Cotton:
The Task Force strongly believes that there is growing scientific evidence that low doses of inorganic arsenic do not pose a concern to human health or to the environment. If an EPA science review, to convene in 2012, concurs with this position, then inorganic arsenic resulting from uses of MSMA will not pose a concern, and the Task Force will petition for restoration of some or all of MSMA uses.

Mexican Jumping Bean

Here's a clip from the BBC all about the Mexican Jumping Bean.

As is usual BBC documentary practice, it's very dramatic...in a quirky, British way.

Lawn and Garden Show Board Meetings

Lawn and Garden Show board meetings are open to the public, especially MGs. If you would like to drop, in the meetings are held at the Dallas Branch library in Fort Smith at 5:30. They are usually the 3rd Monday of the month.

The schedule is 8/17, 10/19, 11/16 (you can help with vendor packets), 1/18 (locattion TBA) 2/8, 2/22, 3/1 and 3/15.

"Hot" Plants for Ark. Landscapes

New "HOT" Plants for Arkansas Landscapes
July 7, 2009
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Garvan Woodland Gardens

Enjoy a light summer supper and refreshing beverages before learning about the new "hot" plant that have become welcomed additions for color and durability in Arknasas' varied landscapes, including annuals, perennials, and shrubs.

5:30 pm - 6:30pm Summer supper on the promenmade
6:45pm - 7:30pm "Hot," New Annuals - Shane Reynolds, Owner Reynolds Greenhouses
7:30 - 8:00pm Proven, Popular Perennials - Janet Carson, U of A Cooperative Extension Service
8:30pm - 9:00pm Wrap-up / Q&A

Cost: Garvan Woodland Garden Members - $40; Non-members - $55.
Advance reservations and pre-payment required. Call the gardens at 501-262-9300/ 800-366-4664 tor reserve space.

Pins and Awards

Wouldn't you know it: the awards and pins for years of service arrived the day after the picnic. I have them for everyone now. I will bring them to the July meeting.

A special shout-out to MG Nancy Reynolds who got her Life Member this year.

Open House Attendance

According to our records, 125 signed in at our open house, including MGs. I'd bet there were several that didn't sign in so I think we're closer to 150.

GOOD JOB!

Learning Fields Open House

Thank you to all the Master Gardeners who worked out at the Learning Fields both this weekend and in the weeks leading up to it. I am very pleased with our turnout and I think the place looked great. I'm looking forward to next year's field day.

Soon, maybe in a few weeks, I'll be doing a propagation class. I'll have details (I hope) at the July MG meeting.

Brown Recluse Spiders Ignore Social Status

By Robert Seay

Each year, some people with pest problems hesitate to call their county extension agent for help because they’re embarrassed and feel like others will peg them as being on a lower rung of the social ladder. Ants, cockroaches, fleas, head lice, pantry insects and the brown recluse spider seem to be pests some people wish to discuss quietly, in hopes the neighbors won’t hear.

The good, or bad, news is that each of these pests can be found in just about any home, regardless of the social status of the owner. The brown recluse, one of only two poisonous spiders in Arkansas, has re-entered the spotlight recently simply because, well, its spring and time for it to be on the prowl.

The recluse has a couple of good traits. One good trait is its desire to stay out of sight (hence their name). Its nocturnal hunting habit is one reason they tend to come into contact with people. Another good trait is the brown recluse is cannibalistic, which helps control its own population to some degree.

A recent search through several storage boxes in the barn revealed some newly hatched brown recluse spiders, reminding me to initiate control measures. At the same time, it reminded me that our storage habits, whether barn, closet, attic, etc., create the ideal environment for this particular spider.

If a population is present, a combination of practices is generally required to achieve satisfactory control. A number of pyrethroid insecticides, such as cyfluthrin and cypermethrin, are particularly effective against the brown recluse as well as being user friendly to homeowners. However, recluse control may require partial sacrifice due to our habit of saving and storing everything we’ve acquired since grade school. This acquired wealth stored in boxes and bags has created the ideal location for this spider to set up housekeeping. These are also very difficult areas to effectively treat with insecticide, which means the spider’s home base goes untouched.

I like to use sticky traps to monitor the presence of brown recluse throughout the year. Placed along the baseboard beneath a couch, bed or in the back of a closet, this is an inexpensive method to stay advised of the presence or movements of the brown recluse or other household pests.

Another added bonus of these out-of-the-way traps is that your neighbors, relatives or other visitors will never know unless, of course, you tell them!

Linnaeus Invented That??

Carl Linnaeus is most famous as the father of modern taxonomy. What’s not so well known is that in his effort to manage vast amounts of data, he came up with a revolutionary invention: the index card.

Read more here.

How Snakes Move?

Ever wonder how snakes are so good at slithering away from you when you're holding that shovel waiting to chop its head off?

Thankfully, scientists now have an answer:

Scientists had previously assumed that the limbless reptiles move by pushing against objects, such as as twigs and rocks. New research confirms that friction is indeed at work but instead at a microscopic scale: The snakes' overlapping belly scales react against uneven areas on the ground...

Read article and see pix at National Geographic.

Maple Seed Flight Aerodynamics

Scientific American Online has a little podcast (audio) about the aerodynamics of a maple seed's flight.

Audio.

Text.

Plant of the Week: Larkspur

By Dr. Gerald Klingaman

Late spring is a time of transition in the garden.  The showy spectacle of springtime bloom is over and the summer annuals have not yet filled in to provide the backdrop of color for the warm months.  It’s during this period that larkspur (Consolida ajacis) provides a rich palette of color to fill the void.

Larkspurs are winter annuals closely related to their perennial cousins, the Delphiniums.  These tough, easy-to-grow annuals have a decidedly erect habit of growth with strong stems growing about 3 feet tall.  This species, in its wild form, has only a single stem and is the “rocket” larkspur, whereas most of the branched hybrids incorporate genes from the branched larkspur, C. regalis.  Larkspur foliage is deeply dissected and lacy.  

Flowers are in shades of blue, violet, pink or white and appear up the stems during the last days of spring.  Both single and double forms are available.  In northern areas, larkspurs will bloom during the summer season, but in southern gardens most of the display is concentrated in May and June.  The showy parts of the flower are the five sepals with the true petals reduced to a small cluster in the center of the bloom.  A long, nectary spur protrudes backwards from the flower and serves as an enticement for visiting pollinators.  Delphiniums belong to the buttercup family.

  

Three species of larkspurs were introduced into English gardens from Italy between 1550 and 1573.  They became instant hits and were frequently used in the first wave of pleasure gardens built during this period.  They were introduced into American gardens during the pre-Revolutionary era. 

 

As with most plants grown in gardens during this period, gardeners experimented with them to find medicinal uses.  Larkspur was thought to strengthen eyesight, being so effective that even looking at them was said to improve vision.  Who would need a better excuse for growing these showy annuals?

Whereas delphiniums have a reputation for being difficult to grow, larkspurs are considered easy – some would even say weedy.  They produce copious amounts of seed and can become a permanent part of the garden, reseeding freely each year.  Any unwanted seedlings are easily removed or relocated.

 

In southern gardens, larkspur seeds are best planted in September and October for spring bloom. When planting scatter seeds thinly in open areas in a fertile, uniformly moist bed.  They must have full sun.  

Larkspur is a natural for including amongst bulb plantings, as a companion to roses or in the perennial border where gaps periodically occur.  They also make good cut flowers.

Map to the Learning Fields

Maps and directions to the Learning Fields are online, but for your convenience I've placed them here, too.


View Larger Map

And here's a link you can email someone.

Learning Fields Website Updated

I just updated the Learning Fields's webpage. Still not a full-blown site, but it's better.

www.learningfields.net

Master Gardener Application

Applications for the 2009 class are available: Deadline is July 7 to the Fort Smith office. Cost will be $75.

2009 Master Gardener Application

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