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Gardening Programs / Garden Chores / Safe Insect Management and more!
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JULY ISSUE 2021
 
WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Gardening Programs:  
- Climate Change in NC Mountains
  - Native Plants & Pollinators
  - Cottage Gardening
  - Dyeing with Fresh Indigo
  - Plant Propagation
  - July Garden Chores
- Safe Insect Management
- Diagnosing Plant Problems
- Basil Downy Mildew
- Rose Rosette Detection
- Bats
- Farm Heritage Trail

- Garden Helpline is open!

 
 
 
UPCOMING GARDENING PROGRAMS
 
NC Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Center presents:

UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE IN
THE NC MOUNTAINS
-
3 PART SERIES
Wednesdays, July 7, 14, and 21

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Free Online Event


Introduction

The topic of climate, its changing nature and impact on our region can seem complicated and beyond our understanding and reach. Researchers and scientists in North Carolina who work in the field of climate science are best positioned to provide the data and trends that can help us better understand this complex issue and guide decision making.

Join us for this three-part series that will answer questions about the difference between climate and weather, the history of the earth’s climate and what this tells us about today’s climate change, how these changes will impact our lives here in the region, and what actions we can take to help mitigate and adapt to climate change in our community.

The talks are free but registration is required.
Click on the Eventbrite links below to register for each program.
Session 1:
Climate and Weather
Made Simple

Wednesday, July 7, 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom

Presenter: Walter Robinson, Ph.D., Professor with the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at NC State University


Join Professor Walter Robinson as he walks us through earth's climate history and what that history can tell us about today’s climate change.

Dr. Robinson will also go over the differences between climate and weather and the effects of each on a warming planet.
Session 2:  
Climate Change and
the NC Mountains

Wednesday, July 14, 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom

Presenter: Rebecca Ward, Assistant State         Climatologist with the State Climate Office of   North Carolina

Join Rebecca Ward as she discusses how climate change works in our mountains and how it will impact our lives moving forward.
Session 3:  
Local Climate Change.
How Can Citizens
Make an Impact?

Wednesday, July 21 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom

Presenter:  Kathie Dello, Ph.D., Director of the State Climate Office of North Carolina


Join Dr. Kathie Dello as she guides us through a discussion of actions that citizens can take to help mitigate and adapt to climate change in our community.
Your seminar hosts:
- Steve Duckett, County Extension Director/Aquatics/Wildlife/Forestry/Community Development
- Alison Arnold, Consumer Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Volunteer Program

Registration: If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, contact the Buncombe County Extension office at 828-255-5522.
Gardening in the Mountains presents:

WNC Natives and Nativars -
Planting for Pollinators
Thursday, July 15, 2021
aa
10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom

Free Online Event

Presenter: Shelby Singleton Jackson, Carolina Native Plant Nursery

We all know native plants are good choices to improve resilience and support pollinators in our gardens. But do you know the difference between natives, nativars, cultivars, and hybrids? Does it matter which you choose when you are trying to sustain local biodiversity, support wildlife, and still have a beautiful garden?

Shelby Singleton Jackson, a NC Certified Plant Professional and Horticulturist at Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville, is passionate about native plants. She will talk to us about natives, nativars, and hybrids; help us understand the differences and why it matters; and give us some suggestions for our native plant choices.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required.

Saturday Seminar presents:

Cottage Gardening
Thursday, July 24, 2021
aa
10 to 11 a.m. via zoom

Free Online Event

Presenter: Judy Deutsch, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

Cottage gardens are small, floriferous gardens, popular for centuries. In 2019, Buncombe County Master Gardener volunteers added a cottage garden to The Learning Garden at the Extension office. The new cottage garden became an extension of the existing rose garden, and today contains dozens of plants  as well as roses.

This program will describe the characteristics of cottage gardens. It draws on our experiences and learnings with designing, planting, and maintaining this garden. You will receive some practical advice and tips on how to plan your own special cottage garden.

Registration: The talk is free but registration is required.
Demo at The Learning Garden:

Dyeing with Fresh Indigo
Monday, August 9, 2021
aa
10 to 11 a.m.

IN PERSON & OUTSIDE IN THE LEARNING GARDEN

Location: NC Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Center
                 49 Mt. Caramel Road, Asheville, NC 28806

Presenters: Pat Strang and Joyce Tromba, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers

Join us in the dye garden to see how you can use freshly cut indigo to dye cloth. We will use two different techniques to coax a beautiful teal color from the indigo leaves. We’ll have small silk scarves available for you to dye and take home. You will also enjoy a tour of the other dye plants in our garden and see samples of the range of colors that can be achieved with a few easy-to-grow plants.

We encourage all participants at this in-person demonstration to follow CDC guidance for COVID safety.

Registration: The program is free but space is limited to 12 participants.
Sowing Circle Series presents:
Propagation Workshop
July 10 at 10 am


John Bowen, Buncombe County Master Gardener Volunteer, will demonstrate a few simple steps for taking stem cuttings to propagate some of your favorite annuals and shrubs. When and how to take cuttings and how to make a simple “greenhouse” for individual plants are covered. It’s easy and fun!

This is a free one hour zoom workshop. Please register at the Black Mountain Library Event Calendar - HERE

This zoom presentation is in partnership with the Buncombe County Master Gardener Volunteers and Black Mountain Blooms Seed Lending Library.   Registration is limited to 100 viewers - so please sign-up quickly.


JULY GARDEN CHORES
LAWNS
* To reduce the spread of brown patch fungus disease in the lawn avoid mowing, and
walking on the lawn when it is wet.
* 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 a pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
* During periods of dry weather avoid adding stress to the lawn and skip a mowing
session. If you mow, raise the mowing deck to a higher level.

ORNAMENTALS
* Don't fertilize shrubs and trees and complete any pruning 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.


FRUIT
* Prune fruiting canes from blackberries and raspberries after harvest.
* Prune the vigorous water sprouts on tree fruits to reduce excess growth.
* Spotted Wing Drysophila can be problematic on ripening blueberries. To sample - drop
fruit in salt water and watch for larvae to emerge.
* Remove overripe fruit from day neutral strawberries to continue production.
* Although Muscadine grapes are marginally hardy for our area your site may be protected
enough to get fruit. Did you know that the dark skin varieties are more disease resistant
then the bronze?

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 tall vegetables supported with stakes or cages to keep foliage and fruit off the
ground.
* Keep a watch out for early or late blight on tomatoes.
* Cut back basil, mint and oregano to keep them compact, encourage new foliage growth
and prevent these herbs from blooming and going to seed.
* Harvest vegetables when young, tender and tasty.
* Dig potatoes when the foliage begins to die.
* There is still time to plant late crops of squash, bush beans or cucumbers.
* Plan the fall garden. Take time now to soil sample.
* Start seeds for transplants such as broccoli, cabbage and collards.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ MORE ABOUT DIAGNOSING GARDEN PROBLEMS!

SAFE INSECT MANAGEMENT
in the garden
During the gardening season insect management is something every gardener addresses. Start with 3 questions:

* What is the insect?
* Is it causing a problem?
* If so, what is the best way to manage them and minimize the damage to the      plants, fruit and pollinators!

Any product labeled to control an insect, disease or plant is a pesticide. This includes natural or organic products such as soaps and oils.

It is IMPORTANT to select the least toxic material and take precautions to protect the beneficials, you, your family and the environment.

Read the Pesticide Safety Information below to learn more.
Pesticide Safety around Bees and Other Pollinators

If you choose to use pesticides, take these precautions to protect beneficial insects:
  • Check for “Bee Hazard” and other pollinator warnings in the Environmental Hazards section and in the directions for use on the pesticide label.
  • Avoid spray drift and spraying on windy days.
  • Avoid applying when there is dew formation as dew rewets pesticides and prolongs exposure to beneficial insects.
  • Spray late in the day after pollinators are done foraging.
  • Do not spray blooming plants.
  • Select pesticides that are less toxic to bees. See the chapter on insect management in the North Carolina Agriculture Chemicals Manual for information on the relative toxicity of pesticides and reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning to honey bees.

ALSO - Check out Clemson Extension publication on Less Toxic Insecticides HERE

  • For honey bees, granular applications are safer than liquid sprays, which are safer than dusts, which are safer than microencapsulated pesticides.
  • Avoid spraying natural areas and hedge rows, which provide habitat for native pollinators.

This information came from the Extension Gardener Handbook- Appendix B. Pesticides in the Environment  HERE. More on Pesticide Safety can be foundHERE
 
WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY.....?
Figuring out what is wrong with plants is not always easy given the many variables that impact plant health. Categorizing these into two groups (Abiotic and Biotic) is a good place to start. Abiotic or non-living factors include sunlight, temperature, rain or wind. Cultural factors, also abiotic, include watering, pruning, fertilizing and even how the plant was planted!. Biotic factors are those living factors like insects and diseases. The chart below shows how they differ and how the symptoms spread. Check out the Extension Gardener Handbook for more on PLANT DIAGNOSTICS.
Check out these DIAGNOSTIC TABLES
to review common problems!


GARDEN HELPLINE IS OPEN!

Call 828-255-5522
or
Email questions and photos to

buncombemg@gmail.com

to get help with your gardening questions!

BASIL DOWNY MILDEW


It is such a disappointment come mid summer when basil suddenly takes on a fuzzy moldy appearance and you realize once again
your basil has a bad case of BDM - also known as Basil Downy Mildew.

This disease does not over winter here but travels on the wind from more southern states and infects plants during the warm humid days of summer. 'Genovese', a commonly grown variety, is very susceptible to this disease. Growing resistant varieties is the only way to get a good crop of basil since there are no effective treatments available for home gardeners.

Check out this article on what Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers are doing to trial new basil cultivars in counties from the mountains to the coast.  
Photo by Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org

ROSE ROSETTE - EARLY DETECTION
Early detection is an important management tool for this serious virus!
Check out this publication from UT Extension HERE to learn what symptoms to look for.
 

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT BATS?
Closing air vents or gaps in the siding is the best approach to keep Bats from entering a structure, like your home. Preforming such "exclusions" is a good first step for keeping insects and wildlife outdoors where they belong.

It is important however, to do this OUTSIDE of the summer maternity season (May1 through July 31). Here is a recent bat press release from the NC Wildlife Resource Commission : Prepare for Bat Roosting Season Now (ncwildlife.org)

Please be sure to repair/protect any entry/access points as needed after the exclusion and hire a local licensed wildlife control agent
that has experience with bats from our online list if needed: https://www.ncwildlife.org/Trapping/Wildlife-Control-Agent (Select by county).

If you are interested in installing a bat house to offer an "alternative" living space for any excluded bats, Bat Conservation International has more information here: Bat Houses - Bat Conservation International

Bats play an important ecological role by pollinating and dispersing the seeds of hundreds of species of plants!

FARM HERITAGE TRAIL
TAKE A DRIVE THIS SUMMER!

The Farm Heritage Trail, a national award-winning scenic driving route, meanders through the rural agricultural communities of Alexander, Leicester, Newfound and Sandy Mush in northwest Buncombe County.

This trail, a leisurely 2 hour drive, included conserved family farms and other farms that are open to the public.

Visit The Farm Heritage website http://www.farmheritagetrail.org/ to see the map, information on the farm stops, and the calendar of events.

EXPERIENCE THE FARMS! BUY LOCAL PRODUCE, PLANTS, TAKE A FARM TOUR, AND MEET A FARMER!
 
 
 


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