Polk County Center June 2018
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Director's Feature
To say that it's been a little wet is an understatement. As we head into June we can only hope that the weather moderates a bit and isn't extreme in either direction. When the soil in our gardens and farm fields is saturated we need to stay out of them. Compaction is a real issue if we choose to enter them too early. Be sure to give the soil at least 5 days to dry before attempting to cultivate or weed. Also be on the look out for fungal issues. With all the rain and warm weather, fungus will begin to pop out everywhere so treat your crop as soon as possible with a fungicide. There are many conventional and organic fungicides that will be helpful in controlling these issues. Farming is an intense and worrisome profession. Can you imagine if your livelihood depended on the weather? Keep this in mind when you head out to purchase food. Take the time to thank a local farmer for their hard work and reward them by purchasing local produce and meats when possible. You will get some great food and you will be helping some extremely hard working farmers in your community.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the Polk County Extension office.
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Horticulture
Lawn Care: Brown Patch
Brown patch is a huge problem this year on tall fescue lawns and is already making itself known by appearing as brown circular patches in the lawn. In order to limit damage, mow when grass is dry and avoid fertilizer with high nitrogen. There are several fungicides that you can choose from to treat brown patch such as "Heritage" or "Banner Maxx". These are available in liquid form but can also be purchased in a granular form which is the easiest to apply for most people. There are other fungicides available, just make sure it is labeled for brown patch. Also remember when planting a lawn to use a seed mixture that contains at least 3 varieties of fescue to prevent entire lawn death when diseases hit.
Flower Care
Many plants will stop blooming once the plant begins to set seed. You can prolong the bloom period of both annuals and perennials by "deadheading" the spent flowers. Continue to pinch back herbs.
Prune climbing roses after they bloom; fertilize at that time.
Pest Control: Bagworms
Bagworms
are relatively easy to control at this time of year on plants such as junipers, arborvitae and leyland cypress. Inspect susceptible plants for tiny worms and spray with Dipel or Thuricide. (these are biological controls that contain a bacteria) 
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles hold their family reunion at your house in June and July. Hand-pick by holding a container of soapy water under the branch and tapping the branch. The beetle's natural instinct is to drop when disturbed from above. Or you may spray with pesticides labeled for Japanese Beetles. Spray late in the day when bees are no longer active. Traps are NOT recommended. If you do use them, put them as far away as possible from the plant you want to protect, and be sure to empty them every 2 days. Apply a soil insecticide to kill Japanese Beetle grubs in early August.
Fire Ants
 Fire ants are a problem we all face,
especially in the lower elevations. Pastures can become overrun with ants if we don't treat regularly. For small infestations liquid Carbaryl (sevin) can be drenched over the mounds. Typically, it takes 1 gallon of mixture to eliminate a mound. In larger areas you may consider purchasing fire ant baits that are spread in a granular form. These baits take a while to eliminate mounds as the workers must take the bait into the nest for the queen to consume. In small areas, drenching the mound with Carbaryl is the quickest, most satisfying way to eliminate an active fire ant mound.
Top 6 Tomato Problems
The first step in controlling an insect or a disease problem is learning how to correctly identify the pests you have.
Cutworm: Most cutworms cut off stems of plants at or near the soil line. They curl up into a tight C shape when disturbed. Guard the plant base from cutworms with a wax paper collar about 3" high (2" above ground & 1" below).
Aphids: These plant lice cause the greatest damage when they suck juices from the plants. They usually feed in clusters. Several applications of soapy water are quite effective to control them.
Tomato Hornworm or Tobacco Hornworm:
They feed on tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and related plants. You can pick them off by hand or use biologic pesticides to control them such as Dipel or Thuricide.
Early Blight: This disease produces brown to black, target-like spots on older leaves. If severe, the fungus also attacks stems and fruit. Sanitation is the best control and can be prevented by using a Copper Fungicide or chemical pesticides such as Daconil. Remove all diseased plant tissue on the ground. Do not plant tomatoes in the same place next year. Septoria leaf spot which causes small brown spots and the plant to defoliate from the ground up can also be controlled in this way. The key to control is to begin spraying prior to infection and continue throughout the season.
Blossom End Rot: This disease is non-parasitic and is caused by a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. The affected area darkens and enlarges in a widening circle. The calcium deficiency may be due to a lack of calcium uptake from the soil or to extreme fluctuations in water supply. Make sure your soil pH is between 6.0-6.5 to maximize nutrient availability. Since blossom-end rot is also associated with extremes in water supply, it is important to try to regulate the moisture supply in the soil. Plants need 1" of water per week.
Bacterial Blight can be a problem in our area as well. It consists of angular brown spots on pepper and tomato leaves and can spread to the fruit. To control this, apply a copper fungicide prior too or as soon as any symptoms are noticed. Continue throughout the season based on label recommendations. This disease is typically seed borne and controls may be ineffective leaving removal as the only option.
Perennial Flowers
 Spring and summer is the perfect time to plant herbaceous perennial flowers. You will find these plants at all garden centers and big box stores for the entire summer based on their bloom times. The key to growing good perennial flowers is drainage. Once established, they need relatively little irrigation and thrive with good soil drainage. The biggest killer of these plants is water hanging around the roots during the winter so soil prep is the key to long lived plants.
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2018 Master Gardener Program
Once per year the Cooperative Extension Office offers the Extension Master Gardener course to a limited number of students. To enroll in the course one must fill out an application and pay $150 to cover the tuition. This year's course will consist of 11 weeks of training.
The classes will meet each Tuesday from 9am - 12pm from August 7th thru October. The training will primarily be lecture and lab. Students will learn an in-depth overview of horticulture and be assessed with quizzes and a comprehensive final exam. This exam is open book but not open neighbor.
The Extension Master Gardener Program is essentially a volunteer program. Once you have completed the training you are expected to give 40 hours of volunteer effort for the Cooperative Extension in Polk County within one year of the completion of your course. For all years after your first the requirement drops to 20 hours. The purpose of this volunteer effort is to "extend Extension". You will also have the opportunity to contribute to demonstration/research gardens and to provide trainings as needed for the public. This is a fantastic course and you will not regret your decision to attend. No matter what your current level of training is, when you leave you will be a Master Gardener!
Print out the 2018 Master Gardener application here.
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Polk County 4-H News
Summer is upon us and school is almost out. 4-H is offering many summer learning opportunities for your children. The newsletter with a listing of these activities and registration information can be found at:
Summer Newsletter link
Last month, N.C 4-H held a youth healthy living summit. The goal of the event was to help young people be voices for change in their communities and teach them how to be physically and mentally healthy. Youth from each attending county had to come up with an action plan to take back to their community, to help people live healthier lives. Be on the look out for our teens announcement about their action plan. The event was held at Camp Millstone in Ellerbe, NC.
Anastasia, Ariel, Sabrina Ballard and Jeremiah Petoia represented Polk County at the event.
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Breakfast Time!
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Physical Activity Season!
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Family Consumer Science
Grilled Meats With Zip!
As the Summer season approaches, we begin to think about cooking more outdoors. This year, try adding some zip to your favorite grilled meat, poultry, and fish by using dry rubs or marinades. Dry rubs are combinations of seasonings and spices rubbed onto meat, poultry, or fish before grilling. Basic rubs often include coarsely ground pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Some include mustard, brown sugar, dried jalapeno or cayenne pepper. Crushed herbs, such as sage, basil, thyme and oregano are also good choices.
Marinades add flavor, but they also help tenderize less tender cuts of meat. Basic marinades include an acidic ingredient, such as wine, vinegar, soy sauce or lemon juice, combined with herb, seasonings, and oil.
When using marinades, there are certain safety precautions that need to be taken.
- Always marinate in the refrigerator, turning the meat occasionally. Don't leave meat, poultry, or fish on the counter to marinate.
- Reserve some of the marinade before adding the meat to use as a baste while the meat is cooking. Used marinade contains raw meat, poultry, and fish juices, which contain bacteria and could cause food borne illness.
- Marinate in a glass or stainless steel dish, or in a plastic zippered bag. Acidic ingredients in marinades can react with aluminum or certain glazed ceramic containers and mix with the meat being marinated.
- Marinate no longer than you would normally refrigerate the meat, poultry or fish. To absorb flavor from a marinade, the meat should marinate at least 30 minutes. If you are uncertain how long to marinate, limit the time to 24 hours or less for best safety and quality.
Here are some marinade recipes for you to try this summer to add some zip to your meals.
Mustard-Vinegar Marinade
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dry sage
1 tablespoon dry bay leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed
Mix mustard and water. Add garlic, sage and bay leaves. Mix while adding oil. Store in refrigerator in air tight container.
Beef Rib Marinade
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients. Place ribs in a container large enough to lay one rack flat. Pour marinade over ribs, coating completely. Let rest over night. Turn ribs over occasionally to allow marinade to soak in. Prepare smoker. Remove ribs from marinade and place in smoker. Boil remaining marinade for two minutes and use as a baste for ribs.
Yogurt and Garlic Marinade
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely (2 tablespoons dried)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped finely (2 tablespoons dried)
3 tablespoons Dijon style mustard
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped finely (1 tablespoons dried)
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped finely (1 tablespoons dried)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This is a great marinade for lamb and shish kebabs.
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Livestock
Upcoming Events
. Mountain Research Station Field Day, July 19, Waynesville, NC
. Alfalfa Bermudagrass workshop, August 23rd, Lillington, NC
. NCBA Stockmanship and Stewardship workshop, August 24-25th, Clemson, SC
. NC Beef Field, Upper Mtn Research Station, Oct 6th, Laurel Springs, NC
Contact Noah Henson for more information: [email protected]
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Tell a Friend
Please feel free to forward the newsletter to your friends. If they would like to receive the letter, ask them to contact the Cooperative Extension Center in Columbus at (828) 894-8218/894-8219, or email [email protected].
Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for insuring that the extended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label, Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact an agent of the North Carolina Extension Service in your county.
NC State University and NC A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.
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