ALEXANDER COUNTY CENTER
May 2019
Inside this Issue:
householdday

The biennial Alexander County Household Hazardous Waste Day will take place Saturday, May 4, in the County Administration building parking lot.  The purpose of this event is to give county residents an opportunity to dispose of environmentally harmful materials, which can be found around the home, in the correct way.  

Click on the link below to see at list of items that will be accepted this day:

There will also be a document destruction truck on site for residents to securely dispose of personal documents.  A five box per vehicle limit will be enforced to ensure the line moves as smoothly as possible.  The dimensions for an average copier paper box is approximately 18"x12"x10", anything larger than this will count as more than one box.
 
The HHW Day is a free service for the residents of Alexander County only, businesses will not be allowed, with the exception of farmers.  Farmers are welcome to dispose of insecticides/pesticides free of charge. 
 
Sponsors for the HHW Day are Alexander County Government, Alexander County Cooperative Extension Service, and The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA & CS).  The Alexander County Administration Office is located beside the Senior Center off Liledoun Rd.  Operating hours will be 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Saturday, May 4th.  For additional information please contact the Alexander County Solid Waste/Recycling Department @ 632-1101 or N.C. Cooperative Extension-Alexander County Center @ 632-4451.
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smallfruitworkshop
NC State Extension- Big Dreams, Small Farms- 
Small Fr uits Workshop

Date:  Tuesday, May 14th
Time:  9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location:   Morning session-N.C. Cooperative Extension, Alexander County Center, 151 West Main Street, Taylorsville, NC 28681  ; 
Afternoon session- Campbell's U-pick Blueberry Farm, 27 Tracy Bolick Lane, Hickory, NC 28601

This in-class and on-farm session will entail a discussion of soils, site prep, planting, trellis, spacing, pruning, insect and disease control, harvesting, budgeting, marketing, and other cultural aspects of small fruits. The three main small fruits to be discussed in detail are strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.

The afternoon will wind up with an on farm session touring a very well established 5 acre blueberry farm. Here we will see different varieties and different age bushes and what it takes to grow them successfully. Tracy and Holly Campbell will be our hosts for the afternoon.

Registration is required: Register by signing up at https://ncfarmschool.ces.ncsu.edu/2019-big-dreams-small-farms-foothills/ or contacting Julie Campbell at julie_campbell@ncsu.edu or 828-632-4451. (Cost of Workshop $25 - includes lunch and workshop materials)

maygardencalendar
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May Garden Calendar

Plants in Flower 
  • Southern Magnolia, Golden Chain Tree, Kousa Dogwood, Hybrid Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Satsuki Azalea, Scotch Broom, Deutzia, Beauty Bush, Weigela, Gumpo Azalea, Roses, Clematis, Honeysuckle, Dianthus, Sweet William, Candytuft, Beadered Iris, Peony, Coreopsis, Poppy, Lady Slipper and Summer Annuals 
Fertilizing 
  • Fertilize summer flowering plants like crape myrtle and rose- of-Sharon this month. 
  • Do not forget to sidedress or fertilize your vegetable six to eight weeks after germination. 
Planting 
  • Plant gladioli bulbs (corms) this month. 
  • Plant summer annuals like begonia, geranium, marigold, petunia and zinnia this month. 
  • The following vegetable plants can be set out this month: eggplant, pepper, tomato and sweet potato. 
  • The following vegetables can be planted this month: beans, lima beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, okra, southern peas, pumpkin, squash and watermelon. 
Pruning 
  • Prune your hybrid rhododendron after they finish flowering. 
  • Prune any hedges that have outgrown their desired shape. 
  • Begin pinching your chrysanthemums and continue through early July. 
  • Pick off azalea leaf galls as they form. 
  • Do NOT cut back spring bulb foliage until it turns yellow and brown. 
Spraying 
  • Spray the following vegetables if insects are observed: cucumber (cucumber beetle), squash (squash borer and aphids, tomato and eggplant (flea beetle), broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower (worms).  
  • Keep spraying your tree fruits and bunch grapes with a fungicide program. 
  • Use pesticides sparingly. Spray only when needed. 
Lawn Care 
  • Fertilize zoysia this month after it has greened up. Do NOT fertilize tall fescue now. 
  • Start warm season lawns like zoysia in May. 
  • Mowing heights for your lawn are important. Cut tall fescue and bluegrass at three inches, zoysia at one inch. 
Propagation 
  • Take softwood cuttings of plants like azalea, rhododendron, forsythia, clematis, chrysanthemum and geranium in late May if you have a misting system. 
Specific Chores 
  • Purchase locally grown strawberries. 
  • Move houseplants outside if desired. 
  • If weather has been dry, give favorite plants a good soaking once a week.

foodpreservation
summeropportunities
4-H Summer Opportunities
The camps for the 2019 4-H Summer Opportunities are available on the N.C. Cooperative Extension-Alexander County Center website.  If you would like to register a child for any of these camps please do so fast, they are quickly filling up.   Here is the link to the details and how to register:  

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Alexander County Offices 
will be closed for 
Memorial Day on Monday, May 27th.

 Read more N.C. Cooperative Extension news at >>
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