Pruning class set at UGA garden in Griffin

EVENT DATE: Feb. 25, 2011 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Learn to prune fruit trees and ornamentals at an upcoming course offered on the University of Georgia campus in Griffin, Ga. The course will be offered Feb. 25 and March 4.

In addition to proper pruning techniques, participants will learn what equipment to use, when to prune certain plants and techniques for creating a professional looking landscape. Participants will also learn pest prevention through pruning.

Taught by Bob Westerfield, a consumer horticulturist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the class will consist of both indoor lectures and outside hands-on demonstrations.

The one-day class will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. either day at the UGA Research and Education Garden on Ellis Road in Griffin, Ga. The cost of the course is $39 and includes lunch and break refreshments. Pre-registration is required by calling (770) 233-5598.

By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia

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Georgia Forestry Commission Sets Traps for Destructive Forest Pests

Residents in 23 Georgia counties may soon notice the Georgia Forestry Commission erecting special insect traps in their neighborhood. The traps, which are mounted on trees and look like small paperboard tents, are designed to detect the tiny gypsy moth, which has destroyed thousands of acres of trees throughout the Northeastern United States.

“Gypsy moths will feed on any kind of tree species, but especially like oaks,” said Scott Griffin, Forest Health Specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC). “Through the end of May, GFC Professionals will be putting up 4,600 traps statewide. We’ll be targeting fast-growing counties and likely introduction sites, such as state parks, where visitors might inadvertently bring in the gypsy moth.”

The gypsy moth is a serious forest pest capable of causing severe damage to trees. There are currently no known gypsy moth infestations in Georgia; however, White, Fannin and Rockdale counties have recorded infestations in the past. Gypsy moths were caught in Glynn, Chatham and Morgan counties last year, so more intensive trapping is planned for these three counties to determine whether an infestation is beginning. The traps being erected by the GFC contain pheromone lures, which mimic what the female gypsy moth releases, and in turn lure male moths and catch them in a sticky trap. Gypsy moth larvae are the insect’s destructive life stage, which hatch and feed on trees’ young leaf sprouts in the spring.

“Gypsy moths can defoliate thousands of acres of trees in short order,” explained Griffin. “If we find evidence of even one moth, we start high intensity trapping where it was caught. We’re working hard to ensure this destructive pest does not invade Georgia’s 24.8 million acres of forest land.”

The 23 counties in which gypsy moth traps will be placed are: Brantley, Chatham, Clarke, Columbia, Dade, Effingham, Elbert, Floyd, Glynn, Houston, Laurens, Liberty, Macon, Monroe, Morgan, Putnam, Seminole, Talbot, Troup, Union, Wayne, White and Whitfield.

For more information about the gypsy moth or other forest pests, forest health, and the many services offered by the Georgia Forestry Commission, visit GaTrees.org.

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Dry food to preserve the harvest

Preserving produce doesn’t have to happen over a hot stove or by finding more room in the freezer. It can be as simple as slicing it, laying the slices in a dehydrator and storing the dried pieces.

“Some of the advantages to drying food is it’s inexpensive, no cost other than a little electricity if you use a dehydrator and packaging to store it because you can sit it out at room temperature,” said Elizabeth Andress, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension food safety specialist.

Dried food doesn’t have to be refrigerated because the moisture that would cause it to spoil has been pushed out.

Andress’s favorite foods to dry are apples, figs and pineapple. Last year, she experimented with drying Roma-type tomatoes, which she sliced and sprinkled with oregano.

“It smelled like a pizza kitchen when we were drying them,” she said. “They were great just eaten as is.”

It’s too humid in the Southeast to dry foods outside, Andress said. In other parts of the country, like California, people can lay their food out on a tray and place it in the sun.

From branch to shelf

Fruits are one of the easiest types of produce to dry. Unlike vegetables, which usually require blanching before they can be dried, fruits can be sliced and placed on a dehydrator.

But some fruits don’t work, like kiwi. “The slices ended up shrinking so much that it was just a mouthful of seeds,” she said.

To dry an apple or another fruit, follow these steps:

1. Choose good quality. If it’s moldy, mushy or browning, throw it out.

2. Wash the fruit, and slice it evenly. “The more even the width and sizes, the more even drying will be,” she said.

3. Place it on a tray in an electric dehydrator. If your oven can be programmed for low temperatures, you can use it. Set the dehydrator’s temperature at 140 F. Food dried at lower temperatures might never fully dry. At higher temperatures, it dries faster on the outside becoming hard but leaving the inside moist and likely to rot.

4. Wait a few hours and keep a close eye on the slices as they get nearer to the end of drying. Food close to being done will dry faster at the end than at the beginning.

5. Seal the finished pieces in freezer-weight plastic bag or in plastic storage boxes.

Follow the same steps with vegetables, except blanch them first. Blanching time depends on the vegetable. The only vegetables that don’t have to be blanched are onions, okra and peppers (all types).

“You might also want to use some pretreatments with light-colored fruits to prevent rapid browning,” Andress said.

Other foods that can be dried are meat jerky, seeds, herbs and greens like kale and collards. Foods can also be pureed and dried flat, much like Fruit Roll-Ups.

Health benefits

For people worried about preservatives, extra sugar or, in some cases, added oils, home-dried fruits and vegetables can be a healthier solution.

“One advantage to me of doing some of the fruits I like, like apples and pineapples, is sometimes commercially, they’ve added sugars and sugar coatings to them,” Andress said. ‘This way, you can just have them plain.”

As a diabetic, she says she still has to watch how much she eats. A whole dried apple has the same amount of sugar as a fresh apple; it just has a smaller volume.

It’s not just sugars that consumers have to consider. “Those hardened banana chips that you buy commercially often have some tropical oils in them, as well as sugar infused to give them that crispness,” she said. “Homemade bananas will be chewier, but you can get them in their natural forms without the additives.”

Using dried foods

Fruits can be mixed with nuts as a trail mix or eaten straight. So can homemade jerkies. Dried vegetables make a good starter for soup mix.

Drying “tends to be popular with people who do hiking and backpacking and kayaking and such,” Andress said. “A real advantage is the condensed volume, lighter weight and small storage space.”

For more information on drying food, visit www.homefoodpreservation.com.

By Stephanie Schupska
University of Georgia

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How To Have Healthy, Fresh Fruit Trees

(NAPSI)-You may love the idea of picking fresh oranges, apples or peaches right off your own fruit trees. If so, you should consider these tips to help ensure any fruit tree you buy is healthy and will reward you each year.

Preparing Your Garden

Fruit trees require adequate patience and preparation, from providing the right location and fertilization to proper pruning and pollination. The best locations are in full sun and will have well-drained soil. You should also protect them from strong winds. If space is limited, you might want to consider smaller trees that can be planted close together. Some dwarf trees can even be kept indoors in pots when the weather's really cold.

To provide proper pollination, consider the availability of natural pollinators in your area, such as wild honeybees, which have been in decline. Also, some varieties will produce fruit when pollinated by pollen from their own flowers ("self-fruitful"), while others require pollen from another variety ("self-unfruitful"). Combine different types of fruit trees that blossom in different seasons for fruit almost all year long.

Identifying a Healthy Tree

Once you've determined the right conditions, now you want to select a healthy tree. Keep in mind that many plants are prone to disease that can have devastating consequences. For example, Citrus Greening Disease is threatening all citrus fruit trees throughout the U.S. and could potentially affect the entire citrus industry. Trees infected with this disease produce misshapen fruit that remains green even when ripe. This disease will eventually kill the tree.

Knowing the Source

Because of diseases such as Citrus Greening, some plant purchases are restricted. The entire state of Florida is currently under federal quarantine and no citrus trees can be shipped from the state. Other states, such as Louisiana, have specific counties under quarantine. There are federal fines for shipping plants from quarantined areas, even when purchasing online.

Learning More

As with any plant, be prepared by doing your homework. Your state's agricultural cooperative extension office is a great resource to help ensure that you get trees from the right source. To get the facts on citrus plant quarantines, visit www.saveourcitrus.org.

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