GREAT PLANTS AT GREAT PRICES!!!!
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GARDENING IN THE MOUNTAIN SERIES
May 17,
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
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"
The Secret Life of Trees
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Presented by: Steve Pettis, Henderson County Commercial and Consumer Horticulture Agent, NC State Cooperative Extension
Do you wonder about all the trees that surround you in Western North Carolina? What kinds of
trees grow here? What factors affect their growth? What role do they play in our environment?
Why do trees die in urban landscapes?
Speaker Steve Pettis has spent his life studying plants and gardening. As a child, he gardened with his grandmother, dividing daylilies, irises, and daffodils. He went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in ornamental horticulture and a Master's Degree in plant protection and pest management at the University of Georgia, where he studied with highly esteemed horticulturists Allan Armitage and Michael Dirr. Steve's career includes managing a tree farm and nursery, managing a research greenhouse, and working as a consulting arborist. Grow your knowledge and appreciation of our beautiful WNC trees. Hear Steve discuss why
trees are so important to us and why they should be protected.
Free. Please call to regis
ter 828-255-5522.
Location: Buncombe County Center,
49 Mt Carmel Rd, Asheville NC 28806
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SATURDAY SEMINAR
May 19,
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Presented by:
and Nancy Wilson,
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County
What do you do when you love gardening but only have a small space to work with? Do you yearn for a
homegrown tomato that tastes fresh from the vine? Do you want to cook with fresh herbs but the
grocery store packages are too much and too costly for your favorite recipe? Do you want fresh flowers
on your dining table but not the typical store selections?
Container gardening may be the answer for you! Yes, you can successfully grow vegetables, herbs, and
flowers in containers. Attend our seminar and learn how. We'll discuss:
- The benefits of container gardening
- Vegetables, herbs, and flowers that grow best in containers
- Selecting containers
- Combining plants (herbs and/or flowers) for the best result
- Designing an eye-catching container of flowers
- Growing houseplants that thrive in your home
- Selecting the right potting mix
- Planting, fertilizing, watering, and repotting
We take the mystery out of container gardening and will send you home with new information and a
great handout.
Free. Please call to regis
ter 828-255-5522.
Location: Buncombe County Center,
49 Mt Carmel Rd, Asheville NC 28806
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MAY GARDEN CHORES
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Lawns
* Mow frequently enough to remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time, cool season grasses 3 inches high. Try not to mow when grass is wet to avoid spreading disease.
* Pull broadleaf (non-grass) weeds before they spread, spot treat with broadleaf herbicide if necessary. Plant diversity in the lawn can be OK.
* Do not fertilize fescue and bluegrass lawns a this time. Look to late summer early fall for additional over seeding or renovation projects.
Ornamentals
* To invigorate or rearrange daffodils, the bulbs can be moved now. Dig deep to avoid damaging the bulb. Keep the leaves and roots intact and replant at the original depth.
* Do not remove leaves from bulbs until they have turned brown.
* Prune spring flowering shrubs soon after flowers fade. Using thinning cuts near the ground and remove the thickest, oldest stems with the fewest flowers.
* Mulch is the best tool for maintaining soil moisture and reducing weeds in the landscape. Maintain a depth of 3-4 inches, including the old layer of mulch.
* It is safe to move houseplants outdoors for the summer once nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees. Initially place them in the shade, moving to brighter light allowing them to acclimate.
*Bagworms will be hatching, an excellent opportunity for treatment with Bt.
Fruits
* Keep weeds out of the strawberry bed and put straw mulch around plants.
* Fruit trees may set a good crop. Too many fruit on the tree is not a good thing. Thin apples, pears and peaches to about 6 inches apart when the fruit is the size of a nickel.
* Prune selectively to allow light and air to circulate and keep plants dry and reduce fruit and foliage diseases. Begin fungicide sprays, especially on peaches, plums and grapes.
* When moving or planting strawberries make sure to cover the roots until the crown (where the leaves arise) is just above the soil surface.
Vegetables
*Asparagus - T
o help plants establish strong root systems do not harvest spears the first year. Begin lightly harvesting the second year, and work up to a six- to eight-week harvest by the fourth year.
* Plan your vegetable garden on paper. Keep the plan from year to year so you can plan crop rotations.
* Use row cover to prevent cabbageworms. Check cabbage family crops regularly.
* Spindly tomato plants can be planted deep as they will form roots on the buried stem. Remove leaves that will be below the soil.
* Make sure fall planted garlic is well mulched to keep competing weeds away.
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AVOIDING INJURIES IN THE GARDEN
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fafard.com
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Bend at the knees when lifting - use the strength of your legs
to help with the lift.
Carry loads close to the body rather than with arms straight out to avoid strain to the lower back and neck.
Carry frequent but lighter loads rather than a few heavy loads.
Use the wheelbarrow to help transfer heavy objects, keep loads light.
Engage your core to reduce pressure off the spine and help protect the back.
Use tools with longer handles to avoid over bending or over reaching.
When replacing tools replace with something more lightweight if possible.
Take breaks, stretch often and try not to stay too long in the one position.
Mix up the tasks to help you not to over tire one muscle group e.g. trimming the hedge and planting.
Drink water and use sunscreen.
Ask for help or hire the services of someone who can do the job.
Know when to stop and smell the roses!
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GARDENING WITH NATIVE PLANTS?
"
Native plants are those species that evolved naturally in a region without human intervention....
These plants developed and adapted to local soil and climate conditions over thousands of years and are vital parts of local ecosystems necessary for the survival of pollinators, insects, birds, mammals, and other wildlife." From the Extension Gardener Handbook
If you are interested in growing native plants and want to search for plants that
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t's important to know that extra care and soil preparation may be needed for some native plants to help them establish, especially in newly constructed homesites. Rhododendrons for instance typically grow in moist, well drained soils high in organic matter and will develop root rot in heavy clay where the drainage is poor. Below is a diagram of how to adjust the planting method for heavy soils.
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| Planting diagram courtesy of the
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BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GARDENING
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What Varieties Should I Grow?
ARE YOU....starting to garden, looking for new ways to garden, making changes to the garden or simply interested in finding the best vegetable varieties to grow in your garden?
A first step is the
Beginners Guide To Vegetable Gardening. This publication from NC State Extension provides a thorough overview of the many aspects to gardening to help you get started. Site selection, raised beds or containers, when to plant what, crop rotation, seeds or starts, maintaining the garden and when and how to harvest are a few topics covered.
If you are looking for more in depth information on what varieties to grow.. check out one of the following sites:
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BEE SWARMS
It's not uncommon in the spring for honeybees to become cramped in their hives and leave that space looking for better accommodations (i.e. swarming). Swarms can be very dramatic but are not harmful. People (i.e. beekeepers) like to catch swarms because it's essentially a way to get free bees. Some county Extension offices do keep a "Swarm List" of individuals who are available and experienced in collecting honeybee swarms. Buncombe County Cooperative Extension however does not keep such a list and instead will refer individuals to the
Buncombe County Beekeepers Club online system to register requests for help.
HERE'S HOW:
1. Go to
wncbees.org
and click the "I Think I Have a Swarm" tab. This will take bring up an
identification page that will help identify exactly what type of bee being seen are and prevent misidentifying a flying insect from an actual
honeybee.
2. Clicking the honeybee image will take then bring up an online form to fill out. When submitted this
information is sent to the BCBC Swarm list and once alerted these individuals will respond, often the same day knowing this is a time-sensitive task.
REMEMBER honeybees, w
asps, hornets, bumblebees, and all other native bees are important pollinators and
beneficial insects. If they are located in an area where there is not a high likelihood of people
disturbing them, consider letting them remain.
These insects are important parts of the
ecosystem and need to be protected where possible.
This information was provided by Meghan Baker, Small Farms Agent in Buncombe County.
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Click Here to find Master Gardeners at tailgates & garden events
Pick up Soil Kits!
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WEB RESEARCH
Gardening advice is easy to find on the web, but much of the information is inaccurate,
inappropriate for our area, and may do more harm than good!
Quick tips for finding useful information:
Keep it local:
Garden soils, climate/hardiness zones, other environmental conditions, pests,
and diseases vary, so look for information specific to Western North Carolina.
Keep it research-based:
Look for up-to- date, science-based information from North Carolina State
University or North Carolina Extension sites/sources first! Check South Carolina,
Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia Extension services if you need more.
Keep it focused:
Start with a list of specific keywords to help narrow your research. Be wary of
personal opinion and commercial sites.
Note, though that although many North Carolina Extension materials appear at
ces.ncsu.edu, useful Extension sources may appear in domains other than ".edu"!
For example: ncsupdicblog.blogspot.com,
extension.org,
plants.usda.gov
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PLANT A ROW!
MANNA FoodBank invites gardeners in the region to participate in the Plant a Row Campaign and join in the work to end hunger in WNC.
Plant a Row (PAR) is a program that encourages local gardeners and grower networks to either plant extra produce in their garden specifically to share with neighbors in the community who are experiencing food insecurity or to reach out when there is excess harvest to share.
Gardeners in MANNA's service region who sign up to participate as a Plant a Row donor will be directed either to MANNA or get connected directly with one of their partner agencies that are accepting donations, depending on the donor's preference and location.
If you would like to participate as a Plant a Row donor, donation recipient, or would like to learn more, please contact the Food Drive Coordinator at:
[email protected]
or (828)299-3663 ext. 1248
MANNA can accept PAR donations M-F from 8:00am-12:00pm and 1pm-3:30pm
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EXTENSION MASTER GARDENER
ANNUAL REPORT
Across our state, Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers partner with their local N.C. Cooperative Extension county center to
receive training,
serve as educators to expand Extension's capacity to meet the needs of the gardening public and:
- Empower people to make informed decisions
- Enhance local food security
- Connect children and families with nature
- Cultivate environmental stewardship
- Promote health and wellbeing through gardening, better nutrition and increased physical activity
In 2017, 4333 NC Extension Master Gardener volunteers:
- Attended 49,059 hours of training
- Volunteered 214,108 hours
- Directly reached 97,363 North Carolinians
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WANT TO READ BACK ISSUES of MOUNTAIN GARDENER NEWSLETTER?
If you cant find the previous issues of the Mountain Gardener Newsletter in your inbox go
HERE to our county website look for
NEWSLETTERS on the left and scroll down to find previous 2018 copies to download.
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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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