February 2020 News for Polk County
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Director's Focus: Those Berries are Going, Going, But Not Gone!
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2020 is already moving fast, and our plant sale will be over before you know it. Thank you to all of you who have already placed an order for blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, and asparagus plants through the Extension office. If you haven’t yet, please get your order in before February 22. The proceeds from your purchase go directly to assist with the educational programs we offer. Extension is here to provide unbiased, research-based information so we can empower you with the tools necessary to be successful. If you don't fully understand all the ways your local Extension office can benefit you, please stop in or give us a call and we'd be delighted to tell you about them!
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Just a few weeks left to place your order!
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Get Your Order in by February 22
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Prepare for a luscious berry crop this year (and asparagus crops in future years!) by ordering your strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and asparagus plants through the Extension. All orders must be placed and paid for by February 22. Plants will be ready for pickup by mid-March.
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Home, Lawn and Garden Tips for February
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Pruning
February is the best time of year for major pruning and shaping of most trees and ornamental shrubs. At this time you can cut overgrown shrubs way back to rejuvenate them. You can also remove limbs from trees--but never top a tree!
Spring-Flowering Shrubs
Spring-flowering shrubs bloom on last year’s wood and should not be pruned until
after
flowering (if you want to preserve the bloom for this year). These include: Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Forsythia, Spirea, Flowering Quince, Kerria, Pieris, Weigela, Abelia, Oakleaf and Macrophylla Hydrangeas, Beautyberry, Clethra, and Vitex. If you desire to cut these shrubs back substantially, you can prune them in February but be willing to forego a bloom for this year.
Summer-Flowering Shrubs
These bloom on this year’s wood, as well, and should be pruned before new growth starts. On
deciduous shrubs, 1/3 of the oldest shoots should be cut back to the ground. Summer-
flowering Buddleia Davidii should have all shoots cut to 8-12” from the ground. Crape myrtle
trees may be pruned at this time but try not to commit “crape murder” by topping.
Overgrown Established Plants
Plantings of old established plants like Holly, Cleyera, Japanese Holly, Pittosporum, Ligustrum
and similar broad-leaf evergreens can be cut back to 15-24” from the ground if you want to
rejuvenate them.
Conifers
Pine, Junipers, Fir, Spruce, Yew and Arborvitae will not withstand heavy pruning because most
conifers don’t have latent buds below the foliage area and do not readily produce adventitious
buds. If a branch is cut back past the foliage area, it will not re-foliate. The best time to prune
conifers is just after the new growth is completed, usually in late spring or early summer.
Encourage bushier growth on pines by pinching out the new candles. Hemlocks are the
exception to the rule. They will tolerate heavy pruning and are sometimes used for hedge
plants.
Tree Wound Paints
These are useless in sealing pruning cuts and may actually do harm to the tree! Avoid them.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses should be cut back before new growth starts. Mow Liriope (Monkeygrass)
to remove last year’s unsightly foliage. Ornamental grasses may be divided now.
Fertilizing
Fescue Lawns should be fertilized in late February. Use no more than 1 pound of nitrogen per
1000 sf. Late or excessive fertilizing in spring predisposes fescue to Brown Patch disease. If a tree is in good condition, well mulched, or in a natural area, it does not need regular fertilizing. If you fertilize your lawn regularly, you are fertilizing trees in the area also. Most shrubs respond well to an application of a slow release fertilizer. Apply according to directions and distribute it evenly over the entire root area but away from the stem.
Fruit Trees
Apply a dormant oil spray to fruit trees and ornamentals for control of overwintering insects
and eggs. Do not apply to broadleaf evergreens when freezing temperatures are expected.
Wild Garlic (Wild Onion)
Control Wild Garlic with 2, 4-D Amine. Add a few drops of dishwashing detergent as a surfactant to help the herbicide adhere to the narrow leaves. Spray in late February/early March, and again in late August. Control may require two years of persistence, spraying in both growth seasons.
Roses
Thin bush roses to 3-5 good strong canes and shorten canes to 15”. Prune climbers after they
flower in early summer. Shrub Roses such as the popular variety "Knockout" need little (if any)
pruning but can be pruned hard if they are overgrown.
Grapes
Prune after most cold weather is over, usually late February/March. Bleeding will not hurt the vines.
What to Plant in February
Around the last week of February, in Polk County, you can usually safely plant CABBAGE, LETTUCE, PEAS, RADISHES, SPINACH, CARROTS, ONIONS, TURNIPS, BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, and BEETS. However, if temps drop below 26 degrees, definitely provide protection for your transplants.
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.
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Two Lawn & Garden Classes in February
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Pesticide Recertification
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Date: Tuesday, February 25
Time: 9am-11am
Description: This will be an L, X, N, & D pesticide class at the Polk County Cooperative Extension. This is good for 2 hours of pesticide credit. The class will include information on chemical applications for kudzu management. There is no fee for this course, but registration is required. Sign up by calling 828-894-8218 or using the online registration link below.
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Date: Thursday, February 20
Time: 10am-12pm
Description: Scott Welborn, NC Cooperative Extension horticulture agent and Polk Co. Extension Director will be teaching a lawn care class that will cover information about starting a new lawn and caring for an established lawn. It will also cover warm and cool season grasses. There is no fee for this course, but registration is required. Sign up by calling 828-894-8218 or using the online registration link below.
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4-H Statewide Opportunities for Youth
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Poultry Science Summer Institute (PSSI) - Applications Due by Feb. 28, 2020
The Poultry Science Summer Institute (PSSI) is a five-day, four-night conference and workshop designed to broaden high school students’ understanding of educational disciplines, scholarship opportunities, careers and industries related to poultry science. It will take place June 21-25, 2020 on the campus of NC State University. Any high school student with an interest in poultry science may apply to attend PSSI. Students must list a high school science teacher, counselor, county extension agent, 4-H leader or vocational agriculture instructor as a reference. Students will write a brief personal statement describing why they would like to participate. PSSI is a popular program. To ensure the best possible experience for all students, PSSI is limited to 20 participants.The PSSI fee is $75.00. The fee includes housing on campus, all meals, field trips, workshop materials and entertainment.
View Full Details of PSSI Opportunity.
North Carolina State 4-H Beekeeping Essay - Due March 15, 2020
Did you know that the core temperature of a honey bee cluster in a winter hive is an average temperature of 95°F? This year’s North Carolina
4-H Beekeeping Essay contest
topic is: “Overwintering: Bee Survival through the Cold Season”. Essays will be judged on the basis of scope of research, accuracy, creativity, conciseness, and logical development of the topic. The contest is open to active 4-H Club members ages 9-18 who will compete according to age group. Cash prizes are distributed to top winner in each category, and the winning essay from the 14-18 age category will be sent on to the national 4-H competition.
View Full Details of Contest.
Horticultural Science Summer Institute - Applications Accepted Thru April 15, 2020
High school students are invited to spend a week at NC State University climbing trees, grafting tomatoes, snacking on raspberries, discovering new genes and so much more. The Horticultural Science Summer Institute is a residential, hands-on, pre-college program designed to engage youth into the many career opportunities within horticulture. Students will dig into workshops led by faculty, staff and students on topics ranging from breeding better vegetables, propagating ornamental shrubs, lengthening the life of cut flowers, learning sustainable production and design practices and delving into practical tools that enhance our understanding of plant processes. Students will visit unique and innovative North Carolina farms, markets, greenhouses and gardens. The cost for the week is $600 and includes on-campus lodging in the dorms, most meals, field trips, workshop materials, and entertainment. Scholarships may be available.
View Full Details of HSSI Opportunity
Resource Conservation Workshop - July 21-26, 2020
The Resource Conservation Workshop is a weeklong intensive study and hands on conservation workshop for high schoolers requiring student application and participation in a wide range of conservation topics. The workshop is intended to engage students to learn about natural resources and their management in today’s environment. Students participate in field study, tours, hands-on sessions as well as evening activities that focus on college-decision making and career decisions. Awards and scholarships are won and presented to the students under several awards programs. The Resource Conservation Workshop students stay on campus at NC State University in dormitories and attend workshop sessions in Williams Hall, Lake Wheeler Soils Field Lab as well as field studies at Falls Lake State Recreation Area and Clemmons State Educational Forest in Clayton.The Resource Conservation Workshop is free for most students that are accepted! Students are sponsored by their
local Soil and Water Conservation District.
View Full Details of Workshop.
For more information about these opportunities or for information about available scholarships through Polk County 4-H, please
email Helen Blackwell
.
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Men's Cooking Class Begins in March
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Cooperative Extension Men's Cooking Class offers a fun and interactive way for any man to learn basic skills, whether cooking is a new responsibility or a new interest. Men take the course for a variety of reasons – personal interest, increased cooking responsibilities due to loss of or disability of a spouse, and more than one at the urging of his spouse. Whatever the reason, participants learn basic cooking skills, have fun, and enjoy fellowship with class members. Laughter is a key ingredient used in each class!
This year's session will also include a focus on "gadgets." Participants will enjoy experimenting with recipes that utilize some of today's popular kitchen tools such as an Instant Pot, breadmaker, air fryer, and even a smoker!
The six-week class series begins Tuesday, March 3, and meets each week from 9am-1pm. Each class includes instruction, hands-on practice, and a delicious lunch prepared by class members. Cost of the class is $50 and registration is required.
Class size is limited, so be sure to sign up early for this series that consistently fills up each year. To register, call the Cooperative Extension at 828-894-8218 or use the online registration link below.
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Jimmi Buell
is the Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in Polk County
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What Are Your Plans for Your Sacrifice Area?
This time of year, regardless if you planned to have a sacrifice area or not, I would imagine that wherever you are feeding livestock is now mud. While this is certainly not a pleasant sight, it is something we have to deal with in what seems to be a wet climate. The question now has moved from ways to prevent it to "how do we recover from it?" Having a plan for the next season is important in any progressive operation.
We have mud, but the good news is that warm weather and a growing season is coming. Below I will give you a few ideas on ways to recover a sacrifice area.
- Frost Seed Clover- While this year it seems that frosty days are far and few between, I am confident that we are going to have colder weather. Be prepared and take advantage of these days. Keep a bag of red and white clover seed around, and on a frosty morning in February broadcast this seed onto the ground. The freezing and thawing effect will pull this seed into the soil, and come spring you will have clover growing in your pasture or hay field. Clover adds nitrogen to your fields, helps dilute the toxin in K31, and adds diversity to your forages. If you are feeding in a pasture I would recommended a white clover, but if you are looking to get a hay field back in shape I would use a red clover.
- Spring Oats- The best solution for adding forages quickly. You can expect a 12-15 inch leaf within 45 days of planting. These oats can be used in an area where you may have had some cool season annuals fail or thin because of the excess moisture, or were forced to feed in these areas. Inter-seed spring oats and you can have forages to graze or harvest come late spring.
- Crabgrass- Even though for years we have fought crabgrass and thought of it as a negative, I am convinced that cattle graze it as much as fescue in our area. Established varieties of crabgrass certainly have their place in a grazing scenario with not only the nutritional benefits they offer, but also the benefit of having a warm season reseeding annual that can be grazed when fescue is dormant. Crabgrass establishes very well in disturbed areas, so it is perfect for sacrifice areas. Come spring, take your animals to spring pasture, plant crabgrass where you fed during the winter, then bring them back to graze in the summer.
- Inter-seed Perennial Grasses- In areas that have taken abuse during these wet months, there is a chance to thicken them back up by simply inter-seeding perennials back into them. Mid-February to mid-March is a great time to do this to prevent weeds from growing back in these bare areas. Maybe this is a time for you to add some diversity into your fields such as orchard grass or bermudagrass.
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Noah Henson
is the Area Agent for Agriculture--Livestock, Dairy, Equine, Forages
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