January Newsletter - Burke County

Welcome Taylor!

Taylor Campbell will be joining the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke County Center as the Consumer Horticulture Extension Agent, beginning Jan. 3, 2023. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where she obtained a bachelor of science in plant sciences with a concentration in public horticulture as well as a minor in food & agriculture business. Taylor is from Jonesborough, Tennessee, where she was involved in gardening and agriculture from a young age. As an adolescent, Taylor became involved in her local FFA chapter, which she credits as being the starting point of her passion for people and plants. When she isn’t working, Taylor enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her cats, Theo and Remy. Taylor is excited to start helping Burke County residents learn more about gardening, horticulture, and sustainability.

Lawn & Garden Tips for January

Prune shade trees such as oaks, hickory, poplar, gum, beech and ginko in January. DO NOT PRUNE bleeder trees such as maple, birch, elm or dogwood.
Hardwood cutting of many landscape plants like forsythia, flowering quince, weigela, crape myrtle, juniper spirea and hydrangea can be taken in January.
Use wood ashes on your vegetable garden and bulb beds if the pH of the soil is below 6.0.
Prepare a spot in your vegetable garden for early spring vegetables.

Winter Care for Your Horse

During the winter months, horse owners many times neglect to carefully observe their animals. Most horses are turned out to pasture and only seen in the dark at feeding time. In the summer months, it is easy to provide extensive care for the horse, when riding every day and you want to make certain the horse is fit and in good health.

One of the worst things for a horse during the winter months is ice; most importantly, the ice that covers the watering trough or water bucket. Water for the horse during cold weather is very often overlooked. The water may freeze up making it inaccessible to the horse. Mature horses need about 10 gallons of water a day. To keep the horse healthy during freezing weather owners should make sure an ample supply of fresh water is always available. Excessively cold water will decrease the horses’ consumption of water. Ideally, water should be maintained at a temperature between 40-55 F. When the horse drinks less water, feed intake will decrease. A reduction in feed intake results in less energy being available to maintain body temperature and body weight during the cold months. Reduced feed and water intake could lead to colic and an impacted intestinal tract in the horse.

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4-H Summer Camp

Burke County 4-H will travel to the Eastern 4-H Conference Center in Columbia, NC for a 5 night stay the week of June 18-23, 2023. This camping experience is for youth ages 8-14 and spaces are limited. Contact Nicki Carpenter at 828-764-9480 or nicki_carpenter@ncsu.edu for more information or to register.

The Eastern 4-H Center is located on beautiful Bulls Bay of the Albemarle Sound in the north eastern coastal plain of NC. Unique program offerings include a focus on coastal ecology, shooting sports, sailing, and offsite camping trips for older campers.

Check out this Eastern 4-H Conference Center Video!