April Newsletter - Burke County

Garden Chores for April

Fertilize all early spring flowering plants like forsythia and evergreens like holly early in April. Late bloomers, like azaleas and rhododendrons should be fertilized after their flowers fade.
Fertilize house plants
Annual flowers can be planted outside after mid-April.
Plant gladiola bulbs now through mid-June.
Transplant azaleas in April to group the plants according to flower color.
Plant beans, beets, cantaloupe, corn, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, Swiss chard and watermelon.

What to Prune in April

Prune April flowering plants like azalea, lilac, and weigela in late April after the flowers fade.
Prune berry producing shrubs like holly and pyracantha while in flower to prevent complete removal of all of this season's berries.
Prune spring flowering trees like Bradford pear, flowering cherry, and redbud, if needed, immediately after blooming.
Prune winter damaged plants and dead branches in late April.

Burke Wellness Initiative (BWI) is made up of community members and shareholders who live and/or work in Burke County and love the community they serve. The goals of this group of stakeholders are to remain up to date on the latest health information in our county, carry out the Community Health Assessment process, and work strategically to develop a quality Community Health Improvement Plan.

Brandi Silver, our FCS agent, is a part of this group and wants to invite all of you to complete the new Community Health Assessment Survey which will guide the next Community Health Improvement Plan. Burke County wants to hear from you. The vision of the Burke Wellness Initiative is to promote health equity for all Burke County residents while remaining updated on relevant health statistics and addressing health in a holistic manner. We need to hear from all residents of Burke County to make this happen! Please share with your networks.

If you are comfortable using the link, please do so. If you need assistance completing the survey, please call the Extension Office, at 828-764-9480, to schedule an appointment with Brandi. She can assist with any digital needs for completing the survey.

Access the Survey Here

April is a Good Time to Test Your Soil

With this spring weather, many people are getting outside and wanting to garden, landscape, etc. As a way to help homeowners in Burke County we offer Soil Sampling kits year round. However, samples submitted between April 1 and the end of November are analyzed free of charge. North Carolina is one of the few states to offer soil testing at no direct cost to its residents most of the year because of funding derived from a statewide fee on commercial fertilizer. A soil test can save you time and money in your lawn, garden and landscape; can result in healthier plants by telling you which nutrients are already in your soil and which you need to add; and can protect water quality by preventing unnecessary fertilizer applications.

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NC 10% Campaign

The Vision of the NC 10% Campaign is that individuals, businesses, organizations, and institutions understand the benefit of strong and resilient local foods systems, know how to find local foods throughout the state, and are able to spend at least 10% of their existing food budget on NC-grown/raised/caught foods. This spring, connect to a local farmer and help build a strong, resilient food system by purchasing locally grown, raised or caught food! Contact your local NC Cooperative Extension county center to be connected to resources!

Rotational Grazing
Damon Pollard, Extension Agent, Livestock

Abundant forage growth is wonderful to see in pastures. Following basic recommendations like fertilizing according to soil test results, controlling weeds and planting clovers will help provide this growth. However, don’t follow good forage production with poor harvest procedures.

One of the mistakes that occur every year in pastures is poor utilization of excess pasture growth. A tall fescue plant’s initial growth during the spring is good quality forage. The new leaves are high in protein and energy. But as the spring progresses, the plant matures and produces a seedhead. The main goal of the plant changes from trying to grow leaves to filling the seeds in order to reproduce itself. The amount of leaf growth drops because energy is going to the seedhead instead of the parts of the plant that produce leaves. Forage quality also drops. As the leaves are growing older, the protein and energy levels are decreasing and the fiber level is increasing. The result is lower quality forage. The problems of low quality and reduced leaf growth in the late spring and early summer are the result of excess forage growth in pastures. The plants are growing faster than the livestock can eat them. The difficulties caused by this excess growth can be minimized if good grazing principles are used.

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