Market Farming

["Kevin Ancell" <kancell AT goodearthgardens.com>]

Horticulture studies draw crowd

By Mike Surbrugg
Globe Staff Writer

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. - Andrew Thomas led large crowds of visitors to fruit,
vegetable and other horticulture studies during a Field Day held Sept. 13 at
the University of Missouri's Southwest Center at Mount Vernon.

Thomas is the center's horticulturist. He was assisted by Pat Byers,
horticulturist at Southwest Missouri State University's Fruit Experiment
Station at Mountain Grove and Gaylord Moore, extension horticulturist at
Springfield.

Bill Reid, superintendent of Kansas State University's pecan studies at
Chetopa, talked about walnut, pecan and hickory studies that cover 30 acres
in another part of the center.

Apples: Study shows spraying trees with a wettable powder, Surround, is an
organic way to protect trees from some pests and sun damage. The spray coats
leaves and when properly applied, it can cut apple worm damage from 75 to 25
percent.

It could be evaluated with vegetables.

Raised bed gardens: Thomas uses plants made from recycled-plastic milk
containers or from those made from milk containers blended with sawdust.
Tires will work, he said.

He grows plants that are common in home gardens and those seldom seen in
this area.
Solar heated greenhouse: The greenhouse has a sloped south roof covered with
two sheets of thick plastic. A fan blows air between the sheets to increase
durability and make them more effective. Solar energy heats water in plastic
barrels. The stored heat keeps the greenhouse above freezing most nights, he
said. Other walls have six inches of insulation.

"It can be 5 degrees outside and 90 degrees in the greenhouse on a cold,
sunny day, he said.
Over five years, the lowest temperature has been 27 degrees. That does not
hurt crops such as lettuce, onions, cabbage and kale. It is not good for
tomatoes, though, he said.

Elderberries: This is a joint study with SMSU to find varieties best suited
for this area to make jelly or wine. A winery in Wichita, Kan., uses 15 tons
of elderberries a year.

Varieties come from New York and Canada and 27 native plants are found in
Missouri, Kansas and New Mexico. The commercial varieties from New York and
Canada are less productive.

A goal is to find plants that ripen all fruit at one time and have more
insect resistance, he said. Another part of the study seeks how to manage
plants to get the most production.

Kiwi: "This is my most challenging study," he said of his work to evaluate
hardy varieties from China and Russia growing on a trellis. Thomas
recommends that gardeners plant a few to see if they will grow in their
gardens. It takes male and female plants.
Since starting the project in 1997, Thomas has picked a handful of fruit.

Persimmons: The goal is to find trees that will produce large fruit with
fewer seeds. Native persimmons are small with a lot of seeds. Trees were
grafted in early May.

Asparagus: It is not easy to weed and do other work on .7-acre of asparagus,
Thomas said.
So far, a variety from California as shown the most promise among the 12 in
the study.

Most asparagus is harvested from mid-April into the third week of May.
Different management is used to find a way to extend the harvest from early
spring. Weeds could be controlled with mulch or fabric. The only herbicide
success is with Roundup applied before spears emerge.

He does not fertilize the asparagus to reduce weeds.
Black cohosh: The study is part of a major effort to evaluate potential
health benefits from black cohosh roots. Herbs are often used in unknown
quantities for health problems.

"We need to know what we get and how much of the product is included in a
pill. Now we have no idea," he said.
Black cohosh is native to the Ozarks. It is being poached out of public
areas and is close to becoming extinct, he said. Plants can be started with
hard-to-germinate seed or roots. Thomas is to send roots to laboratories.
Black cohosh is sometimes used to treat menopausal symptoms.

Native prairie plants: They may take patience, but are often easier to grow
than exotic plants. They have more insect resistance and normally require no
watering.

They come with a variety of colored flowers and foliage.
The center has a plot of such plants in a demonstration planting.