Have a great holiday season! We look forward to seeing you again when we meet in January. Stay tuned for more information.
Volunteers Recognized, Funds Raised at First In-Person Annual Meeting since 2019
Back Together Again!
It was a great turnout of Master Gardeners on Sunday, November 6 when MGANM members, the MGANM board and MSUE joined together for our volunteer recognition luncheon.
There was lots to celebrate including:
The addition of a new board member, Barbara Backus who joins the MGANM leadership as a director. We still have a board opening for a president but Sue Hudnut has agreed to stay on until someone steps up to fill that role.
This year's service award went to Sue Newman for all her work over the past few years in a variety of roles including presenter, writer, committee member, board member AND great gardener.
The meeting also made it possible to recognize those who volunteers who worked on the Clinch Park and Hull Park Gardens and who kept the downtown Traverse City pollinator boxes. Their results are both beautiful and educational.
Larry Webb, who won our early membership renewal raffle, and received a $50.00 gift certificate to Garden Goods.
We raised over $1,200 toward the MGANM scholarship endowment fund through our silent auction.
Pictured right: Sue Newman with her award. Below: MGANM members enjoy this year's annual meeting celebration.
Our lunch was catered by Taproot and, as always, featured tasty and unique dishes including the chickpea and squash curry and pumpkin cake for dessert.
Thanks to everyone! Remember, there is no member meeting in December. Happy Holidays!
Reporting Closed December 1
The deadline for reporting volunteer hours has closed so you will no longer be able to enter hours in 2022. The deadline for reporting hours to Volunteer Central was December 1, 2022.
MSUE staff are reviewing EMG records to determine who is eligible to recertify for 2023. Recertification is scheduled to open on January 11, 2023. Look for instructions to be sent via email in late December or early January.
If you are eligible for recertification in 2023 here are some things you need to know:
New Projects: You may submit new projects for approval via the link on your dashboard. You will be able to enter hours for approved projects when Volunteer Central reopens in March 2023.
Education and Volunteer Hours: Hours earned between December 1-31, 2022 can be entered into Volunteer Central when it reopens in March 2023. Be sure to track your December, January and March hours for entry into Volunteer Central. All will be applied to your 2023 totals.
MGANM Committee Volunteers Needed!
Want to earn more volunteer hours? In addition to project work consider joining an MGANM committee, especially The Real Dirt.
Work as an MGANM committee volunteer counts toward your yearly re-certification just as project work does. To volunteer just respond to this email.
What are Water Sprouts and Suckers on Trees?
By Michael O'Brien, AMG
Both water sprouts and suckers are, for the most part, undesirable growth. Not all trees grow sprouts and suckers. Many fruit trees, ornamentals and grafted tress will be susceptible to this type of growth.
Water sprouts are buds on branches that start growing straight up and their growth rate is quite vigorous. Suckers can grow from the base of the trunk, they can also grow from roots that are close to the surface.
Sometimes when a tree is grafted new shoots will develop below the graft point. That area below the graft point is called the stock and the part above the stock is what is called the scion. Many times the stock will grow suckers. These suckers are a different variety of the species than the scion. The scion is the desired tree. When suckers grow on the stock they can drain the energy and nutrients from the desired tree. If these suckers are allowed to continue to grow they will produce a different variety tree and the scion could die.
This summer I experienced, repeatedly, children looking for BUGS. Between grands wanting to go bug hunting and 4-H children excited by every sighting, I began to focus on those creatures along with my plants. Even in the smallest space, I became amazed by the diversity. Here’s a little slice of what appears when looking closer.
My herb garden is nestled between the driveway, entryway walk and corner of the house with an open, southeasterly exposure. It features a raised, stone curve in the center. There is bee balm and a variety of mints along the foundation with tarragon, sage, and thyme in the curve. Chives, fennel, rue, lavender, and borage mix with other annuals. From the start, I’ve enjoyed the sweet breeze entering my home and the flavor the herbs added to my meals. I now appreciated the visitors just as much, and here are a few of those observed during October and early November. (Apologies for the quality, or lack there of, in my photographic skills.)
It was a joy to watch the Bumble Bees, Genus Bombus, moving over everything from chives to mints. While I continued to watch their soft, round body, I saw their setae covered in pollen. I then watched them work that pollen into a pollen basket on the hind legs. Listening, exposed another of their pollination secrets, Buzz pollination.
Click here to read the rest of Sue's story and look to the right and below to see her capture of the many things she spotted in the herb garden!
Much Ado About Nothing
Leafy Gall in Dahlias? A Growing Experience
By Shari Froelich, EMG Trainee
In the cut flower growing world, dahlias are the current darlings. There are numerous colors, shapes, corms and sizes which add to their appeal. Several are coveted cultivars and are very difficult to find and, consequently, quite expensive.
The upside is that once a dahlia tuber is obtained, the tubers multiply through the season and if you’re lucky you’ll be rewarded with as many as 10-15 tubers with “eyes” – the potential shoots for new stems for next year’s planting. Another aspect is that if you pre-sprout a tuber early enough in the growing season you can also take cuttings and double or triple the number of plants that you have for that particular year.
Fortunately, the cloning process is relatively easy, but waiting and timing are critical. Dahlia tubers are planted after the last frost and should be planted at least 12-18” apart.
As mentioned previously, there are many sizes, ranging from decorative border type and are not suitable for cut flower use as they only grow about a foot tall. Cut flower varieties can grow as highly as 6 ½-7’ tall and need space to grow and breathe. Staking and netting or corralling should be done at the same time of planting as the plants will potentially get very too heavy once blooming and branches can easily get broken. Even certain soils like mine which is mostly clay, once saturated, the plants topple over. High wind conditions can result in the branch breakage as well as toppling over.
Click here to continue reading this article and to see links to research resources and to more dahlia photos.
n pollen. I then watched them work that pollen into a pollen basket on the hind legs. Listening, exposed another of their pollination secrets, Buzz pollination. 
