March 26, 2024 Meeting Notes

Notes by Colleen, Pictures by Rose Mary

President Nancy Madeoy opened the meeting with a thank you to Mary Anne and Claudia for helping to run the February meeting and thank you to club members for the cards.

Community Coordinator, Lynn Betts spoke about the need for volunteers to help maintain our Chapel Garden at Passavant Hospital. A sign-up sheet was circulated. The sign-up sheet will be available again at the April meeting if you didn't get an opportunity to choose a week to volunteer. Thanks to those who have already volunteered!

 

Due to voter registration taking place at Northmont Church on April 23rd we won't have access to Fellowship Hall. Our meeting will be held in the sanctuary, and we'll have snacks in the library. 

 

The Penn State Garden and Landscape Symposium and Marketplace will be held on Saturday, April 27th at the Hampton Community Center.  LAGC received communication about the opportunity to be a friend sponsor of the event. Club members unanimously voted to donate $50 to be a friend sponsor.

 

Plant Sale Coordinator, Mary Anne Kurtz addressed the club about our annual perennial plant sale on May 18th.  Paper reminders that can be handed to friends and family were distributed.  Plant tags were available for pickup and will also be available at the April meeting.  

 

●      Please have your plants at the church by 7:30am.

●      Please bring 10 to 20 plants that are worth at least $2 each. The pot size should be 4 inch unless it's a type of plant which typically grows large.

●      The pot should have a plant tag with information about the plant such as growth habit, color and light requirement.  

●      When potting up your plants be alert to the possibility of Asian jumping worms. 

●      Please pot up your plants by mid to late April so that the plants have time to become accustomed to their pots before the plant sale.

●      Again this year we're going to have a free table so be sure to bring your gently used garden items for the table.  

●      Any leftover plants will be given to Memorial Park Church and the Bradford Woods Conservancy.

●      Linda Brown will bring copies of the schedule of our programs to give to customers.

 

Plans for LAGC’s 75th anniversary celebration are underway. Some of the Celebration Committee members visited the Heritage Center in North Park where we store our club records.  It was decided that we will rent the Heritage Center in September of 2025 for a celebration event.  Stay tuned for further details to be announced at our upcoming meetings.

 

Nancy and Mary Anne did a test run with the new microphone headset and it was a positive experience. The club will purchase the $50 headset.

 

Thank you to Linda Brown for the beautiful spring arrangement of daffodils and pussywillow branches. Kate Powell served a delicious lemon poppy seed pound cake, chocolate chip cookies and ginger cookies.

Linda Brown & arrangements

Kate Powell and table with desserts & arrangement

John Powell helps out.

Program Notes

“Cool Tools – Other Stuff” by Stephen Piskor

 

This evening's speaker remembered that he spoke to LAGC 10 years ago about garden tools and was happy to be back. Steve gave a very informative show and tell talk about his favorite tools. He gave us a very detailed handout which lists all the tools that he recommends to make gardening chores easier.

 

Stainless steel doesn't rust but, it's a soft metal and can get damaged easily. Carbon steel is hard but, it rusts so it needs to be kept clean, dry and lubricated.

 

Pointed tools are critical for digging.

 

When faced with a root bound plant, cut the root ball into a box shape to encourage new root growth.

 

Disinfect tools with hand wipes, rubbing alcohol or Lysol spray. Bleach is not recommended because it's caustic to metal tools and to plants.

 

For lubricating tools, he recommends WD-40 silicone spray; the silicone spray is less harmful than regular WD-40. 

 

For cleaning tools, he recommends Lava brand soap because it has pumice in it. Dry tools thoroughly using a microfiber towel.

When sharpening tools be sure to sharpen the beveled blade and then turn the blade over to even out the other side and remove loose metal shavings.

 

February 27, 2024 Meeting Notes

President  Nancy and Vice President Marlow were unable to attend the meeting because of the passing of Marlow's mother so Mary Anne Kurtz ran the meeting.

 What's blooming in your garden?  Members have winter aconite, hellebores, and snowdrops.

 The church rental fee has been paid in full for 2024.

 At the January meeting we discussed the idea of the club purchasing a microphone to be used by our speakers. Club members are in favor of the idea, but more research had to be done about what type we should purchase. The microphone which Diane researched was found to be too expensive at $1700. The microphone that Diana uses at Soergels is more budget friendly and sells on Amazon between $20 and $50. Before the club purchases the microphone, Diana will borrow one from Soergels to try out at our next meeting.

 Please note that there are a couple of corrections to the directory.  On page 5, Martin Karl’s first and last name are transposed. Also, Jane MacCredie’s cell phone number should be corrected to 724-816-3601. Please change the number in the address listing and in the phone chain.

 Due to voter registration taking place at Northmont Church on April 23rd we won't have access to Fellowship Hall or the cupboard where we store our hostess supplies. Our meeting will be held in the sanctuary and we'll have snacks in the library. 

 Plant Sale Coordinator, Mary Anne reminded club members to think about what plants in our gardens need to be divided so that they can be potted and brought to our Perennial Plant Sale on May 18, 2024. Also, we will need more plant tags for next year. Please be on the lookout for old plastic mini blinds that are being discarded. No need to wash them. Give them to Mary Anne.

 Claudia gave an overview of what the committee for the 75th anniversary of LAGC is working on for the celebration. Here are the ideas that are being developed:

1. Tree purchase and planting - the club will collaborate with the North Park Rangers, Allegheny County Parks Foundation and Tree Pittsburgh to plant 75 trees near the Pie Traynor Loop in McCandless 
2. A potted annual plant will be given to the first 75 customers at our 2025 plant sale
3. A new garden plaque will be purchased for the Chapel Garden at Passavant Hospital
4. Celebration party on Tuesday, September 24, 2025.  Tentatively the get together would take place at the McCandless Heritage Center where our club history archives are stored. Alternatively, the event will be held at Northmont Church
5. Crocus bulbs will be purchased as party favors
6. LAGC member photo with banner
7. Acknowledgement of members with 25 or more years of membership
8. Recreating the History of LAGC video

Thank you to Claudia and the committee for presenting these great ideas. We can't wait to see how things develop into a fantastic celebration!

 

Claudia talks about club's 75th Anniversary.

Mary Jo who presented the 75 tree planting..

Club members enjoyed delicious green shamrock cookies, clementines and snack mix brought by Stephanie. Terry’s pots of hellebores and air plants artistically arranged on pieces of driftwood completed the lovely tablescape.

Stephanie

Terry

 

Program: Trimming Fruit Trees 

 This month’s speaker, Adam Voll, farm manager at Soergel's Orchard, came prepared with apples for the audience and a large branch from an apple tree to demonstrate pruning skills.  Adam has a degree from Penn State University in Agricultural Systems Management with a minor in Horticulture.

 

Adam Voll and Mary Ann

Our speaker explained that pruning is an essential task at the farm every year.  The time to prune apple trees is when the trees are dormant which is in late winter or early Spring or after the harshest weather has passed. 

As a commercial grower, Soergel's Orchards prune their apple trees so that they can make the apples appealing to their customers in color, size and blemish free skin.  The benefits of pruning are increased sunlight to the lower and interior branches, improved air circulation to lessen excess moisture which can cause disease, and removal of dead branches which can harbor pests is done.  Keeping the tree at a manageable height for fruit picking is also a consideration. Opening the canopy encourages larger, healthier fruit.

Adam talked about the steps to properly prune an apple tree. First, assess the tree’s size and shape. Second, remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches. Third, remove any branches that are too long, growing too close to one another or suckers growing from the base of the tree. Fourth, give the tree a trim to shape it and encourage branches to grow shorter and thicker to be strong enough to hold the apples. 

 Pruning promotes growth so you have to make planned cuts at a bud or branch with pruners or loppers. It's important to remove no more than a third of the tree. 

 Our speaker recited an old saying that says if you can throw a football through a tree and don't hit anything then you did a good job pruning.

 Although our speaker provided his expertise in pruning apple trees many of the same principles can be applied to pruning other fruit trees. It's always important to remove any diseased branches and to open up the tree for good air circulation and don't take off more than a third of the tree.