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June 2020
Theme: "Tips for a Self-Sufficient Garden"
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Feature Article:
Bee - Friendly Flowers
Ester Garner, Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
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Bees are "nature's essential workers" and are busy every day, 24/7, looking for just the right flowering plant to visit. We need these pollinators to assist plants in producing some of our favorite foods as well as adding beauty to our world. More than 500 native bee species call North Carolina home - and they are at risk.
We can do our part in the garden to support bees by providing them with luscious bee-friendly flowers with an ample supply of easy-to-get-to pollen and nectar. Native plants such as
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Photo Courtesy S. Cordray
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Photo Courtesy Marshall Warren
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purple coneflower, bee balm, great blue lobelia and goldenrod thrive in gardens and provide food and habitat for native bees. "Old fashioned" single type flowers like zinnias, cone flowers, and daisies are best because they offer bees the best access to the pollen.
THINK COLOR - most bees prefer white, yellow, blue, purple and violet. It appears that flowers in this cool hue produce far more nectar than flowers of other colors. Bees also like flowers shaped like daisies, cone flowers, sunflowers, and shallow tubulars, bean, clover or lots of small flowers planted together. However, they will gather nectar from flowers in all colors of the rainbow too. Remember, gardens that have that WOW! effect offer lots of color and lots of plants. Density is like a "welcome sign" to bees. |
Gardens that have blooms in all three seasons - spring, summer and fall - are most productive for bees and best for landscapes. Pollinators depend on continual blooms for habitat and food. Plant at least 3 - 5 species that bloom for each season and up to 5 or more of each plant. Perennials and woody plants are best because bees like the consistency of the same flowers coming back each year. Some examples include: "Virginia Spiderwort, Stoke's Aster, Lanceleaf Blanketflower, Bee Balm, Golden Alexander, Wild Indigo and Foxglove are good options for spring. Milkweeds, Blazing Star, Rattlesnake master, Blue Vervain, St. John's wort, Buttonbush and Mountain Mint bloom all summer long. Meanwhile, Spotted Horsemint, Boneset, Goldenrod, New York Ironweed, Aster, and Joe-Pye weed are great fall bloomers." (Debbie Roos)
Honeybees love herbs: annuals like basil, parsley, dill and cilantro; and perennials such as rosemary, chives, thyme, oregano, sage, mints, and marigolds. Allow some of the basil to flower out and watch the bees visit! Gardens need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
Set up a "bee bath" so the bees have a cool drink handy - take care to keep it clean and fresh. Fill a shallow container and have several pebbles or twigs for bees to land on while drinking.
It is best to avoid pesticides because they are designed to kill insects. Many pollinators, including bees, are insects. Instead use insecticidal soap, natural methods or Neem oil and apply in late evening so the residue will be dry by morning bee rounds. READ THE LABELS. Hand weeding and careful checking will eliminate most harmful insects. Introduce friendly insects like lady bugs, spiders and praying mantis.
Having bee-friendly flowers around will make you smile and enjoy your own habitat even more. To me, watching all that activity and busy work of our native pollinators, especially bees, lets me know that my yard is a happy place for them.
After all, where would we be without BEES?
Resources:
"Pollinator Paradise" and "Top 25 Native plants"
Debbie Roos, sustainable Agriculture Agent, Chatham County
Pender County "Bee Friendly Flowers"
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Feature Plant:
Lagerstroemia 'Miss Frances'
"Miss Francis" Crape Myrtle
Griffin David Lockett, Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
(Grown and Recommended by Johnston County Nurserymen)
For a beautiful, small, and durable flowering tree with brilliant "lipstick red" flowers, consider Miss Frances. It will become a standout in your landscape as a single tree, grouped together, used as a landscape background plant, or in a row like a hedge. It is a relatively new hybrid crape myrtle, having only been registered in 2015 with the U.S. National Arboretum.
This beautiful crape myrtle will grow to about 20 feet. It is a hardy and drought resistant specimen that will grow easily in most soil types, acidic and alkaline, in direct sun for the most and brightest blooms, but will also do well in partial shade. This tree prefers a soil pH of 5.0-6.5. It is hardy in U.S. Agricultural zones 6-10, so it is wonderful for our region. It is also reported to be resistant to saltwater spray, so perhaps it will work for beach homeowners' landscapes, especially since it does not grow tall or take up much space. Miss Frances was bred to be resistant to powdery mildew, bacterial leaf spot, and other diseases. It is a long-lasting bloomer that has the beautiful "lipstick red" dense and long-lasting blooms from June through August. While there are other reds, it is considered one of the most showy and vivid reds. And, even in the fall and winter its bark is attractive. While it is showy with bright red panicles blooms, the green foliage is an added advantage that makes this small flowering tree a standout.
Miss Frances may be propagated by treated "softwood stem cuttings" or by hardwood cuttings in the winter. This is certainly a consideration for your landscape whether you are deciding to add it to your existing area or planning a new landscape.
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Veggie Tales:
Buckwheat -Why I love it
Fagopyrum esculentum
helping your plants frolic, in a sedentary way
Barb Barakat - Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
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Buckwheat is my favorite addition to crop planting! It never occurred to me that this would be so. Buckwheat is a short-season, summer cover crop. It establishes quickly (3 days), acts as a living weed suppressor, has abundant blooms that attract pollinators, can be chopped & dropped as mulch, reseeds itself (or is fairly easy to collect seed), kills easily (should you want to), is economical $3/pound and can be purchased locally at Coor Farm Supply, Smithfield or Logan's, Raleigh. . . . What's not to love?
Garden soil gives, gives, gives . . . how can we pull the nutrients from soil into our crop for better nutrition and take care of our soil at the same time? Buckwheat!
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Beneficial uses of Buckwheat:
Honey crop: Buckwheat's long blooming period brings in the bees for pollination and honey production. Or you can mill the seed into flour - buckwheat griddle cakes, yum. (I don't really do this)
Smother crop: Buckwheat is a good competitor, it germinates rapidly forming a dense leaf canopy which acts as a living mulch. Why leave your well-spaced tomato plants out there all alone early in the season, plant buckwheat as a cover crop in between them, then chop and drop the buckwheat as your plants get bigger and leave it where it falls as mulch.
Or plant buckwheat now in a bed that will be planted later. Have you noticed that too many cucurbits growing in the garden at the same time creates a 'pest fest'? Work around this by planting summer squash early & winter squash late. Instead of leaving that winter squash bed fallow, plant it in buckwheat. When it's time to plant the winter squash, chop and drop the buckwheat that's growing there and plant the seed within the mulch. Meanwhile, when the summer squash is done, pull it out and plant buckwheat in that space to refurbish and cover the soil. Buckwheat is efficient, effective, 'easy on the eye', pollinator friendly and results in good soil management!
Green manure crop
Young buckwheat seedlings transplant easily, so if it's too thick you can spread it out, or just pull it out. Buckwheat has a fast growth habit, so when it begins to overtake your crop, just bend it over and leave it as low growing living mulch or break it off and leave it as decaying mulch. If you till, plow buckwheat under just before it goes to seed. It decays rapidly and becomes part of the nutrient cycle making nitrogen and minerals available in the soil, improves soil structure, aeration and moisture-holding capacity. Yes, little old buckwheat gets the job done!
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/buckwheat.html
Chop & Drop
Chop and drop is a quick and easy way to abundance. Chop-and-drop is exactly what it sounds like. You chop (or cut) the plant material and then drop it on the ground.
It really is that simple. You can speed up the natural decomposition process by cutting the chopped & dropped plant material into smaller pieces. It can look a bit messy, but it's what's happening in the forest - plant material has all the nutrients needed for that plant, so allowing it to decay in place enables all those nutrients to return to the soil - no part of your plant is wasted and it's easier than making compost. Chop and drop is a permaculture technique with these additional benefits: creates the habitat for worms, bacteria and fungi, regulates soil temperature and holds in moisture.
There are definitely plant materials you do NOT want to chop and drop - grasses, weeds, diseased leaves, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. The best for chopping and dropping are those with tap roots and legumes. But, buckwheat, an ancient grain, still reigns as my 'favorite' because it's so easy to grow and manage.
Buckwheat produces a tremendous amount of bio mass - you can make use of every second of its life cycle by leaving it chopped and dropped on your beds until late winter - by then it's brown and can be added to your compost to help you reach the 80/20 ratio of browns to green. Yep, it protects this year's food and turns itself into next year's food!
In early spring you'll be ready to set your new crop of buckwheat and the cycle begins again. Especially in these days of social distancing, buckwheat is my new best gardening friend!
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Quick Tip:
Preparing your Garden for Vacation
Joanne King - Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
Believe it or not, most plants can live without us for short periods of time. However, when we cannot be around for several days, especially in hot weather, you need a backup plan. Many of us have a garden buddy or two. These are friends or neighbors who will come over to your house and water the plants that literally thirst for attention. Of course, you do the same for them in return.
To make it easy for your garden buddy, it is helpful to stage potted plants (those typically on your porch, deck or front door) in one place near the water supply. If they cannot be near a hose, it is helpful to place them in a semi-shady spot and place filled watering cans nearby.
Plants in the garden beds will need the irrigation system, or hand watering with a hose or watering cans. When planning your gardens, it is best to place plants with high water needs nearest the water source. It is even better to select plants that are drought tolerant. An extra layer of mulch will help retain moisture. I often put pots where the irrigation system (if you have one) can provide water. But this might not always be a good option for plants that deer like to eat.
I have a friend who uses a baby swimming pool to place her pots in while she is away. The pool will collect rain or irrigation water which keeps the plants hydrated and cool. I have another friend who has room on her deck to babysit my hanging baskets.
It is also a good time to cut back plants. Most perennials benefit from cutting back spent blooms. Hanging baskets will benefit from a haircut, taking the growth back to the width of the pot. This alleviates the stress of heat on plant material.
For plants that are desirable to deer, I use barriers, like lawn furniture or garbage cans, to get in their way. These items may look out of place, but so what! You're not home anyway!
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Ask an Expert:
What would happen if Farmers took 45 days off?
Bryant Spivey, Johnston County Extension Director
First published in Morning Ag. Clips on April 9, 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us have made some adjustment to our daily routines. No more eating out at restaurants, no sports events, concerts, school, traditional church services, and the list goes on and on. This change is critical and necessary to protect public health and to limit the spread of coronavirus. Perhaps one of the least changed professions during this time has been farming. Agriculture is, of course, deemed as an essential industry for the obvious reason that it provides food, fiber, and other resources that are essential to human life and existence.
So what would be the ramifications if there was a disruption in farming for just 45 days? First of all, even though I have worked my entire career in agriculture, I am probably not really qualified to answer such a question. The implications would be far reaching beyond just what occurs day-to-day on the farm. Farming is essentially a production business in the supply chain. Farmers take resources and inputs and produce commodities, goods, and sometimes services that are then passed on to packers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers, grocery stores, restaurants, and then ultimately to the consumer. Ultimately, our food system is quite complex and well developed.
Some activities on the farm are seasonal, while some are not. In the livestock, dairy, and poultry industries, animals must be provided for every day. On a dairy farm, cows must be milked multiple times every day, seven days per week, 365 days per year and the facilities that process the milk products must do the same. While I am again not a dairy expert, cows that are not milked will rapidly face major health concerns due to mastitis and other infections. A farmer cannot simply stop milking cows. Milk can move from the cow to the store in as little as 2 days. Therefore, if farmers stop milking cows, it would be a matter of days until there was no milk in the store. Milk is, of course, only one dairy product with others including butter, cheese, yogurt, and that great dairy product called ice cream.
So if all of these products stopped coming for 45 days, we could just restart on day 46 and there would be milk in the grocery store, right? Well, no. It is just not that simple. Dairy farming requires managing cows year-long to produce a steady supply of milk. Cows are bred, give birth, and subsequently give milk. It is not a process that can just be halted for even a few days without major herd health problems. Therefore, the disruption in dairy products could easily extend for months.
With seasonal activities like crop production, the scenario of a break in production would play out much differently. If the break occurred in our area in November and December, the impact would be very limited. However, if the break occurs in April and May, it could mean a year with highly reduced production. Most of our production of crops is timed around making the best use of our frost-free period. For us, that occurs on average from April 15th through mid to late October. During this period, we harvest winter annual crops like wheat, plant summer annual crops, and harvest those same crops through November. This growing season is typical for most of the United States, with northern states having shorter growing seasons and those further south having longer growing seasons.
Grain crops produced in our summer growing season, like corn and soybeans, are the major portion of the ration for feeding cattle, hogs, and poultry. So if we do not grow the grain, we cannot produce the meat. Protein would quickly be a problem in the diet of Americans and others throughout the world.
Agriculture has faced disasters before, but in my career we have never faced anything like COVID-19. Disasters for agriculture have typically been localized. A late freeze that damages tree fruits or winter wheat normally occurs in only a portion of the country. A hurricane or flood typically affects a few states or even just a portion of a state. With a more typical disaster, food can be sourced from those regions that were unaffected or affected to a lesser degree and thereby the problems are mitigated. A widespread disaster could cause major issues to our food supply.
Now that I have gone down the proverbial rabbit trail, let me provide some reassurance; farmers have not stopped working. Farming is a great industry and occupation that can proceed while observing social distancing. Most of the news of major problems is coming from our large urban centers. These are not the typical areas where production agriculture is hard at work. Farmers are diligent and tough. If not, they would never survive the many challenges that they face. Each year farmers face uncertain conditions. The farmers of our county, state, and nation are hard at work each and every day trying to maintain production of food and fiber that our people need. As long as there is a market for the goods they produce, at a profitable margin, farmers will be engaged in this pursuit. Farmers bring a great deal of problem solving skills to their daily work and they always find a way to persevere.
As long as there are dedicated American Farmers, the general public can rest easy that there will be food. It is in times like these that we often stop to think about the things in life that are really important. In recent days, we have been concerned about face masks, respirators, hospital gowns, doctors, and hospital beds. In some cases, we are sourcing these items from other countries. I have always known it is important that we grow and produce the bulk of our own food in America. I hope you realize that as well and always support the American Farmer, even when COVID-19 is a memory.
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Got Gardening Questions?
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Our Johnston County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGV) can help with various horticulture questions.
Email the EMGV at jcemastergardener@gmail.com
or call (919) 989-5380
to speak with one of our
Master Gardener Volunteers.
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- When do you water your lawn? When the grass blades are just starting to curl and your footprints remain on the lawn when you walk on it. Applying an inch of water in the early morning allows the lawn to dry during the day. When the ground is dry, cycling the irrigation, applying a little at a time will allow the water to soak deep into the soil. It's a good time to plant new sod in damaged areas. Get your soil tested first. Come by the Johnston County Ag Center for a soil kit.
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Grasses vary in their needs for nutrients, mowing height and watering. To learn how to best care for your type of grass check out the individual lawn maintenance calendar links below. This is NOT the time for planting or fertilizing fescue! Wait until the fall.
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Mow fescue at a height of 3-3.5 inches to help it survive the hot, dry periods. Fescue is a cool season grass that slows down in the summer and if cut too short the tender roots will be exposed to extreme heat which will certainly damage, if not kill, it. It is difficult for fescue to recover from being cut too short as it is not actively growing at this time.
Click on each type of grass for individual maintenance calendar:
TREES, SHRUBS, & ORNAMENTALS
- Prune climbing roses after they bloom, then fertilize them to stimulate new growth. This summer's growth carries next year's buds, so keep the plants growing vigorously! Train long shoots horizontally to stimulate more branching.
- As soon as their foliage dies, dig bulb clumps of daffodils, crocus, Dutch iris, etc. that have become crowded. Divide and replant bulbs immediately, or store them in a cool, dry place for planting this fall. Please note that tulips and hyacinths generally don't perennialize in our area because our spring and winter is too warm.
- Give plants room to grow. Pull/transplant excess seedlings of marigold, cosmos, zinnias, etc. Growing plants need room to develop. Spacing plants properly reduces the risk of fungal diseases like powdery mildew.
- Remove faded flowers. Many annuals and perennials will stop blooming once they've started to set seed. Dead heading or removing spent flowers will prolong the bloom period.
- Pinch growing tips of ornamentals to encourage compact, sturdy, branched growth with lots of blooms.
- Protect plants from dehydration. Transplanting on overcast days, early in the morning, or late in the afternoon will reduce water loss in transplants. Keep newly planted ornamentals well-watered for the first several days. Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch to conserve water and keep roots cool.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloom. The best time to prune azalea, rhododendron, forsythia, spirea, flowering quince, kerria, pieris, and weigela is just as flowers begin to fade. Don't wait till summer, or you'll cut off next year's flower buds. To keep your shrubs ever young, prune one-third of the oldest canes back to the ground each year.
- Prune wisteria frequently throughout the summer to control vegetative growth and get better blooms next spring.
- Keep dogwoods healthy. Spot anthracnose and powdery mildew are two major disease problems that show up on dogwood trees in late spring and summer. To help dogwoods overcome diseases keep them watered, maintain soil fertility, and clean up fallen leaves to minimize the spread of the disease.
- MULCH! Prepare for dry summer weather and control weeds at the same time by using a layer of mulch 2-3 inches thick.
- Banish bermudagrass (wiregrass) from your planting beds. Keep it pulled to prevent it from overrunning your garden.
- Plant seeds of annual vines such as moonflower, scarlet runner beans or passionflower. Mix plants with the same growing requirements in your container gardens. Do not mix sun-loving and shade-loving plants together in the same container.
VEGETABLES & FRUITS
- Squash plants wilting? Squash vine borers may be the culprit. Check near the base of the plant for a small hole and a mass of greenish-yellow excrement. Slitting open the stem may reveal the villian - a fat, white caterpillar. It may be possible to save the plant by removing the caterpillar, then covering the injured vine with moist soil to encourage rooting.
- Vegetable Gardening: A Beginner's Guide can be found here.
- Watch out for slugs. These soft, slimy, slender pests have a special taste for tender young crops. Holes in leaves or on the leaf margins and a silvery slime trail in the morning indicate a slug feast the previous night. Slugs hide under boards, stones or debris during the day.
- Warmer temperatures and longer days send a signal to spring greens that it is time to flower (bolt). At this point leaves generally do not taste as good. Once this quick process starts, there is no turning back. To delay bolting try the following. Cover spring salad greens with a cardboard box in mid-afternoon. Remove it after sunset and give the plants a slurp of water to cool them down. This procedure fools the plants into thinking the days are shorter than they actually are and can delay bolting by a couple of weeks.
Landscape Ideas
- Tropical natives make excellent additions to our summer gardens, with colorful foliage, bright flowers, and heat-loving constitutions. They can't survive our winters, but we can try overwintering our favorite indoors. Ornamental peppers and Jerusalem cherries are also heat-lovers. More exotic tropicals such as Alternanthera (Joseph's Coat), Plectranthus (with lovely gray felty leaves), and Acalypha (Copper Plant) are also available. Visit the J.C. Raulston Arboretum at NCSU to see first-hand how tropicals can spice up the summer garden.
- Mulch flower beds and vegetable gardens now to reduce watering chores later. Choose a mulch that will enhance the beauty of your garden. Check out Vegetable Garden Care, or Soils & Plant Nutrients Organic Matter for more information on mulching.
- Keep outdoor potted plants watered as they lose a lot of moisture during the hot days. If you're going on vacation, ask a friend to check your plants regularly.
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Cool Connections:
Photo of Johnston County Extension Agent Marshall Warren's Yard
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Helpful Links from Johnston County Cooperative Extension
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Announcements:
Updated Soil Testing Info.
NCDA&CS Soil Sampling Facility labs are now accepting routine soil samples!
The NCDA&CS Soil Sampling Facility labs will be operating under reduced staffing. Although longer than normal sample turnaround times may be expected, we are accepting all routine client samples (soil, nematode, plant, waste, solution and soilless media) except waste samples covered by the NCDEQ waiver on liquid animal waste .
See website link for more information.
The Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale
Will be held on October 10th, 2020
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For more information visit:
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