MOUNTAIN GARDENER County s Extension Newsletter for Home Lawn & Garden Enthusiasts Buncombe County Center, 94 Coxe Ave. Asheville, NC 28801-3620 July 2014 HELPING GARDENERS PUT KNOWLEDGE TO WORK - July Garden Chores, Fair Entry, p.2 - Borage, Think Before You Spray, p. 3 - Soil Samples, Local Food, p. 3 - When to Harvest, Weeds & Lawn, p. 4 - Food Prep, Poor Fruit Set, p. 5 - Events, p. 6 Gardening In The Mountains Series For something a little different this month s Gardening in the Mountains includes a panel of gardeners to address all your burning questions, concerns and other hot topics of the seasons. Please bring plant samples and questions of your Summer pest and disease problems. Join us July 15 th at 10am and again at 5:30pm at the NC Cooperative Extension Office, 94 Coxe Ave., Asheville. The program is FREE but you must pre-register by calling 255-5522 or emailing joyce_plemmons@ncsu.edu. Upcoming topics and dates include: Buncombe County Center 94 Coxe Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 828-255-5522 (Phone) 828-255-5202 (Fax) http://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu email to: Alison.arnold@ncsu.edu August 19 The Joy of Herbs September 16 Getting Ready For Winter October 21 Building Soil Normal July Weather Weather Averages For Asheville, North Carolina Normal July Average High 84.0 o Normal July Average Low 63.7 o Normal July Precipitation 4.31 Hours of Daylight for Asheville, NC Sunrise Sunset July 1 6 18am 8:50pm July 31 6:37am 8:36pm
Page 2 Mountain Gardener July Garden Chores Lawns If brown patch fungus disease has developed in the lawn, the best steps to reduce the spread of the disease are to avoid mowing or even walking on the lawn when it is wet, and do not irrigate. Mow fescue and bluegrass lawns 3 inches high. There are not many zoysia lawns in the mountains, but if you have one, the warm season grasses can be fertilized with a half pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Ornamentals Don t fertilize and complete any pruning on shrubs early in the month. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continued blooming on annuals and re-blooming on some perennials. Container gardens require attention. Fertilize every few weeks with liquid fertilizer and cut back plants as needed. Don t forget to water newly planted trees and shrubs weekly if needed. Fruits Prune fruiting canes from blackberries and raspberries after harvest. Summer prune vigorous water sprouts. Vegetables Consistent moisture is important for preventing blossom-end-rot on tomatoes (and sometimes squash or peppers). Mulch helps as well as attention to regular irrigation. Keep a watch out for late blight on tomatoes. The best way to prevent these diseases is to maintain weekly fungicide sprays. The most commonly used garden product is chlorothalonil (Bravo, Daconil, etc.). Organic gardeners may want to try Serenade, a bacterial product. Copper or sulfur sprays are less effective, but offer a little help. Cut back basil, mint and oregano to encourage foliage growth and prevent flowering. Plan the fall garden. Brussels sprouts should be planted in July, most other cool season crops in August. Start seeds in pots for plants such as broccoli, cabbage and collards. There s still time to plant late crops of squash, bush beans or cucumbers. Submit You Entry Forms for Mountain State Fair The North Carolina Mountain State Fair catalogs are now available at the Extension office or find it at www.mountainfair.org There are different deadlines for the different departments. Flower & Garden Department has August 22 as a deadline to show intention of entering. This is on page 85 of the catalog. You may submit this online now. This allows FAIR personnel to enter your information to speed up the entering process on entry days. Your list of flowers, Class Form, is only accepted on entry day. This is the form they use to print your tickets, so be very neat with it. This year s theme is There s No Time Like Fair Time! Look around your garden to see what you can enter to win a blue ribbon, or two! Go ahead and submit your intention to enter form NOW!! What part of the $14,020.00 premiums offered, could you take home?
Page 3 Mountain Gardener Borage One of the many annual herbs easily grown from seed, Borage (Borago officinalis), is also known as bee-bread or starflower. The first name comes from its reputation among pollinating bees as a rich nectar source. The second name refers to the vivid, pink turning to blue 5 pointed star-shaped flowers with black centers beautifully displayed on top of 2-3 tall stems with leaves of downy blue. Borage has a sprawling growth habit, prefers full sun to light shade and can grow in all soil types although average to rich well-draining soil will produce healthier plants. Historically Borage originated in the Middle East and is associated with its ability to bring courage and a sense of well-being. It s leaves and flowers can be used as a culinary herb to flavor drinks, garnish salads or decorated. Think Before You Spray To successfully control insects or diseases in the garden inspect plants on a weekly basis. Early detection and correct identification are essential to determine the best next steps. Not all problems are problems or need control. Some amount of damage may be tolerated and not reduce yields or affect the plant s appearance. Developing a strategy that includes several approaches is always best. For instance good cultural practices such as proper fertilization, planting resistant varieties, handpicking and removing infested debris can help prevent serious squash bug damage. If a chemical control is called for (conventional or organic) select the best product and know that even beneficial insects may be affected by your choices. Read the label for the weeds, insects or diseases to be controlled, mixing and application rates as well as other safe handling precautions. For fruits and vegetables pay attention to the pre harvest interval. This is the amount of time you must wait between application and harvest. Most organic pesticides such as soaps and oils have a waiting period of 0 (Zero) days. If you must use a spray of any type be sure to spray late in the evening when few bees are active. Soil Sample for Fall Planting Now is a good time to take soil samples for any Fall planting or lawn renovation projects. Collect separate samples for the areas with different soils, plant types or locations. Avoid sampling areas of recent fertilizer or lime applications. Avoid collecting mulch, leaves or other plant debris. Sample 4 inches deep for lawns, 6-8 inches deep for vegetable and flower and 6-10 for shrubs and trees. To get a good representation of the area take multiple or mini samples within the area you want to sample and mix them all together in a clean plastic bucket. Then pull your final sample from there. Soil sampling provides a baseline for future fertilizer and lime applications, supports plant growth and prevents plant problems. Local Food Guide Now available as free App! Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project s (ASAP) mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. Their Local Food Guide is now available as a free app for download onto the iphone and can help you: - Locate and navigate to local farms, farmers markets, restaurants, retailers, B&Bs etc. - Discover what s in season and how to find it. - Learn about the farmers and the local businesses that purchase their products. - Map route for ASAP s annual Farm Tour. Go to: www./asapconnections.org and look under FIND.
Page 4 July 2014 When to Harvest Preserve nutritional content, freshness and flavor of garden vegetables by harvesting and processing then appropriately. Harvest during the cool part of the morning, and process or store them as soon as possible. If processing must be delayed, cool the vegetables in ice water and store them in the refrigerator to preserve flavor and quality. Use the following for harvesting vegetable crops. Beans, snap Start harvesting before seeds develop in the pod (about the diameter of a pencil). Beans are ready to pick if they snap easily when bent in half. Corn, sweet Silks begin to turn brown and dry out as the ears mature. Check a few ears for maturity by opening the top of the ear and pressing a few kernels with a thumbnail. If the liquid exuded is milky rather than clear, the ear is ready for harvest. Cucumbers Harvest when the fruits are deep green, before any yellow color appears. The length should be 6 to 8 inches for slicing and smaller for pickling. Pick often to encourage continuous production. Eggplant - Harvest when the fruits are 3 to 5 inches in diameter and their color is a glossy purplish black. If the color starts to dull or become bronzed it is past prime. Cut to leave a short stem on the fruit. Do not pull the fruit from the plant. Cantaloupe Harvest when the stem slips easily from the fruit with a gentle tug. Another indicator of ripeness is when the netting on skin becomes rounded and the flesh between the netting turns from a green to a tan color. Okra - Harvest young, tender pods when they are 2 to 3 inches long. Pick at least every other day during the peak growing season. Overly mature pods become woody and are too tough to eat. Onions Harvest when the tops fall over and begin to turn yellow. Dig and allow the onions to dry out. Remove dried soil. Cut the stem, leaving 2 to 3 inches attached, and store in a net-type bag in a cool, dry place. Peppers Harvest sweet peppers when fruits are firm, crisp, and full sized. Green peppers will turn red if left on the plant. Allow hot peppers to attain their bright red color and full flavor while attached to the plant; cut and hang them to dry. Radishes Harvest when the roots are ½ to 1½ inches in diameter. If left in the ground too long, they will become tough and woody. Squash, summer Harvest when the fruit is soft, tender and 6 to 8 inches long. The skin color often changes to a dark, glossy green or yellow, depending on variety. Pick every 2 to 3 days to encourage more production. Tomatoes Harvest tomatoes at the most appealing ripeness stage ¾ up to fully red or yellow ripe depending on the variety. Flavor is best at room temperature, but ripe fruit may be held in the refrigerator at 45 0 F to 50 0 F for 7 to 10 days. Weeds and Lawn Management Problems By now weeds are making themselves known in all parts of the garden. Properly identifying them is key to controlling them. In lawns especially they can indicate various issues related to improper management practices such as too much nitrogen fertilizer, scalping or mowing too low and heavy compacted soils. Below is a table of indicator weeds that may be present under problematic growing conditions. Condition Indicator weeds Dry Soil Prostrate spurge, yellow woodsorrel, goosegrass, annual lespedeza, prostrate knotweed, plantain Wet Soil Annual bluegrass, moss, liverwort, rushes, sedges Compacted Soil Annual bluegrass, annual sedge, annual lespedeza, broadleaf plantain, corn speedwell, goosegrass, prostrate knotweed, prostrate spurge Low nitrogen Broomsedge, clovers, common speedwell, hawkweed, moss, white clover, crabgrass Excess nitrogen Infrequent mowing Close/frequent mowing Annual bluegrass, chickweed, moss, ryegrass Bull thistle, burdock, chicory, smooth bedstraw, sweet clover, wild carrot Annual bluegrass, chickweed, moss, crabgrass
Page 5 Mountain Gardener BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR LATE BLIGHT ON TOMATOES The first symptoms of late blight on tomato leaves are irregularly shaped, water-soaked lesions, often with a lighter halo or ring around them. These lesions are typically found on the younger, more succulent leaves in the top portion of the plant canopy. During high humidity, white cottony growth may be visible on the underside of the leaf. Spots are visible on both sides of the leaves. As the disease progresses, lesions enlarge causing leaves to brown, shrivel and die. Late blight can also attack tomato fruit in all stages of development. The pathogen is favored by cool, wet weather; clouds protect the spores from exposure to UV radiation by the sun, and wet conditions allow the spores to infect when they land on leaves. Nights in the 50 s/60 s and days in the 80 s accompanied by rain, fog or heavy dew are ideal for late blight infection. Products containing the active ingredients copper or chlorothalonil (the trade name of one product with chlorothalonil is known as Daconil ) are the best and only effective products available to home gardeners. Before disease occurs, apply fungicides at 7-10 day intervals. After disease is detected, apply fungicides at 5-7 day intervals. Organic growers have less chemical options that are effective; the only OMRI labeled active ingredients that have decent efficacy against late blight are fixed copper formulations. Written by Lina Quesada-Ocampo-Assistant Professor, Vegetable Pathology, Plant Pathology, NCSU Poor Fruit Set on Vegetables Lack of fruit set on vegetables is typically not a long-term problem. Often fruit doesn t form because the plants don t flower. In other cases the plants may flower but not set fruit. Almost always failure to set fruit is caused by some condition that over time diminishes and the plant will start bearing fruit. Lush dark green plants can indicate too much nitrogen with energy going into leaf production and not flowers. Temperature can play a role with certain vegetables. Tomatoes for instance need daytime temps between 70-80 degrees. Anytime outside this range can cause flowers to drop. Squash and cucumbers produce male and female flowers and early in the season only male flowers are produced. Once female flowers are produced then the pollinators can do their work and fruit development begins. Planting in a sunny location is always ideal. Many of our summer vegetables require 6-7 hours of direct sunlight in order to be productive. Other Common Problems to many vegetables are: Symptoms Possible Causes Controls Poor fruit yield; fruit may be small and have poor flavor Plants grow slowly; leaves light green Wilted plants; bottom leaves may turn yellow General leaf yellowing, no wilting Uneven moisture Poor soil fertility Insufficient light Poor soil fertility Improper ph Excess water Dry soil Root rot Root-knot nematode Waterlogged soil Nutrient or mineral deficiency Insufficient light Supply water during dry periods Test soil Thin plants, increase sun Test soil Test soil Do not overwater; improper drainage Supply water Do not overwater; remove old plant debris; rotate Plant resistant cultivars; rotate; solarize soil Improve drainage Test soil; add nitrogen fertilizer Thin plants; move garden location
Buncombe County Center North Carolina Cooperative Extension 94 Coxe Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-3620 EVENTS July 5 - July 8 - July 12 & 26 - July 15 - July 22 - City Tailgate Market, 8:30am 12:30pm, info table, 161 S. Charlotte St., Asheville Floral Design Wkshp for Fair, Pony Exp., Ag Center, 9:30-11:30am Plant Clinic, and Compost Demo., WNC Farmer s Market, 11am-2pm. Gardening in the Mountains, Evergreen Shrubs, Ext. Office, 94 Coxe Ave. Asheville 10am and 5:30pm, pre-register, Free. Saving Seeds, EMGV program, 7pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St. Blk.Mtn. Newsletter compiled and edited by: Alison Arnold Extension Agent, Agriculture Urban Horticulture Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate in activities mentioned in this newsletter. Please contact 828-255-5522 during business hours at least 3 days prior to the event. Recommendations for the use of agricultural chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by North Carolina Cooperative Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use agricultural chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage regulations and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact your county Cooperative Extension agent.