GARDENING IN THE MOUNTAIN SERIES
March 15,
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
"Planning Your Vegetable Garden
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Presented by: Mary Alice Ramsey, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, Buncombe County
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With the anticipation of spring, now is the time to PLAN.
Join Mary Alice Ramsey, Extension Master
Gardener SM Volunteer, as she presents
Planning Your Vegetable Garden
and covers the following topics: identifying a gardening site, selecting your vegetables, drawing a diagram, and improving soil quality. She will also share information on garden tools and structures, seed and plant sources, getting started, and keeping records.
Mary Alice's garden has been included in the Gardens of Fairview tours each spring and her garden was featured in Southern Living magazine in August of 2017.
Free. Please call to regis
ter 828-255-5522.
Location: Buncombe County Center,
49 Mt Carmel Rd, Asheville NC 28806
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MARCH GARDEN CHORES
Lawns
* If you have not yet gotten around to the spring fertilizer application, you're almost out of time. Mid March is the recommended deadline.
* There is still time to seed
bare spots.
* Consider making changes to your lawn to reduce maintenance costs and time.
*Reduce lawn area and cut out problem areas:
- Wet and/or shady
- Constant, heavy traffic areas
- Difficult to maintain areas: narrow strips, tight angles, under trees
*Expand mulched area around trees and beds.
*Tolerate diversity. Many weeds provide important resources for pollinators - especially early spring bloomers.
Plant "Turf Type" white clover that are lower growing, less vigorous, smaller leaves and less flowers
Ornamentals
* Summer-blooming shrubs and trees such as butterfly bush, rose-of-Sharon and crepe myrtle can be pruned
now.
* Do not prune spring-blooming plants until after the flowers fade.
* March is a good time to do severe pruning when overgrown shrubs need to be renovated.
* When the weather breaks, plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
* Repot and trim up houseplants. Rejuvenate hanging baskets and use cuttings to start new baskets.
* Check houseplants for insect infestations. Plants can be taken outside on a warm day for spraying, but bring
them in before dark.
* Sow seeds for larkspur, poppies and snapdragons.
Fruits
* Remove straw or row covers from strawberry plants as soon as flowers appear.
* Plant all types of fruit crops.
* Prune fruit trees, grapes and brambles. Remove last year's fruiting canes and thin new canes to 3-4 per
square foot.
* Fertilize all fruit crops.
Vegetables
* Mulch garlic and asparagus well to prevent early competing weeds from invading the beds.
* Early- to mid-March plant English and edible-pod peas, onions, and kale.
* Mid-March plant spinach, turnips, radishes and onions.
* Wait until late March to set out potatoes and plants of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
* Start transplants indoors for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants mid-month. They will need 6 to 8 weeks to be
ready for the garden.
Other
* Prepare for scouting bluebirds and clean out old bluebird boxes and mount new ones.
* Check your garden tools--make repairs, clean up and sharpen blades of saws and shovels alike.
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Vegetable Planting Dates for
Western North Carolina
Depending on your ability to work the soil in your garden, the window of the spring garden is open! Below are some dates for specific crops.
Onion sets Feb 15 - April 1
Peas, Garden Feb 15 - April 1
Cabbage, plants Mar 1 - Apr 15
Carrots Mar 1 - Apr 15
Kale Mar 1- May 1
Radishes Mar 1- May 1
Rutabagas Mar 1- Apr 15
Spinach Mar 1- Apr 15
Turnip Mar 1 - May 1
Lettuce, leaf Mar 15 - Apr 15
Lettuce, head Mar 15 - Apr 15
Mustard Mar 15 - Apr 15
Potatoes, white Mar 15 - Apr 15
Beets Apr 1 - May 1
Broccoli, plants Apr 1 - May 15
Swiss Chard Apr 1 - May 1
Warm-season crops like beans, corn, cucumbers peppers, tomatoes, squash can safely be planted around May 10th--give or take a few days.
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Want to Get an Early Start?
Getting a jump on the season can bring in earlier harvests
but
also help plants avoid pest problems.
Here are a few ideas:
- Grow in raised beds
- Slope beds to the sun
- Run rows east and west
- Choose early varieties
- Use transplants rather than seed
- Use larger transplants
- Use hot caps or row covers and tunnels for frost protection
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Western North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs
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Weeds that Grow in Winter:
Chickweed and Henbit
Winter weeds are flowering and going to seed right now.
Read what the Buncombe County Master Gardeners say about them
HERE.
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PRUNING NEGLECTED FRUIT TREES
Check out this video and see Dr. Mike Parker, NCSU Tree Fruit Specialist demonstrate the right pruning techniques to restore shape and beauty to neglected fruit trees.
GO HERE
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DID YOUR ROSEMARY SURVIVE THE COLD?
Gardeners around the county are reporting rosemary plants with brown foliage. Although it may have survived the more milder temperatures of last winter, it is not reliably winter hardy here in the mountains and may
look pretty rough right now and even appear dead.
Scraping the bark of a few stems in search of green tissue might not reveal the full extent of the live or damaged wood. When in doubt - wait. Look for new growth and prune back anything dead and damaged.
In case you need to replace a rosemary there are two varieties to look for that are cold hardy to our region:
Rosemarinus officinalis 'Madeline Hill', also known as Hill Hardy Rosemary and
Rosemarinus officinalis 'Arp'.
To learn
how to winterize herbs for better survival
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2018 PERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR
Allium 'Millenium'
According to the Perennial Plant Association website Allium 'Millenium' is:
Hardy to
USDA Zones 3 or 4 to 9
G
rows best in full sun and
well-drained soils.
Allium 'Millenium' is a perfect selection for full-sun gardens where its sleek structure can complement many other growth habits. Cut flowers retain a blush of their summer color.
Allium 'Millenium' is a butterfly magnet. The plant is interesting through multiple seasons for both foliage and large, gorgeous blooms. Reseeding is much less a problem than in other alliums.
Allium 'Millenium' is subject to no serious insect or disease problems. Deer and rabbits usually avoid 'Millenium'.
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SAVE THE DATE
MASTER GARDENER
PLANT SALE
Saturday May 12, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
In partnership with the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society
Location: American Red Cross parking lot,
100 Edgewood Road,
just off Merrimon Ave.
behind First Citizen's Bank
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Spring is a fine time to replenish mulch and get on top of spring germinating weeds. Since mulch breaks down and needs to be 'top dressed' every year or two, make sure that when mulch is added on top of existing mulch that the total depth does not accumulate more than 3-4 inches total.
Too much mulch can encourage the plants to develop shallow roots, which becomes problematic during periods of drought. Always be sure to keep mulch at least 3-4 inches away from tree trunks and shrub stems.
What type of mulch you use is a matter of personal preference. READ HERE to learn more about using mulch properly from the Extension Master Gardeners.
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ervice to underground utilities can easily be cut when digging at any depth such as building a terrace or retaining wall, installing irrigation or drainage lines or even planting a shrub or tree.
Before you bring in trenching or excavating equipment or even use a mattock or shovel, save yourself and the utility company time and money and have the utilities located within the project area.
Allow 48 hours for the utilities to be marked. Note that only the public utilities up to your meter will be marked. Your private septic lines or the water lines past the meter will not be located. Also be aware that the marking is not exact and will not tell you the depth of the lines.
Once lines are marked, take a picture or make a map for your future reference!
Find more information on the North Carolina 811: visit
www.nc811.org
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SIGN UP NOW!
The Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs for short!) produce a blog on a variety of topics including current insect and disease issues and gardening tips and activities for all ages and abilities.
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GARDEN HELPLINE IS OPEN
NEED HELP WITH GARDEN QUESTIONS...
Identifying plants, insects, diseases?
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Extension Master Gardeners are now available to answer your gardening questions.
Office hours for the Garden Helpline are
Monday - Thursday from 10:00am - 2:00pm.
Reach them by Phone (828-255-5522), Email ([email protected]) or walk-in 49 Mount Carmel Rd.
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Please bring fresh samples showing all stages of symptoms.
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