Plant Flowers and Veggies for Winter Color!

'Redbor' Kale with yellow violas

You will find more than just pansies awaiting your landscape at garden centers this autumn! As the exciting trend of cool season gardening grows, more and more winter hardy annuals are making their way into local nurseries. Winter hardy annuals are plants like pansies that are planted in fall to grow during the cool part of the year, providing color through the winter and early spring. Many of these plants are both ornamental and edible and can be planted in landscapes as well as gardens.

Find out what you can plant now for color in your landscape and garden all winter! Read the whole article posted on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/10/plant-flowers-and-veggies-for-winter-color/

Wet Weather Good and Bad for Gardens

Hydrangeas often develop leaf spot in late summer following rainy weather. Like many leaf spot diseases on ornamentals, this problem is mostly cosmetic and usually does not require spraying.

Recent heavy rains have been both good and bad for gardens in our area. The rainfall, and the milder weather that came with it, were a much needed relief from the scorching heat of the July 4th week. As a result of this abundant moisture, many plants have put on new growth and appear much healthier than a few weeks ago. But this healthy veneer may not last as moisture induced disease problems start to become obvious. Common wet weather diseases include leaf spot, root rot, and southern stem blight. To learn more about these problems read the rest of the article posted here on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2012/07/wet-weather-good-and-bad-for-gardens/

Leaf spot diseases on vegetables are more serious because they often cause reductions in yield. This is Septoria leaf spot on tomato. Image source: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/info/plant-diseases/septoria-leaf-spot

Soil pH - A matter of balance

Iron chlorosis on hydrangea due to high soil pH

Do you know the pH of your soil? There is a good chance it is either too high or too low. 

 

Soil pH problems are common in our area, often causing poor plant growth, pale or discolored leaves, and wasted fertilizer applications. Adjusting soil pH can dramatically improve plant performance, but first you need to know which direction to adjust it. Lime and sulfur, both natural products, are used to adjust soil pH.

Blossom end rot can be caused by low soil pH

 High soil pH (over 7.0) often results in iron chlorosis, which appears as yellowing between the veins on new growth. Most vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants grow best when the soil pH is between 5.5. and 6.5. Notable exceptions include blueberries, camellias, azaleas, gardenias, and centipede grass, which prefer more acidic soils. High soil pH levels are especially common near the beach.

Nutrient disorders like blossom end rot, a common problem in tomatoes, squash, peppers, and watermelons, are more prevalent in overly acidic soils (pH below 5.5). Other conditions that cause this disorder include drought, over fertilization, and extreme heat. 

To learn more about soil pH issues and how to adjust your soil pH read the whole article on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+179

 

Plant Sale Nurtures Spring Fever!

Double Knock Out Rose

Spring is here and what better way to explore its possibilities than by attending the Pender Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale, coming up Thursday, April 19, 2pm-6pm, Friday, April 20, 8:30am-6pm and Saturday, April 21, 8:30am-noon. The sale will be held at the Pender County Cooperative Extension office, 801 S. Walker Street in Burgaw.

For flower lovers, the sale will offer a full palate of annuals and perennials to purchase, with special focus given this year to flowering plants that attract beneficial insects and pollinators. Those with culinary tastes will savor a variety of herbs, vegetables, and fruit plants including figs and blueberries. While at the sale, be sure to check out the 'Master Gardener Grown' tent where you will find different and unusual varieties of plants propagated and grown by Pender County Master Gardeners.

All gardeners should plan to attend the free gardening class that begins at 10am on Saturday, titled ‘Growing Great Soils’.  This 2 hour class, taught by Extension horticulture agent Charlotte Glen, will discuss common soil problems in coastal and SE NC and how to fix them without spending a fortune. If you would like to attend the class, call 259-1235 to register.

Master gardeners will be on hand throughout the sale to answer questions and offer advice. Proceeds from the sale benefit Pender County Cooperative Extension’s educational programs and teaching gardens. For more information, including a list of the plants that will be offered, visit http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/content/2012PlantSale or call 910-259-1235.

What is organic gardening?

Organic gardeners rely on beneficial insects such as this immature ladybug to help with pest control, but there is much more organic gardening than simply letting Mother Nature take care of your yard.

Interest in organic gardening is higher than ever but so is confusion over exactly how to accomplish it. How do you provide the nutrients plants need to survive? What can you do about insects and plant diseases? Are some plants too difficult to grow organically in our climate? The answers to some of these questions may surprise you.

Want to know more? Read the whole article on the Pender Extension website to learn more about organic fertilizers, pest management, and soil preparation: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+175


Stay up to date with planting times, pest control, and more by signing up for the Food Gardener Email News.

• To subscribe to the Food Gardener email listserve, send an email to mj2@lists.ncsu.edu. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message put: subscribe foodgardener

Stay up to date with lawn and garden chores, subscribe to the Pender Gardener Email News.

• To subscribe to the Pender Gardener email listserve, send an email to mj2@lists.ncsu.edu. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message put: subscribe pendergardener

 

Planting for Pollinators

Honeybee visiting broccoli flowers

Honey bees and other pollinators are essential for the production of many of the foods we grow and eat every day. These include fruits like blueberries, apples, and peaches, as well as many vegetables, including cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, beans, melons, and peppers. Throughout the year, these industrious insects rely on a wide variety of flowers, including weeds, to provide the nectar and pollen that are their food.  As gardeners we can promote pollinator health by planting a diversity of flowers to serve as nectar sources, as well as by simply allowing vegetables, herbs, and weeds to bloom in our yards. 

What you do in your own backyard can greatly affect pollinator activity and health in your garden, as well as the larger region. Including plants in your yard that attract and sustain honey bees and other pollinators can increase pollinator populations in your area and lead to higher vegetable and fruit yields in your yard and community.  

You may choose to include flowers throughout your yard as a way of supporting pollinators. Annuals flowers like cleome, cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers are excellent bee attractors. So are many herbs. Allow basil, fennel, oregano, chives, mint, and dill to bloom in the garden to bring in pollinators and beneficial insects. Cover crops like buckwheat and clover also do a great job, as do perennials like purple coneflower, agastache, joe pye weed, goldenrod, asters, and black eyed susans. 

Henbit, a common weed and nectar source!

Allowing winter vegetables like broccoli, kale, and mustard to bloom out provides a source of nectar early in season, a critical time for pollinators since few other plants are in bloom and changing weather conditions make them particularly vulnerable to food shortages. Many common lawn weeds also serve as often overlooked sources of early season nectar. Allowing winter weeds such as henbit, field pansy, and chickweed to mature in some areas of your yard will support pollinators in your community. 

If you have questions about protecting pollinators and beneficial insects contact your local Cooperative Extension office. In Pender County call 259-1235, Mon – Fri, 8am and 5pm, or visit us online anytime at http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=askanexpert, where you can post your questions to be answered by email using the ‘Ask an Expert’ widget!

Learn more! Read the whole article on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+174
  

Compost Happens!

Black gold!

There is a completely natural and readily available substance that is guaranteed to help your plants grow better. This is no scam; it’s compost! And the best thing is you can make it yourself for free! In fact, you may be throwing away materials you could be using to make this valuable garden resource. 

Composting is simply the act of helping natural materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and vegetable scraps to break down. The finished product of composting is compost - a dark brown, crumbly, earthy smelling, soil like substance some gardeners refer to as black gold because of the many ways it benefits the soil and plant growth. Homemade compost is just as good as that bought at the garden center – and a lot cheaper!

Learn more about composting - read the whole article on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+173

Find out more about composting from these great online resources:

• Florida's Online Composting Center -- Everything you need to know about composting! http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/compost-info/
• Composting – Publication from NC Cooperative Extension, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/ag-467.pdf
• Vermicomposting - Composting with worms! Learn how from this Pender Gardener article: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+113
• Grow your own compost in place by sowing and turning in cover crops and green manures - Learn more from this Pender Gardener article: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+147

If you have questions about composting, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. In Pender County call 259-1235, Mon – Fri, 8am and 5pm, or visit us online anytime or visit us online anytime at http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=askanexpert, where you can post your questions to be answered by email using the ‘Ask an Expert’ widget!

Grow Your Own!

Basil Seedlings

Nothing holds the promise of spring like a packet of seeds. If you have never grown plants from seed let this be the year you start. You do not need a greenhouse to grow healthy transplants and many varieties can easily be started indoors over the next month to transplant outside in spring, while other varieties can be sown directly in the garden.  

Now is the time to start seeds of basil  tomato, peppers, impatiens and other slower growing vegetables and flowers indoors to have transplants ready for spring. 

Learn more about growing plants from seed and gain hands on experience at the upcoming 'Growing Flowers and Vegetables from Seeds' workshop. Click here for details: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/content/spring2012seed

Read the rest of the article on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+170

Improving Sandy Soil

Yellowing of lower leaves on this broccoli plant is a classic symptom of nitrogen deficiency, a common problem problem in sandy soils.

Southeastern North Carolina is not a place known for wonderful soils. One of the most common problems gardeners face in our area is dry, poor sand. Fortunately sandy soils are easy to work, so if sand is your problem getting your soil into good shape should not wear you out. And, once you have improved a sandy site you will find these soils can be very productive, producing prolific vegetables and robust trees, shrubs and flowers. 

Find out more about improving sandy soils - read the entire article on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+169


To learn more about the common soil challenges in our area, and how to fix them without spending a fortune attend the free class ‘Growing Healthy Soil’ offered by Pender Cooperative Extension, Thursday Feb. 16, 10:30 – noon, at the Hampstead Library, and again Saturday Feb. 18, 10:30 – noon, at the Burgaw Library. Registration is required by Feb. 14. To register, or if you have questions, call the Pender Extension Center at 910-259-1235 or email charlotte_glen@ncsu.edu.

A complete listing of spring gardening classes offered by Pender Cooperative Extension is available here: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/content/spring2012

Spring 2012 'Learn to Grow' Gardening Classes!

All classes free unless otherwise noted. Registration required:

Growing Healthy Soils

• Thursday, Feb. 16, 10:30—noon at the Hampstead Library
• Saturday, Feb. 18, 10:30—noon at the Burgaw Library
• Saturday, April 21, 10:00—11:30 at the Pender Extension office
• Find out more: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/content/spring2012soil

 Growing Flowers and Vegetables from Seed

• Wednesday, Feb. 29, 10:00—noon at Poplar Grove Plantation
• Saturday, March 3, 10:00—noon at the Pender Extension office
• $5 materials fee
• Find out more: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/content/spring2012seed

 

Growing Great Tomatoes

• Saturday, March 24, 11:00—12:30 at the Poplar Grove Herb and Garden Fair, $5 admission
• Tuesday, April 3, 10:30—noon at the Hampstead Library
• Saturday, April 14, 10:30—noon at the Burgaw Library
• Find out more: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/content/spring2012tomatoes

Call Pender County Cooperative Extension at 259-1235 to register or find out more. 

Fall - A Great Time to Soil Test!

Chlorosis on pepper leaves caused by Magnesium deficiency

If your lawn or garden did not do as well this year as you would have liked, part of the problem may be in the soil. Chlorosis, or yellowing between the veins is a common sign of soil problems. This symptom can indicate a deficiency of iron or magnesium. In many cases the actual cause of the deficiency is high soil pH, rather than low nutrient levels in the soil. The only way to get to the root of the problem and know for sure is to soil test.

Soil testing is free in North Carolina, provided by the NC Department of Agriculture, and testing supplies can be picked up from any Cooperative Extension office. Fall is the perfect time to submit soil samples for testing. Results for samples submitted now should be ready in four to five weeks, much quicker than the nine to ten weeks it often takes in the busy spring season. 

Learn more about soil testing - read the whole article here on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+157

Sign up for the Pender Gardener or Food Gardener listservs to receive weekly updates of what to do in your yard and garden!

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Fall is for Planting!

November is prime time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials! If you still have not set out pansies for winter color, get them in the ground before Thanksgiving. Wait until after Thanksgiving to plant bulbs like daffodils and Spanish bluebells.

For more planting tips read the rest of the article on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+154.

Fertilizer Facts!

Plants get the nutrients they need from the soil in which they grow. Sometimes soils cannot provide all the nutrients needed, and that is when gardeners have to step in and apply fertilizers. Many types of fertilizers are available from local garden centers, including organic and synthetic blends. The type of fertilizer that you need to apply depends on which nutrients are already in your soil and what you are trying to grow.


Though more expensive, slow release fertilizers give better results in sandy soils because they do not leach out of the soil.Slow release fertilizers include synthetic, time release products (left) and organic fertilizers (right).

Learn more! Read the rest of the story on the Pender Cooperative Extension website, http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+124.

Using Natural Pesticides

Colorado potato beetle larvae (seen right) can be controlled with natural pesticides containing spinosad. Because natural pesticides break down faster than synthetic products, they need to be reapplied more often. 

In the last few years, the number of natural pesticides available from local garden centers has increased. These products, derived from plants, microorganisms and other naturally occurring materials can be used to successfully control insect pests in the garden and landscape, when used properly. Simply substituting natural products in place of more traditional synthetic pesticides though rarely provides good results. 

Learn more! Read the rest of the story on the Pender County Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=AGRI+9

Be Prepared for Cold Snaps!

Flower buds, such as these blueberry blossoms, are more sensitive to frost than dormant stems and roots. At this time of the year gardeners should be on the lookout for cold snaps and prepared to cover tender blossoms and new transplants. (Picture by Bill Cline, NCSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology).

Thankfully the arctic cold our area experienced in December and January has been replaced with more seasonable temperatures. Recent mild weather has encouraged buds to swell and may have some gardeners anxious to start planting. But we are not out of the woods yet. Pender County is typically not frost free until mid April, and tender summer vegetables and flowers like tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, vinca, and marigolds should not be set out for at least another five weeks. Gardeners also need to be prepared for sudden cold snaps that could damage delicate flower buds and new growth on shrubs and recent transplants.  

Learn more! Read the rest of the story on Pender County Cooperative Extension's website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+119.

Growing Flowers and Vegetables from Seed

You can start vegetable and flower seedlings indoors now - no greenhouse required. Either grow seedlings on a sunny windowsill or beneath a fluorescent light fixture containing one cool and one warm bulb.

If you are impatient to start gardening or want to grow varieties not commonly available from garden centers consider starting your own vegetable and flower transplants from seed this year. You do not need a greenhouse to grow healthy transplants and many varieties can easily be started indoors over the next month to transplant outside in spring.

Many summer vegetable and flower seed can be started indoors 4 to 8 weeks before the last average spring frost, which occurs around April 15th in our area. Flowers and vegetables with large seed are the easiest to grow. They also tend to grow faster than small seeds and only need to be started indoors three to four weeks before planting outside. Easy to grow, large seeded vegetables and flowers include cucumbers, zucchini, squash, melons, okra, cosmos, marigolds, nasturtium, zinnias, and sunflowers. Wait until mid March to sow them indoors. These large seed are also easy to grow when sown directly in the garden and can be seeded outside in mid April. 

Learn more! Read the rest of the story here: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+118 on the Pender County Cooperative Extension website.

Perk Up Winter Landscapes with Hardy Annuals!

This colorful combinations includes bright yellow pansies and 'Redbor' kale, a vegetable being grown as a winter hardy ornamental. If you haven't planted hardy annuals yet, now is the time to get it done! Include ornamental vegetables like mustard or kale to contrast the colors and shapes of blooming annuals.

There’s a lot more than just pansies awaiting your fall landscape on garden center shelves this autumn! As the exciting trend of cool season gardening grows, more and more winter hardy annuals are making their way into local garden centers each year. Winter hardy annuals are plants, like pansies, that grow during they cool part of the year. Planted in fall, most provide some color through winter but really put on their main show in spring, usually cranking up flower production as soil temperatures rise in February. This show continues through late April when rising temperatures bring the curtain down on the spring act, at just the right time to purchase and plant summer annuals in their place.

To get the best performance from your hardy annuals, be sure to prepare the soil well by mixing compost into the top six to eight inches, and also apply a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote or an organic fertilizer, which naturally release their nutrients over an extended time. To get the most bang for your buck, plant winter annuals in solid groups, rather than sprinkling them here and there all over the landscape, and choose bright colors like white, yellow, and orange. While pansies are what typically come to mind when planting winter annuals, there are actually several other varieties available at local garden centers. Keep an eye out for the following selections to add interest and color to your garden this winter and spring.

Click here to read the entire article on the Pender County Cooperative Extension website!