Tree & Shrub Planting

Fall is the ideal time for planting evergreens, conifers and deciduous plants. The cool weather permits establishment of a root system before next year's hot weather. October, November and December are better, but you may plant up through January and early February. If several shrubs are to be planted, rototill the entire bed area, adding an organic amendment such as compost or very small pine bark to improve drainage. Peat moss should never be used in clay soil. If planting a single tree or shrub, it is wise not to amend the planting hole as you can cause it to act like a “bathtub” holding water and killing the plant.

B&B or Bareroot Transplanting Trees & Shrubs

November through early February is the ideal time to transplant trees and shrubs from one place on your property to another.  In selecting sites, be certain to allow space for the plant at maturity. A common mistake is placing a large or fast-growing plant where there is not enough room for full height and spread. The error results in continuous pruning to attempt to keep the plant within a size that nature never intended it to be. When transplanting, you can either attempt to dig a root ball with the soil attached or plant the tree or shrub bare root. Bare root generally works best for small plants and the root ball method of digging is better for large specimens. Once the plant is in place, make sure to keep the root ball moist and also wet the leaves several times per day to help prevent dry winds from desiccating the plant. 

Fire Ants

Fire ants tend to do “mound work” in the fall. This is the time you will see mounds popping up from the ground or getting bigger. These ants have been there the whole time; they are just doing a little home expansion. Treating mounds is easy to do with a little liquid Carbaryl (Sevin). It will take 1 gallon of mixed solution poured directly on the mound to kill it. After application, the mound will be dead but you will need to rake down the unsightly hill of soil. For large areas that need treatment, baits are the best course of action, and they can be applied in a granular form. Organic control can be had from pouring boiling water on a mound, although this can be very hazardous! Spinosad is another organic control that can be used typically as a bait.

Lawn Care

The November fertilization of your Fescue lawn is not one to forget. The soil is still warm enough to permit the root growth that enables the grass to withstand the rigors of next summer's baking heat. Conducting a soil test is best ,but in the absence of a soil test, apply 6 lbs. of 17-17-17 per 1000 sf of lawn. The middle number is phosphorus which can be hazardous to the environment when applied to the top of the ground, so only apply it when needed. If it is not needed, you can apply 3 pounds of 34-0-0 per 1000 sf of lawn to get the same result.  Every 3 years add a total of 50 lbs of dolomitic lime per 1000 sf to maintain pH at the proper level.

If you have a Bermuda lawn you can make it lush in the winter by overseeding it with a perennial rye grass mixture at 7-10 pounds per 1000 sqft. Be sure to use perennial rye grass and not annual for a good looking lawn.

Spring Bulbs

Plant spring flowering bulbs using a bulb fertilizer or one rounded tablespoon of 10-10-10 per square foot, incorporated at the root level. You can also utilize compost or natural fertilizers such as bone meal, blood meal or manure.

Pruning

Pruning should not be done until the first frost. If you prune too early you may get regrowth from the plant that can easily be killed by frost. Although you can prune in fall, late February pruning is best due to potential ice damage during the winter that can ruin your work.



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.



Are you a farm owner in Polk or Rutherford counties who would like to share your knowledge and passion for what you do with visitors from local and surrounding communities? Are you using innovative practices that folks should know about with local products for sale that more people need in their lives? The NC Foothills Farm Tour is looking for farms like yours for our 2020 event. We feel that connecting producers and consumers is important, especially when we consider that less than one percent of the population today farm for their profession (counting part-time folks in that, too). Our goal for the farm tour includes connecting participants to a multitude of farming operations to educate visitors on what food production looks like and how to change their buying habits to include supporting local producers. 

If you have a farm and would like more information about participating in the NC Foothills Farm Tour, visit www.ncfoothillsfarmtour.com .

The members of our three 4-H Goat Clubs have spent plenty of time with the herd so far this Fall, and have enjoyed getting to know the new twins. They've learned about everything from goat nutrition to how to put a halter on a goat. Recently, our Cloverbud Goat Club members even took a blanket outside and read books to the goats!

Holiday parties and get-togethers usually include food! A popular way to serve food at these gatherings is by buffet where food sits out at a table at room temperature and people "graze". This type of foodservice can contribute to foodborne illness and a bad way to start the New Year! To protect your guests against food-related illness, follow these tips:

Keep Hands, Kitchen, Dishes and Utensils Clean

* Always wash your hands constantly during the preparation, serving and cleanup.

*Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean. Be sure your serving dishes are clean. Do not serve food on plates that previously held raw meat or poultry.

Cook Food Thoroughly

* Cook roast beef, pork, veal and lamb to at least 145 degrees F. for medium rare and let stand/rest for 3 minutes before serving; 160 degrees F. for medium-well done. Roast poultry to 165 degrees F. or higher. Any foods created from ground meat or hamburger should be cooked to 160 degrees F.

Serving Tips

*When serving foods on the buffet table, serve them in or on several small platters rather than on huge platters. Keep the rest of the food in your oven (set at 200 to 250 degrees) or cold in the refrigerator until serving time. This way, the foods will be kept at safe temperatures for a long period of time. When the small platters are empty, replace them rather than add fresh food to a dish that already had food in it. Remember: Many unwashed hands have been taking food from these dishes and the food has been sitting out at room temperature.

Two-Hour Rule

* Food should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Throw out anything left sitting out for more than two hours.

Keep Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold

*Hot foods should be held at 140 degrees F. or warmer. On the buffet table, keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, warming trays or slow cookers. Keep the covers on the hot food dishes to keep the heat inside the dish.

*Cold food should be held at 40 degrees or colder. Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice. Otherwise, use smaller serving platters and replace them often.

Leftover Food Safety

*Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours of serving. If the leftover foods were on your buffet longer than two hours, throw them out.

*Eat your leftovers within a 3-4 days. Use your freezer for longer storage. Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees F. Filling a plate of food and microwaving it for a few minutes may seem safe enough, but you need to use a food thermometer to make sure all the food is reheated enough to kill bacteria. Microwave ovens heat unevenly, so let the covered food sit for two minutes to let the heat get distributed throughout.

Clean-Up

* Use soap and water to wash the countertops, tables and the refrigerator door handle (one of the dirtiest spots in a busy kitchen). After washing and rinsing off the suds, follow up with a sanitizing solution of one teaspoon of bleach to one quart of water. Spray on the clean surfaces and air-dry.