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Alexander County Center

Green Thumb Gazette

July 2023 Newsletter


Click on the following links to see the Garden Calendars for each month:

Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes and Squash

Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder caused by a lack of sufficient calcium in the blossom end of the fruit. This causes the blossom end of the tomato, squash, pepper, etc. to rot. You start to notice this disorder more when the ground or raised bed is either too wet or too dry. Reduce blossom-end rot in tomato, implement the following steps :

  1. Lime soils to pH 6.5 to 6.7 -- Home gardens not limed in the past 2 to 3 years will need 2 cups of lime for each plant. The lime should be worked into the soil 12 inches deep. To determine the exact amount of lime, take a soil sample! (Call Cari Mitchell, Horticulture Agent, to learn more: 828-632-4451).
  2. Fertilize properly -- Applying too much fertilizer at one time can result in blossom-end rot. Following soil test recommendations is the best way to insure proper fertilization. For home gardens not soil tested, apply 5 pints of 8-8-8 per 100 ft of row and work it thoroughly into the top 8 inches of soil.
  3. Mulch plants -- Use straw, pine straw, decomposed sawdust, ground decomposed corn cobs, plastic, or newspapers. Mulches conserve moisture and reduce blossom-end rot. In extreme drought, plastic may increase blossom-end rot if plants are not watered.
  4. Irrigate when necessary -- Tomato plants require about 1.5 inches of water per week during fruiting. This amount of water should be supplied by rain or irrigation. Extreme fluctuations in soil moisture result in a greater incidence of blossom-end rot.
  5. Spray calcium -- The plants may be sprayed with a calcium solution at the rate of 4 lb of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride per 100 gal of water (or 4 level Tbs per gal of water). This spray should be applied 2 to 3 times a week, beginning at the time the second fruit clusters bloom. These materials can be mixed with the spray that is used for control of foliar diseases. Chelated calcium solutions also provide an excellent source of calcium. When using these chelates, follow label directions. Several foliar spray materials containing calcium are available and all work well for tomatoes.
BOLOs (Be On The Lookout)....
This insect has now been confirmed to have been established in NC. Early detection and rapid response are still critical in order to control this pest and slow the spread. If you see a spotted lanternfly in NC, please submit a picture through this online reporting tool!
Month-by-month lists of common plant diseases, pests, and other problems you may encounter in North Carolina yards and gardens. Straight from our PDIC (Plant Disease & Insect Clinic) entomologists and pathologists!

Farmers Market

If you are in need of fresh, local produce, honey, baked goods, eggs, beautiful planters for your porch, perennials for your flower beds, handmade jewelry or crafts, you have got to visit the Alexander County Farmers Market! Our farmers market is located at the Alexander County Services Building and is out there every Saturday from 8am to Noon. We have had so many awesome new vendors join this season and we are THRILLED! If you are in town on Saturday, stop by the market to support your local vendors! If you are interested in becoming a vendor at our market or just have extra produce to sell one Saturday, please contact Cari Mitchell, Horticulture Agent, at 828-632-4451.

Here is a list of some of our vendors and some of the items they sell:
Carol Lovingood - fresh sourdough bread, cream cheese pound cakes, & all natural soaps
Beaver Branch Bees - local honey
Margaret & Reece Childers - fresh produce, pound cakes, jams and jellies
Alvin Woody - wood crafts, old timey wood puzzles, & walking canes
Fourever Farms - herbs, planters, & perennial plants
Deaton Farm - fresh produce & jams/jellies
Campbells Blueberry Farm - blueberries and blueberry products
Misty Sprinkle - customized drinkware, keychains, and more
…. And new vendors all the time

Here is just some of the beautiful produce we had this past week at the market!







National Pollinator Week Photo Contest Winner

Congratulations to Debbie Icenhour on her winning photo of a bumblebee on a Maypod for our photo contest! National Pollinator Week was June 19th-25th and we had a photo contest to celebrate. Check out our Facebook page (@alexanderextension) to see all of our amazing photo submissions!
4-H Garden Club

What a great way to end National Pollinator Month!!  
Our 4-H Garden Club made bug collectors to "suck up" insects in the Taylorsville Community Garden. They then brought them back to see if they were beneficials/pollinators or if they were insect pests!! The  4-H Garden Club's next meeting will be July 13th @ 5:30pm. Please email Cari Mitchell if you are interested in attending (cari_mitchell@ncsu.edu).

This is your reminder to water your lawn & plants only when needed during these hot days of July and August!

Alexander County offices will be closed Tuesday,   July 4th to observe Independence Day.  
 
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
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