IN THE GARDEN NOW HELPING GARDENERS PUT KNOWLEDGE TO WORK. February Lisa Rayburn Extension Agent, Horticulture

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1 IN THE GARDEN NOW HELPING GARDENERS PUT KNOWLEDGE TO WORK February 2017 Lisa Rayburn Extension Agent, Horticulture Contact Us: NCCE-Onslow County 4024 Richlands Hwy. Jacksonville, NC (910) (910) Fax edu North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. I am very excited to update the progress in our Discovery Gardens. At this point, the contractor should be done sometime this month! This phase of construction includes the Summer House (a pavilion over the pond, pictured above), the paths and walkways, and irrigation system. This will leave us with the ornamental pond, a gazebo, the Children s Garden and a whole lot of planting left to complete. When the contractor is done, the Master Gardener Volunteers will be hosting a series of planting days as we install the trees that will serve as the backbone of these gardens. The Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteers received a $4000 Tree Legacy Grant from the NC Urban Tree Forest Council to cover a portion of the tree purchase cost. We will be hosting a workshop on the Fundamentals of Tree Establishment on February 16 (see upcoming classes and events for details) and will be scheduling community planting days for the second half of February and in to March. Since we are dependent on the contractor and the weather, please contact the office directly if you want to be notified about the dates and times of the planting days. Even if you don t help plant, make sure you come out and visit the gardens and check out the progress we are making. The Discovery Gardens are located behind the Cooperative Extension office located at 4024 Richlands Highway (beside the Farmers Market). For more information or to join us on a planting day, call or send an to lisa_rayburn@ncsu.edu.

2 Buying Seeds The seed catalogues are pouring in and it s easy to get caught up in the excitement. Before you start placing your order, take the following thoughts in to consideration. First, read the label and determine whether the seeds will need an early start indoors. Cool season crops like broccoli and cabbage benefit from being started indoors so they are large enough to be transplanted out in the garden. Warm weather crops like tomatoes and peppers need to be started under lights inside so they are ready to go in the garden when the soil has warmed up and last frost is past. If you aren t up for starting your own seedlings indoors, you will want to wait and buy these plants as transplants. Vegetable crops that grow best when they are directly seeded in the garden include vining crops like beans and peas, root crops like radishes and carrots, and corn. The cucurbits (cucumbers, melons and squash) can go either way. Next, determine how much you need to buy. This will be dictated by the amount of garden space that you have and the spacing of the crop. It s ok if you buy a little extra. Fast-growing vegetables like lettuce, radish, spinach and beans can be planted several times throughout the season. If you have extras, many seeds store well from year to year but there are some exceptions. It is best to buy garden pea and onion seeds fresh each season. Store excess seeds in an air-tight container in a cool, dark, dry location. Consider your space. In a small garden, avoid space-hogging vegetables like sweet corn, pumpkins and watermelon. Instead, focus on higher-yielding, more compact vegetables like leafy greens, tomatoes, beans, herbs and peppers. For even more compact plants, look for varieties listed as bush, dwarf, patio or good for containers. While you are choosing varieties, consider the differences between heirloom, open-pollinated and hybrid varieties. If you want to save your own seed, heirloom and open-pollinated varieties will grow true from seed, year after year (as long as they are properly separated from other varieties of the same crop). New varieties are often hybrid varieties. This means that the variety was produced by crossing two distinct varieties. Hybrid varieties often have increased vigor, yield or disease resistance but you if you save the seed, you will not get consistency in the next generation. I know that many people are concerned about GMO-seeds. Right now, there are no GMO-seeds readily marketed to homeowners. You aren t going to accidentally buy them while cruising through your favorite homeowner seed catalogues. Look for disease resistant varieties, especially if you have had problems in your garden in the past. Most varieties are not resistant to all diseases, just to some. So make sure that you have disease problems accurately diagnosed. In our area, tomato spotted wilt virus and nematodes are common problems so look for tomato varieties with resistance to these problems. However, we don t have any readily available varieties that are resistant to southern bacterial wilt. If this disease has been a problem in your garden, you will want to move your tomatoes to a new location or consider growing them in containers in a clean potting mix. Check the days to harvest information for each variety as well. In our long growing season, a mix of short, mid and long season varieties will extend your harvest window without multiple planting dates.

3 You will want to include some flowers in your planting plan. Flowers add color and interest to the garden while serving as an important source of nectar and pollen for pollinator insects as well as the beneficial predatory insects that feed on problem insects in your garden. Cosmos, zinnia, marigolds, cleome, morning glory and sunflower are just a handful of the flowers that are easy to grow from seed. Sit back, enjoy reading all of your seed catalogues, develop your wish list and start coming up with a plan for this year s garden. Because it s time to order some seeds! For information about starting your own seeds, check out the following resources: Starting Plants from Seed Vegetable Planting Guide for Eastern North Carolina Learn how to check and see if your saved seeds are still good: Onslow County Farmers Market Please note that our farmers' market is seasonal. All three market locations are currently closed for the season. We will reopen in April with a selection of fresh, local products. Find the Gardening Information on the Radio I host the Garden Journal on Public Radio East. The Garden Journal airs Friday at noon on all PRE Stations and Saturday at noon on News and Ideas. In Onslow County, that is 91.5 FM and 89.3 FM on Fridays and 91.5 FM Saturdays. Tune in and join me. Is there a topic that you would like me to address on the show? If so, me at lisa_rayburn@ncsu.edu and you may hear your answer on the air.

4 Tips and Tasks Prune back ornamental grasses and ground covers in early February before new growth starts. Add mulch to beds if needed. Scale can be a problem on hollies and other shrubbery outside and on house plants indoors. Scale are small, hardbodied insects that often look like bumps on the bark or leaves of the plant. Scale on landscape plants can be treated with horticultural oils. Follow the label directions and use the spray rate recommended for the time of year. Acephate (Orthene), carbaryl or insecticidal soap can also be used. Insecticidal soap is a good choice for scale on houseplants. A second treatment after two weeks is generally needed to control newly emerged scale insects. With any product, read and follow all label directions and remember that thorough coverage is critical for control. Armored scale on ornamental shrub Plants naturally change color in the winter and even evergreens like azaleas, gardenias and camellias can experience yellowing. Older leaves naturally yellow and drop off. If azaleas are discolored and the leaves show stippling (tiny discolored spots), spider mites could be the culprit. Spider mites can be controlled with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Dormant pruning of fruit trees and grapevines should be done in February as should heavy pruning and rejuvenation pruning of most ornamental shrubs. Remember to wait and prune spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas and forsythia after they bloom. If you are using a preemergent herbicide to control summer annual weeds (including crabgrass) in your lawn, aim to apply it around Valentine s Day. If these chemicals are applied too late, you will not get adequate weed control. Read and follow all label directions. Avoid weed-and-feed formulations and wait until mid-may to June to fertilize warm season lawns. If you are battling Florida betony, remember to apply herbicides in February before the plant starts developing its distinctive tubers. Remove leaves and debris from lawns. Do not burn St. Augustine, centipede, or zoysiagrass lawns. Irrigation is usually not necessary during the winter months. The optimum time to seed or lay sod for a warm season lawn is in the spring from about April until July 1. Plan your spring vegetable garden. Cool season crops need to be planted early enough to harvest before the heat of summer hits. Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, garden peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach and turnips can all be planted in February for spring harvest.

5 Upcoming Classes, Events & Training 2017 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Class Application Deadline Feb. 6 Class starts Feb. 27-May 8 Classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 am-12 pm. Cost is $100. Call or stop by the office for more details and to request an application. Season Extension with High Tunnels Workshop February 8, 2017, 8:30-3:00 Cost $25 includes lunch Register Online: Please note that you must register online, registration is not being taken at the extension office. Aquaculture Conference Conference February 10-11, self-drive farm tours Feb. 9 The conference will be held in New Bern, NC, and is geared to anyone with an interest in fish or shellfish farming, including prospective growers, researchers, teachers, students or agency persons with jobs related to aquaculture. To see a schedule of events, for accommodations, and to get more information, visit For additional information and registration: Chrissie Shepard, or cbshepar@ncsu.edu Carolina Canopy Fundamentals of Tree Establishment February 16, 8:15-12:00 Proper planting and good young tree maintenance practices will determine the success or failure of newly planted trees. Learn how to select and prepare a tree planting site and properly plant the tree to ensure its survival. We will also cover techniques critical to maintaining tree health, including mulching, watering and pruning. Cost is $15 before February 8 th, $20 after February 8 th. Register online at - click on upcoming events. Download a hardcopy registration if needed. Please note that we cannot take registration for this event at the extension office. Vegetable Gardening 101 Series 4 th Thursday of each month, 11 am, Discovery Garden Come plant and tend the vegetables in the raised bed gardens with us. Each month, we will discuss what we are planting and why. Then you can help plant! These informal classes will be a great way to get your hands dirty, ask questions and get ideas that you can apply in your own garden. This month, the class will be February 23 and we ll be planting potatoes and garden peas.

6 Association Meetings Onslow County Farmers Market Association Meeting February 7, 4 pm Contact: Marie Bowman, , marie.s.bowman@gmail.com Onslow County Master Gardener Volunteer Association Meeting February 9, 9 am Contact: Lisa Rayburn, , lisa_rayburn@ncsu.edu Onslow County Beekeepers Association Meeting February 14, 7 pm Contact: Jeff Morton, or jeff_morton@ncsu.edu CONTACT US If you have questions about lawn, landscape or garden problems, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. In Onslow County call , Mon Fri. 8 am 5 pm, or visit us online anytime at While you are there, you can post your questions to be answered by using the Ask an Expert widget (in the upper left hand corner). North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Onslow County Multipurpose Complex NC Cooperative Extension Services 4024 Richlands Highway Jacksonville, NC / FAX