Lichen May Be Sign of More Serious Problem

Winter is a time when gardeners and homeowners are more likely to notice a grayish green crusty or mossy looking growth on the stems and branches of trees and shrubs (photo left, taken by Chad Gore). This common organism, known as lichen (pronounced “liken”), is a primitive life form and is the result of two different organisms, an alga and a fungi, living together. Lichens will grow on anything that sits still long enough, including slow growing plants, tree trunks, rocks, fence posts, fallen logs, tombstones, and even the ground. When lichens are found growing on trees or shrubs, it may simply be a sign that that particular plant is naturally slow growing, such as Japanese Maple, or that it is an older plant that is not growing at a vigorous rate. Lichens do not harm the plants they grow upon, but often plants that are struggling will be covered in them. When lichens are found growing prolifically on a plant that also has lots of dead twigs and branches and that produces few, undersized or off color leaves it is usually a sign that something more serious is going wrong.

Find out more! Click here to read to read the entire article from the Pender County Cooperative Extension website.

Get Ready for Spring Planting - Soil Test Now!

Now is the time to begin preparing for spring planting by bringing soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Office for testing! Boxes, forms and instructions are available from any Extension Office, which are located in every county in NC! Soil testing can help you save money in your lawn, garden and landscape and grow healthier plants by telling you which nutrients are already in your soil and which ones you need to add with fertilizers. In addition, soil testing is a free service for North Carolina residents, provided by the NC Department of Agriculture. If you haven’t submitted soil samples for your yard or garden in the past couple of years, take the time to do it now! Samples submitted at this time of the year, the lab’s busiest season, may take several weeks to be analyzed, so get your samples in ASAP to make sure your results are back in time for spring planting!

Read more by clicking here! (Will take you to the Pender County Cooperative Extension website.)

Protecting Plants from Cold Damage

The persistent cold weather of the last few weeks has caused many local residents to question its effects on area lawns and landscapes. Fortunately little damage is expected to have occurred during the recent cold snap because our lawns and landscape plants are still in dormancy, a state during which woody and perennial plants are at rest and are less susceptible to cold injury. In addition, wet soil conditions have provided extra protection by providing plenty of moisture to turf grasses and evergreens, reducing the damaging effects of drying winds, a common cause of winter injury.

This does mean area lawns and landscapes are out of the woods yet. In most cases, extremely cold temperatures are not the cause of plant injury during our winters. Instead, it is usually a combination of fluctuating temperatures along with factors related to plant care that lead to most of the cold injury we experience. For our lawns and landscapes, cold injury most often occurs in late winter and early spring as plants are coming out of dormancy and temperatures quickly change from warm to cold. While little can be done to moderate these temperature changes, there are some things we can do year round to help our lawns and landscapes better tolerate cold, as well as to help prevent cold damage and speed its recovery.

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

What 2009 Can Tell Us About 2010

Plentiful rainfall throughout the summer of 2009 should result in prolific flowering of spring blooming shrubs such as azalea, but may also mean more insect and disease problems for local lawns and landscapes.

Predicting the future is not an exact science. That being said, there are factors about 2009 that can help predict some of what we can expect to experience in area lawns, landscapes and gardens in 2010. This is because plants, as well as their insect pests and diseases, are very reliant upon weather conditions for their survival and success, not only in the current season, but also in the year to come. With that in mind, the wet weather of 2009 certainly holds indications as to what we can expect for local lawns, landscapes, and gardens in 2010.

Click here to read the entire article from the Pender County Cooperative Extension website.

The latest issue of the Extension Gardener newsletter in 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.



In the Winter 2010 issue, you can read about:
- What are your weeds trying to tell you?
- 'Kay Paris' Magnolia
- Preparing the vegetable garden for spring
- Mulching
- Tips and Tasks for winter
- Maintaining a healthy soil
and more!


Click here to download your copy!

Welcome Winter With These Great Plants!

Look for plants with interesting bark, berries, and foliage to add interest to your winter landscape! The rich cinnamon bark of Japanese Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia fauriei) will add interest to any landscape throughout the year, but is especially noticeable in winter.

Lots of great plants are available to liven up winter landscapes in our relatively mild-wintered region. While few plants actually bloom in winter, there are many other characteristics that add interest at this time of year. Bark, berries, foliage, and plant form contribute color and texture to the landscape at a time of year when they can best be appreciated, without the competition of flowers that may have overshadowed these more delicate features during the growing season. Through careful planning, you can have a landscape full of beauty and interest all year around. Start your all-season landscape this year by considering some of the following great winter interest plants!

Find out about more great plants for winter landscape by reading the entire article, posted on the Pender County Extension website - click here to go there now!

Deck the Halls!

Fresh cut greenery can be used in a variety of ways to decorate for the holidays, such as in these miniature arrangements made by Pender County Master Gardeners to brighten the lunch trays of Meals on Wheels recipients. When using fresh cut greenery indoors or out, it is important to be aware of any plants that may be dangerous if eaten or handled.

Visit the Pender County Cooperative Extension Website to read more about using fresh cut greenery in holiday decorations to make sure you stay safe while you deck the halls! Click here to read the entire article.