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Date Last Edited:  08/24/2001



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DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY IN HAWAII
Leonhardt K, Criley R, Paull R, Womersley C, Halloran J, Fleming K, Bartholomew D, Mau R, Nishijima W, Hara A, Uchida R

Project Objectives:

Coordinate activities related to needs of orchid, protea, and tropical flower producers, such as:

1) Write industry analyses and convene multidisciplinary groups

2) Conduct educational programs

3) Edit proceedings and publish extension publications

4) Coordinate and conduct applied research and demonstration trials (dendrobium flowering, leucospermum nutrition, leucaspermum variety trials, biological pest control, bunchy top virus, dendrobium cecline)

5) Develop production cost analyses

6) Provide resource and technical support to county agents and industry organizations.

Accomplishments:

An invited presentation was made at the Special Orchid Production Symposium sponsored by the Am. Orchid Soc. at the Am. Soc. for Hort. Sci. 2000 annual conference, Orlando, Fl., July. (Funded by AOS and Smith-lever Travel Award). A presentation was made at the 10th Int'l. Protea Assn. Conf. & 5th Int'l. Protea Working Group symposium, Tenerife, Spain, April.

Four presentations were made to local commercial orchid and protea commodity associations. A field day and organized workshop was for organized commercial protea growers. I supervised an APT technician. I distributed propagation material to the protea industry (see impacts). I obtained two grants. And I had 12 research and extension publications (inc. abs. and works edited) during the reporting period.

I imported rhizomes of six new cultivars of Alpinia developed by a breeder at the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Northern Territory, Australia. They are known as the "Darwin Series." They are being increased for field testing for yield and quality, after which worthy clones will be released to local growers.

I taught Tropical Crop Science, HORT 200 (WI), cross-listed as AGRS 200 (WI). And made guest presentations in HORT 300, HORT 402, and HORT 430. I advised 1 graduate and 12 undergraduate students, and I am an advisor to the student Horticulture Society.



HORTICULTURE TRAINING FOR MASTER GARDENERS
McEwen J, Nagata N, Ebesu R

Project Objectives:

1) Increase the knowledge of the volunteers that participate in the Master Gardener training program and enable volunteers to enhance their networking opportunities.

2) Increase the opportunities for the residents of the State of Hawaii to have access to gardening knowledge and to improve the opportunities for the residents to receive answers to their gardening questions.

3) Increase recruitment for Master Gardener training and increase awareness of the public of the Master Gardener program by developing a publicity program.

4) Increase funding by seeking alternative forms of funding.

Accomplishments: Narrative Report

Kauai, Richard Ebesu

Richard conducted an educational program on urban horticulture and entomology. The program encouraged people to plant gardens for food, recreation, and physical and horticultural therapy.

He also did other classes, demonstrations, displays, and mailouts.

He also did telephone and person to person consultations. He reached 2146 people through these efforts.

He wrote two newspaper articles for the Garden Island newspaper on Kauai, which has a circulation of nearly 8500.

He presented posters and fact sheets at the Agricultural Awareness event attended by 1500 students, and at the Kauai County Farm Bureau fair attended by 40,000 people.

In March 2000, Richard taught the insect class for the Oahu Master Gardener program.

Maui, Norman Nagata

In October 1999, Norman and his Master Gardeners received 15 visiting Master Gardeners from California. Norman accompanied them to 10 agricultural sites on Maui, and the Maui Master Gardeners arranged a potluck dinner for them.

On October 25, 1999, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners helped the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service in administering the Soil Conservation Awareness Contest for students. Norman also helped with the statewide contest that was held in February 2000 on Maui.

During November 1999, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners held a plant clinic at the Maui Association of Landscape Professional's "Third Annual Lawn & Garden Fair". They answered over 200 people with their gardening questions. Norman gave a presentation on growing papayas. The presentation included a taste test of the new transgenic papayas as well as standard commercial varieties. The Master Gardeners served the samples to the audience.

During December 1999 and January 2000, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners installed sections of chain-linked fencing around the educational garden. This involved not only installing the fence, but welding seven gates.

On March 4, 2000, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners held a plant clinic at the Haiku Flower Festival, helping more than 150 people.On March 7, 2000, Norman taught a class on plant diseases for the Oahu Master Gardener program.

On May 18, 2000, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners started a kitchen garden project to display useful plants that can be grown in a home garden. During this, the Master Gardeners learned how to setup fencing for a passionfruit windbreak, prepare raised beds, and how to install drip irrigation.

On June 9, 2000, Norman gave a citrus grafting class to the Maui Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners will sell the grafted trees to raise money to support their activities and the urban horticulture program.

In June and August 2000, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners helped the Maui Onion Growers' Association at the Upcountry Fair and the Maui Onion Festival, promoting onions. The Master Gardeners fried onion rings for this.

In July 2000, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners started on a landscaping project to beautify a barren area on the grounds of the CES building.

On September 11, 2000, USDA Secretary Dan Glickman named Norman Nagata as Hawaii's Community Gardening Coordinator. The Natural Resource Conservation Service provided a grant of $3000 to implement a community gardening project on the islands of Maui and Kauai.

During September and October 2000, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners provided help at the Maui County Fair. They helped with setup, judging, taking care of horticultural exhibits, and answering gardening questions. They helped after the fair by assisting with taking down exhibits and cleaning up the display area.

Norman wrote three newspaper articles for the Sunday edition of The Maui News, which has a circulation of 26,000.

Every week, Norman and the Maui Master Gardeners perform maintenance work to the landscape around the CES building and in the educational garden. The Maui Master Gardeners also assist at the maintenance of the low-elevation farm.

Oahu, Jan McEwen

During October 1999, Jan gave public classes on houseplants and papayas, and arranged for Heidi Bornhorst to teach a class on native Hawaiian plants and for Flo Stanley to teach a class on culinary herbs. She taught classes to the Oahu Master Gardener trainees on plant disease, weeds, and vegetables. She gave a tour of the Urban Garden Center (UGC) to Whitmore Holoholo Club. She spoke to the Ala Wai Community Gardens about pest control. She showed visiting Master Gardeners from California around UGC, and then toured Lyon Arboretum and Ho`omaluhia Botanical Gardens with them. She gave an educational session on the transgenic papayas. She assisted in UGC's Harvest Fest by providing overnight security.

During November 1999, Jan gave public classes on planting a tree (for Arbor Day), citrus and lettuce, and she arranged for Dr. Kenneth Leonhardt to give a class on dendrobiums. She spoke to the Green Thumbs Garden Club about pest control, and gave a tour of UGC to an Elder Hostel group. She gave two sessions of the transgenic papaya educational sessions. She gave Master Gardener classes on ornamentals, turf, and IPM and pesticides. She arranged for Dale Sato to teach a Master Gardener class on fruits.

During December, Jan taught a class on wreath-making. She gave a Master Gardener class on Diagnostics and Communication. The Fall Master Gardener/Garden Consultant course came to an end, with 21 people completing the course.

During January 2000, Jan started a new Master Gardener session with 16 people. She taught Master Gardener classes on botany and environmental factors. She spoke to the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle about plant problems. She gave a transgenic papaya educational session.

During February 2000, Jan gave public classes on vegetable gardening and papayas. She arranged to have Dr. Julian Yates teach a class on termites (and it was a very popular class!). Ralph Lee (UGC volunteer) taught a class on taro. She arranged for Paul Murakami to teach a Master Gardener class on plant nutrition, and for Richard Ebesu to teach a class on insects. She taught a Master Gardener class on pruning and plant propagation. She also gave the Master Gardener trainees a tour of UGC. She gave a tour of UGC to Makua Ali`i.

During March 2000, Jan gave public classes on pruning, plant propagation, legumes, and annuals. She arranged to have Norman Nagata teach a Master Gardener class on plant disease. She taught Master Gardener classes on weeds and Vegetables, as well as taking the Master Gardener trainees on a field trip to UH. They visited the Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center; Ray Uchida was kind enough to give them a tour of the ADSC facilities. She arranged for Ted Radovich, graduate student under Dr. Hector Valenzuela, to give the Master Gardeners an "advanced" class on organic farming. She gave two separate tours of UGC to two different senior citizens' organizations. She gave an education session on transgenic papayas.

During April 2000, Jan gave public classes on dyeing Easter eggs with natural dyes, solanaceous vegetables, bananas, and corn. She arranged for Dale Sato to teach a Master Gardener class on fruits, and for Jay Deputy to teach a class on Turfgrass. She taught a class to the Master Gardeners on Ornamentals, and accompanied them on a field trip to Hawaiian Earth Products (which had been arranged by one of the students). She arranged for Dr. Mel Wong to give an "advanced" class on landscape design. She participated in the "I Love Kailua Day", sponsored by the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle, assisting in the plant problem clinic. She also taught a class for Leeward Community College on low-maintenance landscape plants.

During May 2000, Jan gave public classes on growing lei flowers and cucurbits. She arranged for Dr. Julian Yates to repeat his highly successful termite class. She also arranged for Paul Murakami to teach a class on basic orchid culture. She gave Master Gardener classes on IPM and Pesticides, and Diagnostics and Communications. The Spring 2000 Master Gardener course ended, with 16 people completing the course. She spoke to the Arthritic Foundation group in Kaneohe about gardening with handicaps. She gave a tour of the native Hawaiian Ecosystem garden to a small group of landscape architects and talked to them about native Hawaiian plants. At the UGC Plant Sale, she coordinated inventory-taking with the Master Gardeners. She also coordinated the plant problem clinic, assisted by Master Gardeners as well as Dr. Mel Wong and Dr. Greg Koob.

During June 2000, Jan gave public classes on soils, plumerias, and lychee. She arranged for Flo Stanley to teach a class on basil. She gave a tour of UGC to the Mililani Golden Years club. She spoke to the Ewa Pa`ahana group about basic gardening, focusing on vegetables. She gave a transgenic papaya educational session.

During July 2000, Jan gave public classes on lawns, gesneriads, mangos, and common plant problems. She also gave two UGC tours to the Women's Health Initiative and to the Moanalua-Aiea Community School for Adults.

During August 2000, Jan gave a puglic class on composting. She gave three different tours of UGC to the Waipahu Seniors, the Moanalua Gardens Church group, and to the Kapahulu Senior Citizens. She gave an educational session on transgenic papayas during the evening. She and some of the Master Gardeners participated in CTAHR's plant problem clinic at the Made in Hawaii festival.

During September 2000, Jan gave a public class on insects (friend or foe). She gave tours of UGC to the Pi Lambda Theta (teachers) and to the Sudhana Fellowship Hongwanji. She went to Salt Lake Elementary school to speak to some of their volunteers about gardening. She spoke to the Mililani Garden Club about insects. She arranged and accompanied Master Gardeners and other UGC volunteers on a field trip to the Halawa Xeriscape Garden, where Amy Tsuneyoshi gave them a tour of the garden.



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