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Alexander County Center

Green Thumb Gazette
October 2025 Newsletter


Click on the following links to see the Garden Calendars for each month:
BOLOs (Be On The Lookout)....

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!

  • 🐛 Garden pests settling in for winter
  • 🍄 Fungal diseases lingering on fallen leaves
  • 🌱 Nematodes in vegetable beds (see tips below!)
🥕 Community Garden Updates

Gardeners—now is the time to:

  • Remove summer crops & weeds

  • Prep for fall plantings

  • Contact Cari if you’re not renewing your bed so it can be winterized

⚠️ Heads-up: Root-knot nematodes have been spotted in our beds.


🌱 Nematode Management Quick Tips

  • Resistant Varieties: Look for "VFN" on tomato & pepper seeds

  • Cover Crops: Marigolds, cowpeas, winter rye, crimson clover

  • Crop Rotation: Don’t plant the same family in the same spot yearly

  • Tool Sanitation: Clean tools with alcohol or 10% bleach between beds

  • Cultural Practices: Remove roots after harvest, till soil in fall, add compost

  • Soil Solarization: Use clear plastic in summer to reduce nematodes
Left photo:  Galls on these tomato roots are due to root knot nematode infection. Photo courtesy of Walber Gavassoni

Right photo:   An aerial view of biofumigant cover crops at Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, Oregon, in 2024.  Credit: Clarke Alder, Amalgamated Sugar

💡 Want details + seasonal planting guides? Contact our office for resources!
🐦 4-H Garden Club

This past month the 4H Garden Club learned bird migration-learning about why birds migrate, the challenges they face, and the wonder of seasonl movement.

  • Birdcast - Provides real-time predictions of bird migrations: when they migrate, where they migrate, and how far they will be flying!
  • Merlin Bird ID - Identify the birds you see or hear with the FREE app powered by the Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology!
✨ What’s Next?
The club will resume in 2026 with a new start time of 4:00 pm at the Extension Office.

2026 Meeting Dates:
  • March 12
  • April 9
  • May 14
  • September 10
  • October 8
  • November TBD


Plus, stay tuned for our Junior Master Gardener Summer Camp—coming as the school year wraps up!

If you have any questions about 4-H Garden Club, please give me a call (828-632-4451).
🧪 Soil Testing – Free Until December!

Don’t miss your chance! Soil tests are free through November. Starting December 1, a $4 fee per sample will apply.

Helpful links:
🌾 Renovating Your Turf

Fall is the best time to refresh tall fescue lawns or transition away from unwanted Bermuda grass.

👉 Check out these resources:

*Pesticide Applicator Update 2026*

For applicators applying Auxin herbicides or any other pesticide that requires the use of a respirator, we will be hosting a FREE Respirator Fit Testing and Health Screening Event after the New Year sometime. It is required to have yearly fit testing and health screening when applying these products. Please contact our office if you would be interested in taking advantage of this opportunity.

🍎 2026 4-H Fruit Sale – Join the List!

Every spring, our office offers fruit trees, berry plants, and unique veggies—and they go fast!

📩 Call or email to get on our early notification list so you don’t miss out.

🌿 Native Plant Sale – Thank You!


Our third annual Native Plant Sale was a huge success thanks to YOU! By adding native plants to your landscapes, you’re supporting pollinators, birds, and soil health.

 
🌟 Closing Notes

Thank you for supporting our horticulture and Extension programs. Whether you’re planting fall veggies, prepping turf, or adding natives to your yard, every step helps build healthier landscapes in Alexander County.

Questions? Call 828-632-4451 or email cari_rosenbalm@ncsu.edu.

Happy Gardening! 🌻
 
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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