Which Fertilizer Is Best?

Slow release fertilizers are better for sandy soils.
These include synthetic, time release products (left) and organic fertilizers (right).

There are lots of choices when it comes to fertilizing plants. Garden center shelves are lined with products that promise beautiful, healthy, lush plant growth. Some are added to the soil as a pellet or granule, while others are mixed with water and applied as a liquid. Which is best for your yard or garden depends on the type of nutrients your plants need and how quickly they need them.

To learn more about determining your plants' fertilizer needs and the types of fertilizers you can use, read the whole article posted on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/05/which-fertilizer-is-best/

Controlling Insects with Natural Products

Honeybee

Natural insect control products are derived from plants, microorganisms and other naturally occurring materials. These products can successfully control many insect pests in gardens and landscapes when applied properly. You may find simply substituting natural products for synthetic insecticides does not provide the same results.

One of the major differences between natural and synthetic is how long their residues persist after application. Because they break down quickly, often within a few days, natural insect control problems cause less harm to honeybees and other beneficial insects. This also effects how they should be used. To learn more about how to use natural insecticides, products available from local garden centers, and the pests they control read the whole article posted on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/04/how-can-i-control-pests-organically/

Kudzu Bugs Are Back!

Kudzu Bugs

The return of spring has tempted more than gardeners to venture outside and enjoy the warm weather. Kudzu bugs, a new insect first seen in our area in 2011, are coming out from their winter hiding places by the thousands. Slightly larger than a lady bug, with olive green or brown flattened, square bodies, kudzu bugs are strong fliers and often gather in large groups. If you spend time outside in the next several weeks chances are you will run into them.

The current infestation of kudzu bugs are adults that overwintered under tree bark, within house walls, or in mulch. These adults are waiting for the kudzu to start growing. As this happens over the next month, they will fly into the kudzu, lay their eggs, and then die. A new generation will hatch and feed on kudzu and other bean plants through the summer. 

Read the whole article posted on the Pender Extension website to learn more about kudzu bugs and if you should do anything to control them: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/04/what-can-i-do-about-kudzu-bugs-2/

Spring Extension Gardener Now Online!

Spring is finally here and along with it comes a new issue of Extension Gardener Newsletter. Extension Gardener is written by horticultural experts with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Each issue includes statewide features plus a special regional section written specifically for your area of the state.

You can also follow Extension Gardener on Twitter, at @NCExtGardener, friend us on Facebook at NC Extension Gardener, and keep up with the latest gardening news on the new Extension Gardener blog: http://ncextensiongardener.blogspot.com/

In the Spring 2013 Coastal Plain and Sandhills issue, you will learn about:

• How to create beautiful food gardens in your front yard 
• Using organic products to control pests 
• Success with centipedegrass
• Growing citrus in containers
  
• and lots more!
  

Download your copy here http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/successg/latest%20issue_eg.htm today!

What Are the Best Tomato Varieties?

Tomato planting season is upon us, leaving gardeners with a pretty big decision to make: Which variety of tomato to plant. The decision you make now will have a huge impact on your future success, but hundreds of different varieties are available. Will you go with hybrids or heirlooms? Determinate or indeterminate? Large or small fruits? 

Read more about the many varieties of tomatoes available to decide which is the right varieties for your garden: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/04/what-are-the-best-tomato-varieties/

Is There Anything Deer Will Not Eat?

High populations and disappearing woodland habitat are forcing deer to seek food in our backyards and gardens. One of the easiest ways to minimize deer damage in your yard is to landscape with plants deer prefer not to eat. While no plant is deer proof, there are many good landscape plants for this area that deer find less palatable – a solution that is both effective and relatively low-cost, once you know which plants to choose.

Types of plants deer prefer not to eat include ornamental grasses, ferns, palms, herbs and plants with strong scents, as well as plants with silvery or hairy leaves. For more suggestions of trees, shrubs, and flowers deer usually do not bother read the whole article posted on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/04/is-there-anything-deer-will-not-eat/

Improve Your Soil with Compost and Cover Crops

Buckwheat - a summer cover crop.

As you get ready to plant this spring, don’t forget to add organic matter to the soil. Organic matter, such as compost, improves all soil types, resulting in naturally healthier plants. You can purchase compost in bags or in bulk or make your own at home with yard debris and kitchen scraps. You can even grow your own by planting certain cover crops, known as green manures, and tilling them into the soil.

Find out more by reading the whole article posted on the Pender Cooperative Extension website or attend a free class on this topic, Saturday, April 13, 10am - 11am at the Pender Extension Center, 801 S. Walker St. in Burgaw. 

This class coincides with the final day of the Pender Extension Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale, which begins Thursday, April 11. Plant sale hours are April 11, 2pm – 6pm; April 12, 8:30am – 6pm; and April 13, 8:30am – noon. For more information visit http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013plantsale/ or call 910-259-1235.