Seeing what a passion she has for horticulture and her desire to learn more about how Extension benefits the residents, farms, and businesses of North Carolina, Welborn and the other staff of the center welcomed Tatianna officially as an intern in August. "If it wasn't for these unpredictable times, I would not have been given the opportunity to explore and learn about the Cooperative Extension," Tatianna noted.

You can extend the season of tender vegetables by protecting them through the first early frost. In North Carolina, we often enjoy several weeks of good growing conditions after the first frost. The NC Climate Office developed the Climate Thresholds Tool to calculate the average first and last frost dates for your garden. Cover growing beds or rows with burlap or a floating row cover supported by stakes or wire to keep the material from directly touching the plants. Individual plants can be protected by using milk jugs, paper cups or water-holding walls. Most of the semi-hardy and hardy vegetables will require little or no frost protection. Semi-hardy vegetables should be harvested before a heavy freeze. Root crops such as carrots and radishes should be harvested or mulched heavily before a hard freeze. During mild winters, harvest can even continue until spring!

The middle of September is the very best time to seed your fescue lawn. Make sure to use a quality seed, cover with straw (for new lawns), and water frequently to ensure germination. When the seedlings emerge they have very small, shallow roots. Keep them watered and don’t let falling leaves smother them. Use a leaf blower on low power or rake VERY gently to remove leaves. Brown patch is also very prevalent this time of year, so be sure to apply a fungicide to prevent it from killing existing grass and especially your newly seeded lawn. 

Fall is a good time to plant shrubs and trees. This gives them the entire fall and some of the winter to establish a root system, which in turn will give them a better start in the spring. Be careful not to prune plants until after the first frost to avoid soft regrowth that could be killed in the cold.

Plant pansies and mums this month for seasonal color. This is also a good time to divide Iris. To achieve success, you'll need good drainage, full sun, clean cultivation (weed and grass free) and frequent dividing of large clumps. Geraniums can be overwintered in your garage or basement if the area you are keeping them in stays above freezing. Be sure to bring them in before the first frost. You can leave them in the pots or remove all the soil and place them bare root in paper bags. 

Five common flower garden plants--Dahlia, Canna, Caladium, Gladiolus, and Tuberous Begonia--should not overwinter outside. To save the plants, lift roots, tubers, or corms about the time of our first killing frost. They may be dug just after foliage dries. Dig deep enough so that part of the plant will not be snapped off when lifted out of the soil. Leave soil around Dahlia tubers, Canna and Caladium roots. Store bulbs in a garage or other building until soil dries and falls away from plant parts. Shake soil off roots and tubers and cut away dried stem. Immediately discard any plant parts that show soft spots or disease. Place tubers and roots in old sawdust or peat moss—in a flat box or plastic bag with holes for ventilation. Store in a dry, cool place such as a basement. Do not store on back porch or in garage; these plants cannot withstand freezing. Also, store away from danger of being eaten by mice, squirrels, etc.

Bring houseplants indoors when temperatures dip below 50°F. Give them a good bath in soapy water or spray with insecticidal soap. Move plants into partial shade for a week to condition them to lower light levels indoors.

Is there an area of your garden that you won't be planting Fall crops in? Putting your unused garden to bed for the winter can prevent many of next year’s insect and disease problems. Here are some of the ways you can prepare your garden for next year's growing season.

Start by thoroughly cleaning plant debris out of the garden. Pull out all annuals that have completed their lifecycle. Get your soil tested. Add organic matter and turn over soil to decrease insect and disease populations. Plant a cover crop of winter rye or annual rye grass to prevent soil erosion and to capture nutrients over the winter.

It is not uncommon for insects and diseases to be more abundant in the fall. Strive to keep fall vegetables healthy and actively growing; healthy plants are less susceptible to insects and diseases. When sufficient damage is detected, use an approved pesticide.

Should you need more information on any of these topics please stop by the Polk County Cooperative Extension office located at 79 Carmel Lane just outside of Columbus, or pop us an email or give us a call at 828-894-8218.

4-H is all about hands-on learning. So, just because we can’t meet in person right now, that doesn’t mean that our focus has changed. We’re simply adapting our format! For the Fall semester, that means a ton of great options for students ages 5-18. Click over to our registration post on our website to discover which programs your child would like to take part in.

contact Jimmi Buell by phone (828-894-8218) or email.

Did you know that people who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases? Grains provide many nutrients vital for health and it is recommended that at least half of all the grains eaten be whole grains. September is whole grains month, and on average most Americans eat enough grains, but few are whole grains. Check out the following tips to help increase your intake of whole grains.

What are grains? Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Examples include bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel ― the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples include whole- wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice.

What are the health benefits? Consuming whole grains as part of a healthy diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, help with weight management, and reduce constipation. Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).

Whole grains at meals. Use whole-grain breads for sandwiches, try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes, or put whole-wheat macaroni in macaroni and cheese. Try rolled oats or a crushed, unsweetened whole-grain cereal as breading for baked chicken, fish, or veal cutlets. Try an unsweetened, whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal as croutons in a salad.

Whole grains as snacks. Snack on ready-to-eat, whole-grain cereals. Add whole-grain flour or oatmeal to baked treats. Try 100% whole-grain snack crackers. Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a healthy snack if made with little or no added salt and butter.

What to look for on food labels. Choose foods that list a whole grain (such as brown rice, oatmeal, bulgur, wild rice, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye or whole wheat) first on the ingredient list. Multi-grain, stone-ground, seven-grain or bran are usually not whole-grain foods. Food color is not always a good indicator of whole grain. Bread can be brown due to molasses or other added ingredients. Also, choose products with a higher percent daily value (%DV) for fiber.

To broaden your food horizons with whole grain try substituting a whole grain product for a refined one. To learn more about the world of whole grains and expand your recipes, go to http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes

Video Recipe: Whole Wheat Pasta With Pesto and Vegetables