Which Vegetables Can I Plant for Spring?

Seed potato with 'eyes'. 

This is the time to get serious about planting a spring vegetable garden. Vegetables that produce during the spring months are known as cool season crops, meaning they can tolerate some frost but do not like hot weather and should be planted outside now to harvest before the heat of summer. 

Vegetables that can be planted in February include broccoli, garden peas, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes. Some vegetables are typically planted in the garden as seed, while others do better when set out as young plants. Cool season vegetables that do best when seeded directly into the garden include roots crops like radish, beets, turnips, kohlrabi and carrots.

Learn more about planting these and other cool season crops by reading the whole article posted on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/02/what-can-i-plant-in-my-garden-for-spring/

 

What Is Growing in My Yard?

Lichen

Ever find something in your yard and wonder, “What is that?” If so, you are not alone. Throughout the year people bring bugs, plants, and mysterious growths found in their yard to their local Cooperative Extension office for identification. Among the items most frequently brought in that fall into the category of “mysterious growths” are algae, lichen, and stink horns. All three of these are common throughout our region, which means there is a good chance you may find them in your yard too.

See images and read more about lichen, algae and stink horns on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/02/what-is-growing-in-my-yard/

Does Your Lawn or Garden Need Lime?

Lime can harm blueberries. 

Does your lawn or garden need lime? If you live in southeastern North Carolina the answer to this question is a definite maybe. This is because our soils vary so much from one yard to the next. For some yards, lime needs to be added every few years to keep plants healthy. For others, especially those at the beach, adding lime can harm plants. 

Whether or not you need to add lime depends on your current soil pH and the plants you are trying to grow. The only way to accurately know if you need lime and how much is to submit soil samples for testing to the N.C. Department of Agriculture's soil testing lab in Raleigh. Boxes and forms for packaging samples are available from your local Extension office. Completed samples can be dropped of at any Extension office for delivery to the soil testing lab. Find out more by reading the whole article, posted on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/01/does-your-lawn-or-garden-need-lime/

Dealing with Mounds and Tunnels in Lawns

Earthworm castings

Are areas of your lawn bumpy and uneven? When you walk across these areas does the soil sink or feel soft? If so, some type of soil dwelling critter is probably the cause. During winter the activity of moles, earthworms, and mole crickets can cause mounds and tunnels in lawns that result in uneven or rough patches. To fix these problem areas you must first diagnose which critter is causing the damage.

Common causes of lumpy, bumpy lawns at this time of year include earthworms, mole crickets, and moles. To learn more about these critters and how to manage the damage they cause, read the whole article posted here on the Pender Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/01/what-is-causing-mounds-and-tunnels-in-my-yard/

Winter Extension Gardener Now Available!

Fill the cold dark evenings of winter with dreams of spring! The Winter 2013 issue of the Extension Gardener Newsletter is now available online. Extension Gardener newsletter 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 Winter 2013 Coastal Plain and Sandhills issue, you can learn about:

• Winter Pruning of Roses
• Benefits of Buying Local
• Growing Asparagus
• Growing Mushrooms
• 'Oakleaf' Holly
• Starting Seedlings Under LED Lights
  
• and lots more!
  

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

Winter Gardening Do's and Don'ts

Cut back perennials in winter. 

In many areas winter is a cold and bleak time to stay inside and not even contemplate working in the garden. Fortunately this is not true in the southeast. In fact, mild winter days can be one of the nicest times of the year to work outside in our region. There is plenty to be done to prepare for the growing season to come so why not get outside and garden today?

Things to do in the garden this time of year include cutting back perennials and ornamental grasses, pruning summer flowering shrubs, planting spring vegetables, and managing lawn weeds. This is not the time to prune spring blooming shrubs like azaleas or to fertilize your lawn. Wait until spring to do these tasks. For more winter gardening tips and tasks read the whole article posted on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/01/winter-gardening-tips-and-tasks/

Resources to Help You Garden in 2013

Ask an Extension Master Gardener!

If your plans and resolutions for the New Year include growing or caring for plants, your local Cooperative Extension office can help you be more successful. Whether you want to start a vegetable garden, renovate your lawn or landscape, garden more sustainably, or volunteer in your community, Extension has resources and opportunities for you. Find out more at 
http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/01/how-extension-can-help-you-garden-in-2013/.

Let us know what resources and classes you need! Take our quick survey: 
http://harvest.cals.ncsu.edu/surveybuilder/form.cfm?testID=15361