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THANK YOU
FOR THE SUPPORT!
The 2018
Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale was a complete success!
These funds help support the many activities held by Master Gardeners throughout Buncombe County; the school grant program, information tables, garden helpline, therapeutic horticulture, speakers bureau,education programs and workshops, compost and garden demonstration and more!
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GARDENING IN THE MOUNTAIN SERIES
June 21,
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Presented by:
Kay Green, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer
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What to do when your garden overflows with a bounty of summer herbs? Preserve, store, and use! Come hear Kay Green tell how.
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Fresh herbs are easy to grow and easy to preserve. Your homegrown herbs will have more aroma and flavor, and be less expensive, than store-bought herbs. They can add savory and interesting tastes to your favorite recipes for sauces, soups, and stews.
Kay will explain different methods to dry, freeze, and store herbs, such as traditional hanging, drying in a conventional oven, using the microwave and dehydrator, making herb logs, and freezing in ice cube trays. She even covers how to use herbs to make flavored vinegars.
Join us and learn ways to preserve your summer herb bounty, and take home recipes for using your herbs in frozen pesto, herb butter, flavored honey, vinegar, and oils.
Free. Please call to regis
ter 828-255-5522.
Location: Buncombe County Center,
49 Mt Carmel Rd, Asheville NC 28806
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SAVE THE DATE
Gardening in the Mountains
July 19, 2018
TOMATOES
Come hear Dr. Randy Gardner speak on ALL THINGS TOMATOES!
Dr. Randy Gardner is Professor Emeritus of horticultural science at NC State. He received his PhD in pomology from Cornell University and has released 27 named tomato varieties and 40 tomato breeding lines. He has bred tomatoes at the University for 40 years and is widely recognized for his contributions to tomato breeding.
Due to popular interest, we will be moving this program to the
auditorium at the Folk Arts Center.
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JUNE GARDEN CHORES
Lawns
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Do not f
ertilize cool season lawns until September.
*Regular rainy weather will produce good conditions for brown patch, a fungus disease. If brown patches begin to occur do not irrigate and do not mow the lawn when wet.
*Maintain the mowing height for fescue lawns at 3 inches. Try to mow frequently enough to remove no more than 1/3 of the blade at a time.
Ornamentals
*To keep flower colors separated it can be useful to divide Irises and daylilies while in bloom or as they fade. Remove any remaining flowers, cut leaves half way back and replant the divisions as soon as possible.
*Prune dieback from hybrid rhododendron, azaleas, mountain laurel and blueberry. Anytime is a good time to prune dead wood from trees and shrubs.
*Check new plantings for water. Trees and shrubs can take 2-3 years to fully get established and herbaceous perennials up to 1 year.
*Pinch chrysanthemums to encourage more blooms and stockier, bushier plants.
*There is still time to plant seeds for fast maturing annuals such as cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, and small sunflowers.
*Now is a good time to repot houseplants that have been moved outside for the summer. Clean up and cut back foliage to encourage new healthy growth.
*Pour off excess water in houseplant trays and saucers to prevent roots from rotting.
*Check hanging baskets daily for water, especially that are exposed to the sun or winds. Plastic containers will dry out slower than those with coconut liners.
*Remove faded flowers from purple coneflower, rudbeckia, phlox, shasta daisy to encourage re-blooming.
*Trim hedges that have outgrown their shape. If needed, trim narrow leaf evergreens such as juniper and arborvitae in late June.
*Late spring flowering shrubs can be trimmed back after the flowers fade.
Fruits
*Stay on top of brown rot on peaches and plums, and black rot on grapes. Maintain regular fungicide sprays as a preventative, these diseases cannot be controlled once they have infected the fruit.
*This is a good time to remove excess sucker and water sprout growth from apple trees. Removing the excessively vigorous growth now will allow more of the plant's energy to go into fruit and desirable growth, and results in less re-sprouting than winter pruning.
*A healthy strawberry bed can be renovated after harvest. Beds more than 3 or 4 years old are often best removed and replanted in the fall or spring.
*Reduce disease risk and selectively remove leaves on grape vines to allow better light penetration and air circulation.
*Do not work strawberries or grapes when the foliage is wet.
Vegetables
*Vegetable crops generally need another dose of fertilizer about 5 to 6 weeks after planting, or when fruit starts to form.
*Check and harvest cucumbers, squash and green beans regularly (daily) to help keep plants producing. They also mature quickly and are best harvested while young and tender.
*Use 2 hands to pull beans, cucumbers, squash, etc. to avoid breaking the plant.
*Watch for dark brown spots in tomato leaves. This could be early blight and can be prevented with a fungicide spray.
*Water the garden early in the day to allow the foliage to dry before nightfall. Wet foliage overnight can lead to disease development.
*There is still time to plant beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash.
*Use row covers to exclude potato & cucumber beetles, flea beetles, leafhoppers, vine borers.
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WATER WATER EVERYWHERE
For many gardeners the amount of rain that has fallen in recent weeks has made garden life challenging. Below is a list of things that can happen when
TOO much water is NOT a good thing.
SOIL COMPACTION - caused by walking, working or running equipment over saturated soils. When possible, allow soils to drain and dry.
YELLOW FOLIAGE - indicates loss of nitrogen/nutrients from excessive rain. Apply light application of fertilizer if necessary after several dry, sunny days.
BLAND TASTE - occurs in melons and cucumbers when sugars are diluted. Pick following several dry, sunny days.
FRUIT ROT - can occur on peaches and plums when not managed correctly. Rake and remove any fallen fruit.
FRUIT DROP - takes place when too much water causes plant stress.
Thin by hand of possible.
WEEDS - excess water creates abundant seed germination and growth. Use mulch when possible.
DISEASES - potential for disease development on foliage, fruit and vegetables is high when surfaces remain moist. Avoid walking or working in disease prone plants (tomatoes!) when foliage is wet.
ROOT ROT - saturated soils can lead to rotting roots and plant loss. Replanting with less susceptible types may be required.
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CHECK YOUR IRRIGATION
With all the recent rain over-watering can be an issue where automatic systems are involved.
Even if your system has a "smart controller"
double check and make sure the system is running properly.
Once perennials and woody shrubs and trees are well established irrigation should not be necessary. Perennials establish within 1-2 years and trees and shrubs within 2-3 years.
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WHAT ARE THE WEEDS TELLING YOU ABOUT YOUR SOIL?
Like any plant, weeds have
preferences
for light, water and soil conditions that help them thrive. The presence of certain weeds can be an indication that these certain soil conditions are present.
CLICK HERE to read more and see if your weeds are telling you
something about your soil.
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HOLLY FRUIT!
By now holly berries should be visible.
Take a close look and see.
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AVOID GAPS IN THE GARDEN
USE COVER CROPS
The spring garden may still be producing when the summer garden is planted, leaving an open space until fall. These "gaps in the garden" can be planted with a short-season summer cover crop, enriching and stabilizing the soil.
Buckwheat, German, Japanese and Pearl Millet, Oats, Southern Peas and Soybeans are great examples of summer cover crop options.
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From Tots to Teens
Growing Next Generation Gardeners
GO HERE to read more about how
Extension Master Gardener volunteers are reaching out to youth in Buncombe County. These volunteers work together to provide;
after-school garden-related activities, garden-related lessons in classrooms, assistance with student garden clubs and
4-H mini-gardens, teach gardening at day camps and community recreation programs, and respond to other community needs.
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2018 POLLINATION CELEBRATION
JUNE 9-23
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GO HERE to find out more about this a com
munity-wide event to celebrate the bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, flies.....
COME SEE US AT THE
Pollinator Party!
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Tuesday, June 19th @ 9 AM - 12 noon
Presented by: U.S. Forest Service and
Buncombe County Extension Master Gardeners
There will be something for everyone - gardeners, children, nature enthusiasts, plant geeks, and friends of bees. Activities include crafts, a speaker, bee identification, and information tables. We'll also have free milkweed seeds while supplies last. Our garden feeds the bees with almost 50 native flowering species.
Cost: Free
Location: U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station, 200 W.T. Weaver Boulevard, Asheville NC
Registration not required. Groups of 10 or more please RSVP to Sarah Farmer at [email protected]. If you or a member of your group has any special needs please RSVP so we can be ready to welcome you.
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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.
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
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Extension Master Gardener
BACKYARD COMPOST DEMONSTRATION
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June 9 & 23
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
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WNC Farmers Market
Jesse Israel and Sons Nursery and Garden Center
Visit, Ask Questions and Learn more about composting and with worms!
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Extension Master Gardener
Info Table
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June 2
City Market Tailgate
June 9
Black Mountain Tailgate / N Asheville Tailgate
June 16 City Market Tailgate
June 23
Black Mountain Tailgate / N Asheville Tailgate
A great place to pick up soil kits, identify a plant, solve plant problems!
GO HERE for more information on dates and locations.
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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.
or VISIT 49 Mount Carmel Rd.
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Please bring fresh samples showing all stages of symptoms.
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