Green Thumb Gazette, June 2025

🌼 June is National Pollinators Month! 🐝

We're buzzing with excitement—June is officially National Pollinators Month! To celebrate, we’ll be sharing tips, facts, resources, and more on our Facebook page (Alexander County Cooperative Extension) all month long. Be sure to follow us and stay in the loop!

This month-long celebration expands on National Pollinator Week (June 16–22, 2025), originally launched by the Pollinator Partnership. What began as a week of awareness has grown into an international campaign recognizing the vital roles of bees, butterflies, birds, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies in supporting healthy ecosystems and food production.

🎉 Ways to Celebrate & Learn:

Tune into free webinars hosted by Pollinator Partnership throughout June.

Check out the curated resources below for ideas on how to support pollinators in your own backyard.

Watch for upcoming local events, educational posts, and pollinator-friendly tips—especially during #PollinatorWeek!

For more informationation regarding pollinators:
Top 25 Pollinator Plants
Alternative Pollinators: Native Bees - ATTRA
Butterflies in your Backyard - NC State University
Hummingbirds and Butterflies - NC State University
Pollinator Friendly Practices - North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
Pollinator Resource Center - The Xerces Society

Attracting Pollinators to your Garden Using Native Plants - U.S. Forest Service

Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants - NC State University
Urban Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants - NC State University
The Bees of North Carolina - NC State Extension

Bee Basics: an Introduction to our Native Bees - USDA Forest Service & Pollinator Partnership

The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees
Bee ID Blog - Pollinator PartnershipBumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide
Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States
Butterflies and Moths of North America
Butterflies of North Carolina

📸🌼 National Pollinator Week Photo Contest! 🐝🦋

In celebration of National Pollinator Week (June 16–22), we're excited to announce our Pollinator Photo Contest! This is your chance to spotlight the amazing pollinators in your life and show off your photography skills.

📅 Contest Timeline:

Photo submissions open now through June 15th

Voting begins Monday, June 16th

Voting ends Saturday, June 21st at 5:00 PM

Winner announced Monday, June 23rd

The photo with the most likes on the original Facebook post by the deadline will be our winner!

🏆 Prizes & Recognition:

The winner will receive a special prize.

The winning photo will be featured in the Taylorsville Times!

Multiple photo submissions are welcome!

📸 Submission Guidelines:

Photos must be of a pollinator (bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, birds, bats, wasps, etc.).

Include the following with your submission:

Your name

Date the photo was taken (e.g., Summer 2022)

Name of the pollinator (if known)

Photos must be clear and in focus—blurry images will not be accepted.

Photos must be original and not submitted in past years.

📬 How to Enter:

Email your submissions to Cari Rosenbalm at 📧 cari_rosenbalm@ncsu.edu
For any questions, contact Cari at 📞 828-632-4451 or via email.

Let’s show some love for the hardworking pollinators that help our gardens grow! 🌸
#PollinatorWeek #PowerInPollinators

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 :

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! For accurate recommendations take a soil sample! (Call Cari Rosenbalml, Horticulture Agent, to learn more: 828-632-4451).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Training Tomatoes with the Florida Weave: An Efficient Staking Method for Home Gardeners

If you're growing more than just a few tomato plants this season, consider swapping out the cages and trying the Florida Weave (also known as the Basket Weave)—a simple, cost-effective training system that keeps plants upright and productive.

What You’ll Need:

Wood or metal T-posts

Tomato twine or other sturdy string (as long as it can be pulled tight without breaking)

How It Works:Install T-Posts:
Place a T-post at each end of your tomato row. For longer rows, add additional posts every 4–6 plants for extra support

Weave the Twine:
Tie your twine securely to the first post. Then weave it in and out between the plants, pulling it tight as you move down the row. Once you reach the last post, either tie it off or loop around and weave back on the opposite side. This creates a cradle that holds the plants upright between two layers of twine.

Repeat as Plants Grow:
As your tomatoes grow taller, repeat the weaving process every 6–8 inches up the post. This keeps the plants well-supported and prevents them from sprawling.

Why Use the Florida Weave?

Improves air circulation and reduces disease pressure

Keeps fruit off the ground for a cleaner, easier harvest

More cost-effective and space-efficient than cages

Quick to set up and easy to maintain

This method is especially helpful for determinate (bush-type) tomatoes but can work for indeterminate varieties with regular maintenance.

Want to learn more? [Click here for more info on the Florida Weave.]

🧺🌿 Alexander County Farmers Markets Are Back! 🍓🌽

We’re excited to welcome everyone back to the Alexander County Farmers Markets—your go-to spot for fresh, local, handmade, homegrown goodness!

📍 Market Locations & Times:

Bethlehem Location
📅 Thursdays, 4:00 – 7:00 PM
📍 Mt. Bethel Methodist Church (9042 NC-127)

Taylorsville Location
📅 Saturdays, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Alexander County Services Building (151 W Main Ave.)

Stop by to shop for locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh-baked goods, handmade crafts, flowers, plants, and so much more—while supporting your local growers and makers!

Interested in becoming a vendor?
We’re always looking to welcome new vendors who handmake, bake, or grow their own products. For more information or to sign up, contact Cari Rosenbalm at:
📧 cari_rosenbalm@ncsu.edu 📞 828-632-4451

Come out and enjoy the freshest flavors of the season—right from your neighbors’ gardens and kitchens! 🥬🌼