A Cactus for Christmas!

Cacti are usually not at the top of most people’s gift list, to give or receive. This is probably because they are generally thought of as prickly desert dwellers. Not all cacti fit this description though - especially not the colorful, completely thorn-free, easy care holiday cactus. Developed from the old-time Christmas cactus, the modern holiday cactus has larger flowers than its parent, blooms in both winter and spring, and would make a great gift for anyone.

Learn more about how to care for holiday cactus! Read the rest of the story on the Pender County Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+107.

Poinsettias - Go Beyond Red this Christmas!

If red is the only color that comes to mind when you think of poinsettias then it may be time for you to visit your local garden center! Today there are over 100 different varieties of poinsettias available in a range of colors including white, pink, rose, coral, salmon, and every tint of red, crimson, and scarlet imaginable. Variety does not stop with color either. Poinsettias can be found with leaves edged and frosted in white and with petal-like bracts that are marbled, dusted, or splashed in multiple colors. Whether you stick with a traditional red variety this Christmas or try one of the newer color creations, the following quick tips will help you get the most out of your poinsettia this holiday season.

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=LAWN+106.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Keep the holidays real this year and support North Carolina growers by purchasing a North Carolina grown, live cut Christmas tree! From the adventure of picking the perfect tree to the fragrance a live tree brings into your home, real Christmas trees cannot be beat for creating lasting memories and enjoyable experiences for the entire family. There are a couple of options when it comes to buying a live tree; including purchasing a pre-cut tree that has been shipped from the NC mountains or visiting a local tree farm and choosing your own.

 When choosing a tree look for even green color and few brown needles. To keep your tree beautiful all season long make a fresh cut to the base of the trunk once you get it home and provide plenty of clean water.

Learn more! Read the rest of the story and find out how you can locate local Christmas tree farms on the Pender Extension website, http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+105.

Tell Us What You Think!

Extension's Pender Gardener brings you timely, research based gardening information specifically for southeastern NC. Please let us know how this information has helped you garden better this year and make suggestions for improvements or topics for 2011, by completing a short online survey - available here:

Pender Gardener Evaluation Survey: http://harvest.cals.ncsu.edu/surveybuilder/form.cfm?testID=11378

The survey asks the following questions:

•     How has Pender Gardener helped you garden this year?
•     What topics would you like to learn about next year?
•     How would you prefer to learn about these topics?

This survey is completely anonymous and will be available until December 7, 2010.

Your input is extremely important! Please let us know how Extension's Pender Gardener is helping  area residents garden better to ensure this service can continue in the future.

Controlling Aphids in Fall Vegetable Gardens

When planted in late summer, cool season crops like cabbage, collards, broccoli, kale, and turnips usually thrive with minimal care. One pest that can cause problems for these crops that has shown up in our area this fall is the aphid. Though individually tiny, aphids frequently occur in huge numbers and can cause serious problems for vegetable crops. Aphids are easy to manage both organically and conventionally, if they are detected before numbers get out of hand.

Inspect your cool season crops for aphids now. Especially check the backside of leaves, where aphids prefer to congregate (picture, left).

Learn more! Find out how to identify and control aphids in your garden. Read the rest of the story on the Pender County Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+104.

Start Amaryllis Now for the Holidays!

'Minerva' is one of many varieties of Amaryllis available to force into bloom for the holidays.

Amaryllis are extremely easy and fun to grow and now is the time to get them started to bloom for the holidays. Fortunately the enjoyment does not end after the blossoms fade. Amaryllis are hardy bulbs in our area, which means you can plant your amaryllis outside in the landscape in spring, where it will blossom each spring for years to come.

Learn more! Read the rest of the story on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+103.

Fall Landscape Tips and Tasks

Cleaning up diseased leaves from around shrubs like this Indian Hawthorn can help prevent disease infection next year. Give you garden a good clean out this fall to help it get off to a healthy start next spring.

Cooler temperatures make gardening and landscape maintenance much more pleasant in the fall and there are several important jobs to do at this time of the year. Tasks like cleaning up will help your landscape get off to a healthier start next season, while soil testing will let you know what nutrients your lawn and landscape need to grow strong. Fall is also a wonderful time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials, as well as spring blooming bulbs and hardy annuals like pansies. So enjoy the beautiful weather of the next couple of months by getting out in the yard and have some fun while caring for your landscape.

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=LAWN+102.