In The Garden Newsletter

NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers:

CONNECT PEOPLE TO PLANTS
TEACH GARDENING BEST PRACTICES TO MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY
SHARE THE LATEST RESEARCH-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY LANDSCAPES AND GARDENS

NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers are a dedicated group of volunteer educators who strengthen the delivery of research-based gardening advice and information to the public.

If you live in North Carolina, love working as a team with other volunteers, and wish to share your knowledge and skills to promote science-based, sustainable gardening practices, consider applying to be trained as an NC State Master Gardener℠ Volunteer!

If accepted into the program, you will complete a 40-hour training course taught by Extension staff and local experts. As a Master Gardener volunteer student, you will learn about soils, plant nutrients, insects, plant diseases, integrated pest management, lawn and landscape care, food production, herbaceous and woody plants, and more.

The Extension Gardener Handbook is the training curriculum for the Extension Master Gardener program and is also available to the public free online, as well as for purchase as a hardback book or interactive self-study e-book.

After training, students continue to learn by completing a 40-hour internship to become a certified Master Gardener℠ volunteer. Thereafter, volunteers commit to annual volunteer service hours and continuing education requirements to remain active in the program. Volunteer service opportunities include teaching youth and adults science-based gardening practices, cultivating community gardens and teaching gardens that demonstrate best practices, and providing advice to new gardeners to help them garden more successfully.

For additional examples, explore NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteer impact stories.

Learn more about becoming an NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteer

The Extension Master Gardener program is a nationwide volunteer network! If you don’t live in NC and wish to learn how to become a Master Gardener volunteer, contact the Extension system in your state to learn more.

Tips and Tasks for the Garden

Ornamentals

Now is not a good time for planting or transplanting trees and shrubs, wait until the Fall
Summer is not the time for heavy pruning. You can remove dead, diseased and broken branches at any time of the year
Mulch around trees, shrubs, and flower beds to suppress weeds and also help keep even soil moisture.
Take cuttings of some of your favorite shrubs. To learn more about this process visit: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/plant-propagation-by-stem-cuttings-instructions-for-the-home-gardener

Vegetables and Fruits

Fruits and vegetables require irrigation during dry spells. If you are growing in containers or raised beds this may mean watering daily when dry.
Monitor your plants daily for any pest or disease issues. If you need help determining what is causing the problem, contact the Extension office before spraying to ensure your treatment will be effective.
Start planning now for your Fall vegetable garden, as many things can be planted beginning in August!

Lawn

If you already fertilized your centipede lawn this season, you probably do not need to add additional fertilizer. Centipede only needs about 1 pound of Nitrogen per year and overfertilizing can lead to disease and insect problems
For other lawn types, follow the recommendations for the specific type of grass. You can find maintenance calendars for each here: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/catalog/series/227/
Help your lawn be healthy and resilient by mowing at the proper height. When you mow too short, you prevent the grass from developing a strong root system. For St. Augustine, the mowing height is about 3 inches. For the other warm season grasses, the mowing height is about 1-2 inches.
Do not apply Nitrogen to warm season grasses after August to prevent cold damage to your lawn.

Please take this survey to let us know what gardening topics you'd like to see in the next year. Click here to take the survey.

Milkweed for Monarchs (2021)

Register your youth to learn how to attract Monarch Butterflies to their yard!

Purchase your ticket on Eventbrite and come to the Discovery Gardens, right next to the Farmer's Market!

COST: $7 per youth - please register before July 12th, 2021.

Recommended Ages: Youth ages - 5 and up

WHERE: Discovery Gardens of Onslow County

4024 Richlands Hwy. Jacksonville, NC | 8:30AM-10:30AM

WHAT: We will discuss their lifecycle and the kids can plant milkweed seeds and a milkweed plant in pots to take home.

Call our office at 910-455-5873, MON-FRI, 8AM-5PM if you have any questions.

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.

N.C. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation and veteran status. NC State University, N.C. A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and local governments cooperating.