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Feeding your hungry plants

by Ellen Barcel - April 1, 2016

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daffodils-w — Daffodil leaves need fertilizer during the growing season so as to build up the bulbs for the following season’s flowers. Photo by Ellen Barcel

By Ellen Barcel

Many years ago, someone in a class I was teaching on hydrangeas asked me, “You mean, you have to feed your plants?” besides controlling the soil pH. I was surprised. Yes, I told her. You have to put nutrients into the soil if you want most plants to grow and thrive. This is particularly important with Long Island’s sandy soil, which has little in the way of nutrients in it especially if you have little or no nutrient-rich topsoil.

So, how do you do this? Well, one of the easiest is to keep a compost pile and to apply compost liberally to your plants. Another is to use a fertilizer available in garden centers, some are organic and some are chemical. But, what exactly are you adding to your soil and therefore plants?

There are three main nutrients plants need: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). All three are needed for photosynthesis, that is, turning solar energy into plant matter.

Nitrogen helps with plant growth, encouraging leaf and stem growth. Too much nitrogen and plants will produce lots of leaves but little fruit. Legumes are nitrogen fixing plants, that is, they get their nitrogen from the air. Nitrogen fixing plants include peanuts, peas, bush beans, wisteria and clover. Note that many people try to get rid of clover in their lawns, but clover puts nitrogen into the soil naturally. Besides they have pretty little flowers.

Phosphorus encourages rapid growth, blooming and root growth while potassium helps in the fruit quality and reduction of plant diseases as well as overall plant vigor and pest resistance.

Feed and water your hydrangeas well to get a beautiful array of flowers. Photo by Ellen Barcel

You may see on chemical fertilizer packages numbers like 5-10-5. This means that the fertilizer contains 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus and 5 percent potassium. The rest is other nutrients and fillers. A package that says 10-20-10 is therefore 10 percent nitrogen, 20 percent phosphorus and 10 percent potassium. A complete fertilizer will have all three of these nutrients.

But there are also secondary nutrients that plants need including calcium, magnesium (part of chlorophyll in green plants), sulfur (improves root growth and seed production) as well as micronutrients. Lack of enough iron, for example, and the plant’s leaves will turn yellow.

A well-balanced commercial fertilizer will have all of these nutrients and micronutrients. If you are concerned that your soil, even amended with compost and/or fertilizer has the proper nutrients, there are test kits available in garden centers that will tell you how well your soil is doing. Or you could bring samples to Cornell Cooperative Extension, which will test for a wide variety of nutrients.

Soil pH is not a nutrient but a measure of how acidic or how alkaline soil is. Different plants need different soil pH levels to grow to their best potential. Normally, fertilizer will not contain any chemicals to change the soil pH, unless they specifically say so. For example, Miracid is a fertilizer that contains a chemical that will lower the soil pH. It should not be used on plants that require a neutral or alkaline soil, but on plants like rhodies, blueberries, pines etc., which thrive in an acidic soil.

If you are using potting soil for container gardens, read the package carefully. It will indicate whether it has any fertilizer in the soil and, if so, what and how much. It should also indicate how long the nutrients will last. Some even have watering crystals that hold excess water to be released when the soil itself dries out. Watering crystals will not last forever and may need to be replaced. Again, read the label.

The directions with chemical fertilizers will sometimes talk about foliar feeding, that is, mixing up liquid fertilizer and spraying it directly on the leaves of plants. First, chemical fertilizers in general can burn plants if applied too liberally. Always follow the package directions to avoid this. Second, it’s been my experience that foliar feeding can sometimes burn the leaves of the plants, killing them.

As a result, I never spray liquid fertilizer on plant leaves. If you decide to use slow-release plant food (sticks, granules etc.), note how much is to be applied to a given area, pot size etc. If you overdo it, you can kill your plants. If a little is good, a lot is definitely not better. This is one reason why I prefer to use compost, since it’s virtually impossible to burn plants with compost. I’ve even seen volunteers growing directly in compost piles.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. Send your gardening questions to [email protected].

Landfill would see the light under solar proposal

by Phil Corso - March 31, 2016

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brownfield2w — A satellite view of the Steck-Philbin Landfill site that the County plans to repurpose in cooperation with the Suffolk County Landbank. Image from Suffolk County Landbank Corp.

A North Shore-based group has answered the county’s calls to revitalize the site of a former landfill in Kings Park.

The Suffolk County Landbank Corp., which is a not-for-profit entity that works with the county to redevelop tax-delinquent properties, put out a request for proposals to completely rejuvenate eight brownfield spots across Suffolk, including the former Steck-Philbin Landfill on Old Northport Road in Kings Park. This week, Stony Brook’s Ecological Engineering of Long Island answered with a proposal to build Long Island’s first community-owned solar farm.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said the county wanted to team up with the private sector to revitalize the various brownfield sites and described them as blights on their respective communities. Shawn Nuzzo, president of Ecological Engineering of Long Island, said his group’s plan had the potential to pump renewable energy into the Island’s power grid almost immediately.

In a statement, Nuzzo described the 6-megawatt solar farm proposal as the largest landfill-to-solar project in New York state that could generate nearly 8 million kilowatt hours of solar electricity in its first year.

“Unlike other recent utility solar projects on Long Island – where large developers have proposed to clear-cut forests, raze golf courses and blanket farmable lands – our proposal takes a dangerous, long-blighted and otherwise useless parcel and revives it as a community-owned solar farm,” Nuzzo said. “The Kings Park Community Solar Farm will be a quiet, low-intensity land use generating nearly no automobile traffic after installation. As equally important, we will return proper ecosystem services to the site through the ecological restoration technique of phytoremediation — using native, low-light, low-lying and drought tolerant plants known for their long-term soil restorative properties.”

A property is classified as a brownfield if there are complications in expansion or redevelopment based on the possible presence of pollutants or hazardous materials, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The site on Old Northport Road is still owned by Richard and Roslyn Steck, according to the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation Request for Proposals, though penalties and interest bring the total owed in property tax on the roughly 25 acres of land to nearly $1.5 million. The property has been tax delinquent since the Richard Steck, Gerald Philbin Development Co. was found to be using the site to dispose of waste that it did not have a permit for in 1986. It is located less than a half mile east of the Sunken Meadow Parkway and about a half mile west of Indian Head Road.

The former Steck-Philbin Landfill on Old Northport Road in Kings Park is one of the eight blighted brownfields that the Suffolk County Landbank requested proposals for repurposing. Image from Suffolk County Landbank Corp.

The property is next to the future location of a multisport complex being developed by Prospect Sports Partners LLC. The $33 million plan for the 44-acre site was approved in July 2015.

“This has been a long time coming and creating policies and procedures for the Landbank has been an arduous task, but I’m beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) said earlier this year when the county sought private sector support to revitalize the site. Cilmi is a member of the board of the Landbank. “Hopefully, soon we’ll see the remediation of this and other properties, which benefits our environment. We’ll put the properties back on the tax rolls, which means millions of dollars of savings for taxpayers.”

Nuzzo said Ecological Engineering of Long Island would finance, build and operate the solar farm through a crowdfunding campaign seeking small investments from everyday Suffolk County residents. The plan, he said, would be to sell 25,000 “solar shares” in the farm at $500 a piece.

“We calculate that the Kings Park Community Solar Farm will generate more than $24 million in gross revenue over a typical 20-year power purchase agreement. We will offer our investors a guaranteed 150 percent return on investment with annual payments deposited over the 20-year lifetime of the agreement,” he said. “Through design efficiencies we will maximize photovoltaic energy output to not only increase profit for our investors but also to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, which today — despite many residential and commercial PV installs — still represents the majority of Long Island’s energy production.”

The plan has already received support from various North Shore elected officials, including state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who threw support behind Nuzzo in a letter to the Suffolk County Landbank Corp.

“I am always happy to see younger members of our community active in civics, so it was especially heartening to this vibrant young man at the helm of my local civic association,” he said. “Mr. Nuzzo has also worked with the Setauket Harbor Task Force and was responsible for securing the donation of the use of a ‘solar trailer’ from a local solar installer to power our Setauket Harbor Day Festival last September with renewable solar energy.”

Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station) described Nuzzo as a “knowledgeable leader on environmental issues” who was “well versed in many modern environmental technologies and practices, including solar projects, LEED process and green technology.”

The Suffolk County Landbank was established in 2013 after its application was approved by the New York State Empire State Development Corporation. Some of the other brownfields included in the request for proposals include Hubbard Power and Light and a gas station on Brentwood Road in Bay Shore, Lawrence Junkyard in Islip and Liberty Industrial Finishing in Brentwood, among others. Cumulatively, the eight properties owe more than $11 million in delinquent taxes as of August 2015.

Bellone delivers environmental boost in Smithtown

by Alex Petroski - March 30, 2016

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Projects_Petroski_032816w — From left, Gil Anderson, Michael Deering, Tom Falcone, Neal Lewis, Steve Bellone, Lisa Broughton, Mike Voltz, Dave Daly and Gordian Raacke show off some of the energy efficient projects announced at Monday’s press conference, as well as an Always Conserving Energy Award. Photo by Alex Petroski

Suffolk County is making strides toward a greener future.

On Monday Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) announced upgrades designed for energy efficiency to several county buildings, including key spots in Smithtown, that should save taxpayers more than $3 million annually.

Improvements were made to the H. Lee Dennison building in Hauppauge, where the press conference was held, the Board of Elections in Yaphank, the Riverhead Criminal Courts Building and the 4th Precinct police building among others. The county has invested about $15 million in energy efficiency funding since 2010, Bellone said.

“As you know Suffolk County is home to more than 1.5 million people,” Bellone said. “It’s the largest county in the state of New York outside of the city. Of course we provide an array of different services to all of those residents. So many of our operations and facilities are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We’re responsible for the operation of more than 400 facilities. Since we are a large operation, it’s vital for us to embrace as leaders green energy and alternative energy sources in our day-to-day operations.”

Some of the upgrades Bellone announced included new boilers, replacement of lights, occupancy sensors, improvements to heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems and a photovoltaic system installation for the Board of Elections building that will provide solar energy.

Officials from LIPA and PSEG Long Island joined with environmental advocacy groups at the press conference.

“Partnering with PSEG Long Island and LIPA and utilizing their rebate programs made these long-term energy savings possible, and they assisted with the up-front cost that might otherwise hold back the important projects that you see displayed here,” Bellone said.

Both LIPA and PSEG Long Island incentivize energy efficient upgrades for residents and commercial property owners with rebates. LIPA CEO Tom Falcone and PSEG Long Island COO Dave Daly both praised Bellone for his leadership, and for the example that he has set for New York State.

“Suffolk County is demonstrating that local government can take very concrete steps to reduce the carbon footprint, clean the environment and reduce cost for citizens,” Falcone said.

Gordian Raacke, the executive director for the nonprofit organization Renewable Energy Long Island commended Bellone for his proactive approach to energy efficiency.

“You know when world leaders meet in Paris to talk about what we need to do to tackle climate change, it is the kind of action that we’re seeing here with the leadership of County Executive Bellone in Suffolk County that they’re talking about,” Raacke said. “All of the talk in the meetings doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t save a ton of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas until a leader steps up to the plate, a leader like Steve Bellone, and makes it happen.”

Neal Lewis, the executive director of the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College sent a message to other municipalities that have yet to follow Suffolk County’s lead.

“Frankly, inaction by elected officials today when it comes to energy issues is wasteful,” Lewis said. “If you have a town hall that still has old lighting systems, old heating systems, old cooling systems — you’re wasting taxpayer dollars. I think that’s an important message.”

Bellone said that these projects are just the beginning, and more cost and energy saving upgrades are to come for the county.

All-American Selections announces National Garden winners for 2016

by Heidi Sutton - March 28, 2016

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By Heidi Sutton & Ernestine Franco

Winter was a long time coming to Long Island this year. The first snow did not fall until the weekend of Jan. 23, and then it fell with a vengeance — some areas of the Island were covered with more than 2 feet of snow. Following this, we went into the deep freeze the weekend of Valentine’s Day, with temperatures plummeting to minus 20 with the wind chill. To really confuse people, animals and plants, the thermometer reached 56 degrees two days later and we had a rainstorm.

So this year, it is not just gardeners who can’t wait for spring. Everyone may be checking out All-America Selections’ recently announced National Winners for 2016 — new varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables that will do well in any climate throughout the United States and Canada. With fun names like Tomato Candyland Red, Strawberry Delizz and the exotic Mizuna Red Kingdom, these cultivars are the best of the best, beating out thousands for superior taste, disease tolerance, unique colors and flavors, higher yield, length of flowering and harvest, and overall performance.

Here’s what the judges had to say about these award winners:

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None of these AAS winners are bred or produced using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). For a complete list of 2016 new plants winners chosen by the AAS by region, visit their website at www.all-americaselections.org.

Ugly or weird-looking veggies and fruits can actually taste great

by Ellen Barcel - March 25, 2016

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Carrot_PurpleHaze_on-platew — 'Purple Haze' is a sweet flavored hybrid carrot that has a dark purple skin with a bright orange interior. Photo from All-America Selections

By Ellen Barcel

Sometimes two fruits or veggies develop together to form a twin. Just this past fall, I bought some chestnuts and found just that — two chestnuts that formed a twin. Sometimes carrots form two or three roots rather than just one or potatoes develop into strange shapes.

Just because a vegetable or fruit looks ugly or strange, doesn’t mean that it tastes terrible or lacks the vitamins and minerals you are looking for. In fact, most ugly or strange veggies are delicious and rich in the same vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in the more conventional ones. Usually, these strange bits of produce are filtered out by the vendor, so we, the consumer, see only perfectly formed items — the item that fits the ideal we have in our minds. Tomatoes are round, smooth and reddish orange, for example.

But there are also strange, weird or ugly veggies and fruits that are grown on purpose. They’re different from the norm, the ideal. There are tomatoes with wrinkles, potatoes of different shapes or colors etc. Here’s a rundown of some strange or uglies you may want to try.

Ugly tomatoes
Ugly tomatoes are wrinkly and usually very juicy and flavorful. They’re great sliced on a grilled hamburger or a BLT. They can even come in different colors, including yellow and purple besides the traditional orange. ‘Black Krim’ is a deep purple color as is ‘Cherokee Purple.’ ‘Chocolate Sprinkles’ is a variety of grape tomatoes that are a dark purple to brownish color.
‘UglyRipes’ are a delicious variety of heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom plants are not crosses with any other variety (i.e., are not hybrids) and so, once you grow some, you can sacrifice one to save its seeds for the next year.

Potatoes
Most people think of potatoes as having a brownish skin with a creamy white interior. But there are several varieties of potatoes that are very different. ‘Red Gold’ has a reddish skin but has a golden interior. ‘Purple Majesty’ has both a deep purple skin as well as deep purple interior.
Potatoes are easy to grow on Long Island with our sandy soil and excellent climate. On average we have over 200 (up to 220) growing days a year with approximately one inch of rain each week.
Once you start growing a particular variety, it’s very easy to keep them growing year after year. After harvesting them, store a few in a cool dry place and come spring, cut each stored potato into pieces making sure that each piece has an eye in it. Then plant the pieces outdoors, water and fertilize over the growing season and harvest in the fall. Each small piece of potato with an eye will have turned into a large potato plant and underground each you’ll find lots of edible potatoes.

Carrots
Carrots are another crop about which people have a very definite opinion. They should be a long, single-rooted veggie bright orange in color. But, some carrots will produce several roots making it look sort of weird. ‘Purple Haze’ is a hybrid carrot that, as its name implies, is a deep purple color.
If you are growing your carrots in a container, make sure it is deep enough for the roots to form. Also, do not transplant carrots since it disturbs the roots and it’s the root of each plant that you want to eat. Start the seeds either where you plan to grow them or in a peat pot that can be moved whole into the garden.

Cauliflower
Most of us think of cauliflower and expect it to be a head of creamy white curds. They can be cooked in a whole variety of ways, including boiled, steamed and raw (with dip). But there are a number of other unusual (and colorful) varieties of cauliflower. The cultivar ‘Cheddar’ has bright orange curds and has lots of beta carotene. Cooked, it has an even brighter color.
Other varieties include ‘Graffiti’ and ‘Purple Head,’ which have, as the second name implies, purple heads. They have a mild flavor and certainly add color to a salad. ‘Cauliflower Romanesco’ (Roman cauliflower) is really weird looking — its’ lime green curds are pointed. Since cauliflower prefers a near neutral soil pH, you need to add lime to your soil.

Yes, there are many other strange varieties of plants. There are long, white radishes, bumpy white pumpkins and even giant kohlrabi the size of a head of cabbage. Since it’s always fun to try something different in the garden, do try one (or more) of these ugly, strange or weird veggies. You may find that children and grandchildren are fascinated by them, making it easier for you to get them to try and taste something new.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. Send your gardening questions to [email protected]. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.

Establishing perennial vegetable beds

by Ellen Barcel - March 18, 2016

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Egyptian-Walking-Onion-sets-growing-greens-of-their-ownw — Egyptian walking onions. Stock photo

By Ellen Barcel

When growing fruit in the garden, we generally think of shrubs (blueberries, raspberries etc.) and trees (apple, peach, pears etc.), rarely annuals. But, when it comes to veggies, it’s sort of the opposite — we think of annuals (tomatoes, corn, green beans, radishes, lettuce etc.), which need to be replanted every year.

But, there are veggies that are perennials, veggies where you establish a bed of them and they return year after year. I’ve said it before, I really like the “plant once and enjoy for many years” form of gardening. First, some things to be aware of when establishing certain veggies in beds:

• Select a sunny site with well-drained soil.

• Many perennial veggies produce poorly or not at all in the first year since they’re just becoming established. So, think of perennial veggies as a multiyear project. Once established this year, some will produce for 20, 30 or more years.

• Amend the soil with compost and test it to make sure it is the proper pH and has enough nutrients to support the crops you want to grow.

• Remember to water, fertilize and weed throughout the growing season, even after you’ve harvested, or you’ll have a poor crop the next year.

• There are ways to make the veggie bed look attractive: Make it a raised bed with stones around it, for example, and plant some attractive flowers around the bed as well. Make sure the flowers don’t shade out the vegetable crop.

• If you are setting up a bed for several varieties of plants, make sure that they all have similar requirements.

• Mulch helps to keep weeds out of these beds and helps to keep moisture in the soil.

Some perennial veggies to consider for your garden include:

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a spring vegetable, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. There are a number of varieties, including white. Plant the asparagus crowns in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. They do particularly well in a raised bed. Gardener’s Supply Company notes that “it’s critical to eradicate all the weeds and grasses from the planting area — even if this requires a full year of advance preparation.” As I said above, growing perennial vegetables is a multiyear commitment. Harvest in spring and early summer. Once this time frame has passed, allow the plants to continue growing. They will produce lacy foliage that can be four or more feet all. The better care you take of the plants at this time, the more prolific they will be next year. Cut back in fall and wait till next spring for a healthy crop.

Egyptian walking onions (Allium proliferum) are cold hardy. Sometimes called winter onions, tree onions or perennial onions they produce bulblets at the end of the stalk where flowers would normally form, not underground. When the stalk bends over and touches the ground, the bulblets will take root, establishing a new plant, hence the name walking onions — they seem to walk across the ground. They come out in early spring, sometimes even through the snow. Once you harvest a plant it will not grow back, but since each plant can produce so many bulblets on many stalks, as long as you don’t harvest all of every plant, you’ll have plenty for the future. They grow in zones 3 to 9 (Long Island is 7). These perennial onions can be found in a number of catalogs. Go to www.egyptianwalkingonions.com for further information.

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is in the same family as mustard, broccoli and cabbage. The roots are used as a spice, particularly for red meat, chicken and fish. It does well in hardiness zones 2 through 9. In the fall, the roots are dug up, some kept for consumption and one main root replanted for next year’s crop. Alternately, only dig up some of your plants. The Horseradish Council (www.horseradish.org) has many recipes for using this delicious but hot spice.

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is botanically a veggie, although it’s used as a fruit, particularly with strawberries, in sweet pies and jams. It’s planted in a similar way to asparagus. Prep the soil, removing all grasses and weeds and plant the crowns in early spring. Don’t expect much of a crop the first year. When harvesting, leave at least some stalks on each plant so it will thrive for the next year. While the plants will produce enormous leaves, remember, it is the red stalks that are edible, not the toxic leaves. A high nitrogen fertilizer is recommended when the ground has just thawed. The rhizomes of rhubarb plants can be divided every three to four years when the plants are dormant.

There are other perennial vegetables, including artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes. And yes, strawberries (which are a fruit) are established in beds as well.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. Send your gardening questions and/or comments to [email protected]. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.

Community dreads dredging plan for Long Island Sound

by Giselle Barkley - March 15, 2016

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East-Beach-Port-Jefferson-03211403_Glowatzw — East Beach in Port Jefferson is on the Long Island Sound. File photo by Elana Glowatz

By Giselle Barkley

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency got more than it bargained for at a North Shore library earlier this month when concerned residents showed up to oppose a plan that would allow dumping of dredge spoils into the Long Island Sound for the next 30 years.

EPA officials had finalized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed open water dredging plan in January, and had set the public hearing at the Port Jefferson Free Library to get input on possible rules and regulations for the 30-year plan, which calls for the Army Corps of Engineers to dump upward of 50 cubic yards of dredge material from Connecticut waterways into the Long Island Sound.

The group has practices this type of dumping for years, but has recently faced opposition from environmental advocates.

About 60 community members attended the EPA’s hearing on the Long Island Sound Dredged Material Management Plan.

“We’re not offering … specifics in the rulemaking because we’re not going to approve a plan that pollutes the Long Island Sound,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “We’ve been having public hearings for 10 years and all of the public input has been unanimously ignored.”

The EPA has said it is open to finding alternative ways to dispose of the spoils, and invited communities to partner with that agency and with the Army Corps to line up resources to explore those other methods and do the investigation.

New York State demanded that the Army Corps reevaluate its disposal process in 2005, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has yet to make a public statement regarding the new dredging proposal.

“The Long Island Sound should be protected from adverse activities, rather than have this activity go forward,” Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) said.

Englebright, the head of the state Assembly’s Committee on Environmental Conservation, said spoils could instead be used to replenish eroded beaches: “We’re going to need to defend our coastlines and we’re going to need a lot of sediment to do that.”

Esposito had similar ideas at a press conference in February. She suggested the spoils could be used for wetlands and beach restoration and for capping landfills.

County officials like Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) were disappointed in the EPA’s support of the plan. “We’ve invested so much [money] in improving the health of the Sound,” she said. “To have them make a decision that flies in the face of all that investment … is very discouraging.”

In a previous interview, Stephen Perkins, a member of the EPA’s dredging team, said the agency tests the material before dumping it into the Sound. Highly toxic spoils are not dumped.

But Hoffman said spoils jeopardize the water’s health.

“It’s an estuary of significance, it’s an estuary that’s endangered,” Hahn said.

Growing grapes on Long Island

by Ellen Barcel - March 11, 2016

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Grapes-vinew — Grape vines on the North Fork heavy with fruit. Photo from Ellen Barcel

By Ellen Barcel

Many years ago, Long Islanders were surprised to see a growing wine industry developing here. Now, it’s taken for granted that the East End is a wine producing region. Who knew that our climate (with 200 to 220 frost-free days) was ideal for growing grapes and therefore making wine? Obviously, some very astute growers who began replacing the farms on the East End with vineyards did, the first vines being planted in 1993.

If you decide that you want to plant some grapes on your property, you first need to determine what you want to do with these grapes. You may just like the appearance of an arbor with grapes growing on it. Maybe you enjoy eating grapes right off the vine. Or perhaps you wish to make grape jelly or maybe, like the growers on the East End, you may want to make wine.

The decision is a first step and important because it determines what type of grapes you are going to be planting. For example, suppose you want grapes to munch on. Then you’re going to be looking for seedless varieties.

There are three general types of plants, American (Vitis labarusca, native to the northeastern part of the United States, with many improved cultivars including Concord grapes and other varieties of table grapes), European (V. viniferia, used extensively in wine production) and North American native muscadine (V. rotundifolia, native to the southeastern part of the United States).

Another factor to consider is the climate zones where the vines will thrive. We are located in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 7 and we receive between three and four inches of rain a month. But, as we’ve seen last summer, that rainfall is an average. We were at near drought conditions this past summer. You may need to supplement the rain.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk notes that grape vines do well in a variety of soil types, but, need a well-drained soil. If you have clay soil, they won’t do well. Your soil’s acidity or alkalinity is also a factor. Native grapes do well in a soil pH as low as 5.5 (very acidic) while V. vinifera need a pH of 6.5 to 7 (near neutral). So, you may find that you need to add lime to your soil. It can take more than one growing season for lime to affect your soil’s pH. Read the package directions carefully and remember that once you begin to change the soil’s chemistry, you need to continue year after year or your soil will revert to its original pH.

In considering the location for planting your grapes, note that they need a very sunny location, but a well-placed grape arbor in a sunny location can produce a shady spot for sitting and enjoying a cool beverage on a hot summer’s day or a shady walkway.

Since grapes are vines, you need to prepare the location with a trellis, arbor or other type of support. Be prepared to put some netting over the ripened grapes since the birds will love them. So will deer, squirrels and rabbits. Regarding animals, in the same way that dogs should not have chocolate, they shouldn’t have grapes either, so make sure Fido doesn’t help himself.

Most grape varieties are self-fertile. When you look through the gardening catalogues or tags on plants, make sure to check. If you need other plants to pollinate, the description should tell you. Look for plants that are disease resistant, as well. You may notice roses growing at the end of some vineyards on the North Fork. Roses are seen by some as the “canary in the mine,” showing problems before the grape vines do. This gives the grower a chance to save the vines.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, most grape vines will produce for 30 or more years, so this is a “plant once, enjoy for many years” type of plant — I just love those!

Growing grapes is a multiyear project since it is recommended that the vines not be allowed to fruit the first year and, as you can see, growing grapes requires quite a bit of research. Winter is an ideal time to begin doing that research so that come spring, you can select and plant the correct varieties and locations to produce what you want.

Suffolk legislator suggests plastic bag ban

by Victoria Espinoza - March 10, 2016

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Plastic-bagw — One Suffolk County legislator wants to see an end to single-use plastic bags. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

One North Shore legislator is looking to make plastic bags a thing of the past.

Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) introduced a bill at the Legislature’s general meeting on March 3 that would ban single-use plastic bags throughout Suffolk. The lawmaker said the idea has already received support from community members, business owners and environmental groups.

“It is something that has been on my radar since I first took office,” Spencer said in a phone interview. “I’ve heard the frustration about how they end up as unsightly litter on our roadways and in our waterways after being used for all of 12 minutes.”

Spencer said that retailers spend $4 billion each year to give plastic bags to consumers — a cost passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. New York City alone spends $10 million disposing of plastic bags annually, he said.

After about 12 minutes of usage, Spencer said, a plastic bag could easily become pollution that litters parks and blocks storm water drains or can pose a serious threat to wildlife.

Spencer there is more plastic than plankton in our ocean.

“Fish eat plastic bags, which cause them to choke,” Spencer said. “An animal could die from that, and the plastic bag will still remain intact, going on to kill another animal. This is killing our planet.”

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, echoed the sentiment.

“Plastic bags pollute our beaches, bays, roadways, parks and neighborhoods,” Esposito said. “They kill thousands of marine mammals and shore birds every year. Last year, volunteers removed 10,500 plastic bags from the South Shore Estuary. The answer to this ubiquitous pollution plague is simple — ban the bag.”

The CCE conducted a survey of more than 650 Suffolk County residents, and 80 percent supported either a ban or fee of plastic bags.

“The time has come to simply ban them and practice BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag,” Esposito said.

Business owners have also lent their support. Charles Reichert, owner of five IGA grocery stores, including locations in Fort Salonga and East Northport, said he believes all of New York should abide by this bill.

“It’s inevitable, so let’s have a countywide bill,” he said in a statement. “Honestly, I think it should go statewide as opposed to having these different laws, but I’d be happy with a countywide bill.”

For grocery store shoppers who fear they will now have to buy reusable bags, Spencer said fear not. He and several other organizations said they planned to give away many free reusable bags if this bill takes off.

“Plastic bags just came on the scene in the last 30 years,” Spencer said. “We got along fine without them. This is good stewardship of the planet.”

A public hearing for this bill is scheduled for March 22. If adopted, there will be a 12-month period before implementation of the law, and within those 12 months, Spencer said he would propose a companion bill to provide a comprehensive education and awareness campaign to assist the public and retailers with the shift.

“We want to ensure customers and retailers will have a successful transition and are fully aware of the alternatives,” he said. “The campaign will also highlight the pivotal role the public will play in reversing the detrimental effects these plastic bags have had on our planet in such a brief period of time.”

Cold frames versus greenhouses

by Ellen Barcel - March 4, 2016

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cold-frame-w — A cold frame is the perfect way to get a jump on spring gardening. Stock photo

By Ellen Barcel

When I was a kid, my father always started his tomato (and other) plants indoors as seedlings and then, as the weather warmed, gradually moved them outdoors to harden them off. He did this by first moving them to a cold frame and then finally out into the garden itself.

What exactly is a cold frame and how is it different from a greenhouse? A cold frame is a small structure, with a transparent roof, like a miniature greenhouse. It’s built low to the ground, just high enough to accommodate the new, baby plants. When the weather becomes unexpectedly cold or very rainy, the cold frame keeps the plants warm and dry.

On an unexpectedly hot day in early spring, my father would go out to the cold frame and prop the “roof” open so the temperature wouldn’t become too hot for the little plants. He’d make sure to close the cold frame at night so low night temperatures wouldn’t shock the plants. Once the weather had warmed enough, especially overnight, he’d then move the plants to their permanent home in the garden.

So, think of a cold frame as a transition from the protection of the house or greenhouse where the seedlings are started to the various weather conditions outside — a way of prolonging the growing season.

Cold frames can be bought from nursery supply stores or catalogues or can be homemade. The size depends on how many baby plants you hope it will hold. Usually, it is two or three feet deep by four or five feet wide, depending on the space available and six to 12 inches high.

To make one using leftover materials around your house, use leftover lumber to create the sides of the rectangle, placing them directly on the ground. Then use an old window and attach it to one of the longer sides in the back with hinges so that the window can be propped up to allow excess heat out. If you decide to build your own cold frame, there are a number of videos online that give you detailed instructions.

Yes, you should place your cold frame in a sunny location (a south-facing location is ideal) or you’ll find that your plants will become very leggy. Since it will also protect against heavy rain, make sure the location is one where water doesn’t pool.

Does every gardener need a cold frame? Not necessarily — only if you like to start seedlings indoors to get a jump on spring gardening. If you prefer to buy from your local nursery, then it will have plants out when it is warm enough to plant them directly in the garden.

What’s the difference between a cold frame and a greenhouse then? A greenhouse is a much larger structure, usually designed to grow plants year round or at least overwinter them. A hothouse is a greenhouse with temperature control (heat in winter) to keep plants warm enough while a cool house is a greenhouse used in a hot (desert) environment to protect them from the hot outside temperature, cooling them as needed.

The temperature in a greenhouse is adjusted (frequently automatically with a thermostat) to make sure that the plants are kept at a given temperature. The only adjustment the gardener does to a cold frame is opening the glass to let out excessive heat on a warm spring day. It’s a transition and not intended for long-term growing of plants.

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