Spring Home & Garden 2021

HOME & GARDEN SPRING 2021

GEARING UP FOR GARDENING | 2C

ARE RAISED BEDS A GOOD IDEA? | 4C

FARM TO TABLE | 4C

2C• Saturday, March 27 – Sunday, March 28, 2021

Spring Home & Garden

Gearing up for

GARDENING The past two weeks have been absolutely gorgeous but don’t be fooled, a frost is lurking around the corner.

This is the time of year my grandma used to make me wear a coat, even though it was almost 70 degrees outside, because this is “flu weather” she would say. I don’t GENE know about that but I FOX do know, it sure feels good to walk across my lawn without having wet feet in my t-shirt. All of those weeks we wanted to get our lawn herbicides out, now is the time for a good post-emergent application on your warm season grass. I don’t believe we have had three good weather days in a row all winter.

That brings me to the title, “Gearing up for Gardening.” Is your landscaping gear ready to go? This is the time of year to change the oil in your lawnmower and sharpen those blades. We are all itching to get outside but it isn’t quite time to begin planting warm-season vegetable gardens or fertilizing lawns. The great thing to do right now is to get our equipment ready. Check the belts and the tires. Did you empty out the gas last year, better make sure your push mower and weed trimmer are going to start. Oftentimes the ethanol component of our gasoline can gel and cause the needle valve in carburetors to get stuck. This cuts the fuel going to the engine so our machinery doesn’t run. Check it well before you expect to use it.

What else can we be doing right now? Do you like cool-season crops like broccoli, spinach, kale, or lettuces? Now is the time to get these cool-season crops out in the garden.

You can grow “Salad in a bucket” too.

The Extension Master Gardener volunteers and I will be hosting a series of Lunch and Learns beginning March 25 at 12:00 p.m. This is a virtual series so you can watch, learn, eat, and ask questions. We plan to cover several topics with the first topic being a “how to” on growing a salad in a bucket. Learn

how to set your bucket up, what to fill it with, and what to plant in this first session. Subsequent sessions will discuss how to water, how much sunlight you need, pest issues, and growing a summer bucket. If you are interested in joining us for this, please register by visiting go.ncsu.edu/saladinabucket.

You can grow vegetables almost anywhere as long as you have water and sunlight. I like to add tomatoes, squash, and kale to fill in bare spots in my landscape beds. You do not have to have a formal garden or perfect raised beds to vegetable garden.

There are three main things you need for your garden to be successful.

First, you must have good soil. The soil needs to not be compacted, must be well drained, and have a good pH of around 6.0-6.5 in mineral soil. Second, you must have access to water nearby, especially when plants are just beginning to grow. This is crucial to your success. Most plants need around 1” of water per week to thrive. Third, your garden has to receive at least 8 hours of direct sunlight in order to thrive.

Those of you who are faithful readers will appreciate when I say a successful garden also depends on the right plant in the right place. I guess this could be the fourth key to success in the garden, and that is picking the right plants. We want to make sure what we are trying to grow is suited for our climate and hardiness zone. For instance, I need to know a little bit about plant culture to know what cool-season veggies will do well in the spring and which ones I need to wait until the fall to grow. I had a call from one of my counties this week asking about brussels sprouts. The problem with planting them now is that they just don’t ever really develop the sprouts. This is a crop that is much better suited to growing late summer into winter.

Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and collards however, do great this time of year. These crops can be planted as early as February 15 and do great. All of this information is available for Eastern North Carolina through your local Cooperative Extension Office.

GARDENING CALENDAR MARCH Lawn Care X Cool season lawns can be fertilized like 10-10-10. Avoid slow-releasing fertilizers.

X Crabgrass herbicides can be applied when the forsythia blooms.

X Fescue and bluegrass can be seeded now if not done in the fall.

Fertilizing X Fertilize shrubs.

X Shade trees can be fertilized.

X Emerging spring flowering bulbs can be fertilized.

X Asparagus beds can be fertilized in early March before spear growth begins.

X Ponds should be fertilized starting this month and should be continued for the next 7 months.

Planting: X Trees and shrubs can be transplanted. Fruit trees and grapevines can be planted until the buds begin to break.

X These perennial can be planted: columbine, hollyhock, coreopsis, daisy, and phlox.

X Rose bushes can be planted this month.

X Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can be set out in the garden around mid-March.

X Beets, Carrots, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, Swiss chard, turnips, and potatoes can be planted anytime this month.

X Start annual flowers and warmseason vegetables inside.

Propagation X Perennials like daylily and Shasta daisy can be divided at this time if the ground is dry enough.

Pruning X Prune fruit trees.

X Wait for spring flowers to fade before pruning them. Pansies for example will flower longer if older flowers are removed.

X Roses can be pruned later this month.

X Overgrown shrubs can be severely pruned if needed, except for needled evergreens.

Spraying X Landscape shrubs can be sprayed to control the following pests: euonymusscale, juniper-spruce spider mites, and hybrid rhododendron-borers.

X Spray all fruit trees with dormant oil to eliminate some insects. This is especially important if the tree has just been pruned.

X Spray apple and pear trees with streptomycin while they are blooming to control fire blight.

Other Activities X Check gardening equipment to make sure it is in good working order.

X Consider buying gardening supplies like fertilizer, insecticides, and fungicides while there are still adequate amounts.

X Consider ordering new varieties along with tried-and-true varieties to see how they compare. Experimenting with varieties is fun and has virtually no ill effects.

Spring Home & Garden

Saturday, March 27 – Sunday, March 28, 2021 • 3C

Are raised beds a good idea?

I had another question that came in this we e k ab o u t what to fill a raised bed with. There are many schools of thought and many things you can use to fill a raised GENE bed. My first FOX question however, is usually, “why are you making a raised bed?” This is a good question to answer, especially given the price of materials in the COVID-19 era.

Raised beds do exceptionally well as an alternative to growing in heavy clays or in areas where you have compacted soil or drainage issues. Raised beds can be constructed out of almost any material as long as the material does not leach any toxins back into the soil.

An example that I see all of the time is railroad ties. These are fine for landscape beds but the creosote can leach from them and contaminate the soil unless the creosote has worn off. In most cases if they are used, they will be just fine.

Using salt-treated or pressure lumber is another question I receive quite often. This process has changed quite a bit in the last 20 years. The lumber used to be treated with arsenic but that process was discontinued. It is now treated under high pressure with chromium and copper, however, there are no researched based findings that show it leaches into soil or water, so it is safe to use for raised beds.

There are other materials to choose from as well. Naturally rot resistant woods such as cedar and cypress can be used and have a very attractive look to them. Concrete blocks can be stacked to form a raised bed. These can be retaining

WOODEN MEDIA: These newly made raised beds are a picture perfect example of utilizing a wooden media to construct the beds. The raised beds in this photo can be found in the backyard of one of Washington’s own Extension Master Gardener volunteers. (Photo submitted by Racheal Wood) wall blocks or even cinder blocks. Cinder blocks work very well and the holes can be filled with soil to grow smaller annual herbs maximizing your space. Lastly, synthetic boards can be used for a very long-term and attractive look in your garden. You can also just mound soil up to form a raised bed, this can be a very inexpensive alternative that can work quite well.

In planning your raised beds, think about the size and dimensions of them first. A good idea is to be able to reach the middle of the bed from either side of the bed. If they are made to a width of four feet, it is a comfortable reach of two to get to the middle of the bed from either side. Using this idea, the beds can be made four feet wide and as long as you want. The height should be a minimum of 8 inches from the existing soil

surface. This allows roots to expand but also for adequate drainage. For those of us that are getting a little older, the beds can be made much taller.

Realizing however that they will require more irrigation if they are made taller.

It is important to provide a media mix in the raised bed that will be well drained. A planting mix can be purchased that is ready to go or you can mix your own. Add compost and integrate fully to further build your media. Fertilize the bed but make sure to get any on the plants. Use a mixture of both quick and slow release fertilizers so that some is available as soon as you plant.

You can get your media checked just like you get your soil checked. To do this you would collect a sample from each bed and mix them together in a plastic bucket. If the beds have different material

in them, I would recommend a separate sample for each. You will need the form for a waste/ compost analysis because this isn’t actually soil. Fill out the form and send it along with your sample to NCDA. You will receive an email with your report within a week or two that will tell you the amount of nutrients in your beds. Use this to base your fertilizer regime off of.

Now, what to plant? Look at your planting calendar for Eastern North Carolina! This can be found online or through your local Cooperative Extension Center. To find it online, visit https://content.ces.ncsu. edu/eastern-north-carolinaplanting-calendar-for-annualvegetables-fruits-and-herbs.

The Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have a great project right now. They are putting together a Lunch and Learn series on How to grow

a salad in a bucket. The series will begin Thursday, March 25 at 12:00 p.m. You can register for this series by visiting go.ncsu.edu/saladinabucket.

There will be six sessions, each on the subsequent Thursday at 12:00 p.m. Over the course of our thirty minutes together on zoom, we will go through the “How To’s” of growing your own salad in a series of fivegallon buckets. The program should take 15-20 minutes leaving 10-15 minutes for questions.

If you are having an issue in your home garden or landscape, send your questions to Gene Fox, Consumer Horticulture Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, please email at Gene at gene_fox@ ncsu.edu or call at (252)946-0111.

Learn more on Facebook at the Blacklands Area Horticulture page or visit the Extension Office located at 155 Airport Road in Washington, NC.

4C• Saturday, March 27 – Sunday, March 28, 2021

Spring Home & Garden

Farm to Table, where freshness makes the difference I have a soft spot in my heart for farmers. Perhaps because it’s in my blood. My father and both of my grandfathers were farmers in Eastern NC. We had a large vegetable garden between our home and my grandmother’s house throughout my childhood. It had very long rows. I recall my father planting, weeding, fertilizing, weeding and later the rest of us hunched over picking those long rows of butter beans, field peas and green beans. Dad LOUISE would help with the shelling the peas HINSLEY and snapping beans and all hands were on deck when the potatoes needed to be dug and when the corn was ready…”it doesn’t wait” as it must be harvested at the peak of ripeness. Mom and I were absorbed in the canning and freezing so our family could enjoy the bounty all year.

Now as an adult removed from the farm I still seek that sweet, fresh harvest. As I walk through farmer’s markets I recognize the hard work and love that they put into growing things. I see that same spirit in the eyes of the vendors. Perhaps you have your own vegetable garden or like me shop at local farmer’s markets for the “farm to table experience.” Shopping at the farmers market, not only gives us access to the best tasting produce – produce that is in season, picked at its peak of flavor, with the shortest amount of travel time between the farm and you- but it gives us most importantly, connection.

During our growing season, our local farmer’s markets will be brimming with beautiful produce. What they have will vary from week to week, but remember, your local farmers have grown these beauties just for you! Let’s honor all their hard work, by making a point of showing up for them! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the growing season. And in the process, our taste buds and bodies will thank us. It is a beautiful, seasonal ritual that builds community… which in turn nurtures the soul! A win-win for all.

Depending on the weather we may find the last of winter vegetables like greens, collards and certainly cured sweet potatoes at the local market as well as the first of the spring vegetables. Here are a few recipes to help you with farm to table freshness! These recipes feature a fresh look at a collards, lunch meal with healthy salads which you may include carrots, cucumbers, squash, green peppers, celery, onions, cabbage, broccoli and/or cauliflower and a healthy twist on the classic of squash and onions and refrigerator pickles.

You can pickle just about any produce to extend the storage when you have more than you can use at the moment. Hope to you enjoy these recipes and I see you at our local farmer’s market.

New Twist on Cooking Collards Want to add more leafy greens to your diet but aren’t sure how to start? Check out this recipe for collard greens. A healthy and tasty side dish to accompany your next meal.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon butte, 1/2 medium onion (chopped), 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (increase to 1 teaspoon if you like food spicy), 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 1/2 cups collard greens (stems removed and chopped*), 2 tomatoes (seeds removed and chopped**), salt and black pepper (to taste) Directions X Wash all vegetables,* and remove seeds from the tomatoes.** X Collect, chop, and measure all ingredients before starting to prepare the recipe.

X Heat the oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.

X Add the onion, and cook for about 2 minutes until slightly soft.

X Add the red pepper flakes and garlic, and cook for 1 minute.

X Add the chopped collard greens, and cook for another minute.

X Add the broth, cover, and bring to a simmer.

X Cook for about 40 minutes until the greens are tender.

X Add the tomatoes.

X Taste, and add a small amount of salt and black pepper if desired. Serve hot.

X Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Eat within 3 to 5 days.

Notes * Preparing collard greens: First, remove any damaged outer leaves. Fill a large bowl with cold water, and dunk the greens. Swish them around for a few minutes to help loosen any dirt on the leaves. Pour out the dirty water and fill the bowl with clean water. Swish the leaves under the clean water again to remove any additional dirt. Continue this process until the water in the bowl remains clear. To cut collard greens, fold each leaf in half with the stem at the fold crease. Either cut or tear the stem off. Stack several leaves on top of each other and roll the leaves up. Cut the roll of leaves into 1-inch thick pieces. ** Removing tomato seeds: Turn the tomato on its side so the stem faces to the right. Cut the tomato down the center and use a ¼ teaspoon to spoon out the seeds.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1 cup, Total Calories 54, Total Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 5 mg, Carbohydrates 3 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Total Sugars 2 g, Added Sugar 0g, Protein 1 g, Calcium 42 g, and Potassium 147mg

Healthy Lunch Salad You can make this quick lunch salad that incorporates so many fresh vegetables and whole grain, and it is as satisfying as it is good for you. There are multiple variations but the basic premise is a whole grain – bean – vegetable – and a protein (chicken, tuna, or more beans). Other ways to vary this dish would be to add fruit in place of some of the vegetables.

Ingredients: Choose 2 cups whole grain: brown rice, quinoa or bulgur, choose 1 cup of beans: garbanzo beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas or white beans, choose 3 cups of chopped vegetables (choose a combination or just one): carrots, cucumbers, summer squash, green peppers, celery, onion, napa cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, choose a protein: 6 ounces of grilled chicken, 1 (5 ounce) can of tuna, 1 cup of beans (additional) or 3 ounces of nuts (about ½ cup of almonds or ⅔ cup of peanuts), Dressing: 6 tablespoons olive oil and 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Directions: X Mix your selections with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice).

X Place in 6 individual containers.

X You are ready for a week (almost) of lunches.

Nutrition Information per Serving: (Based on quinoa, garbanzo beans, carrots, celery, broccoli, & chicken) Serving Size: 1¼ cups Vegetables: ¾ cup, Fruits: 0 cups, Calories: 225 calories, Carbohydrates: 19 grams, Fiber: 4 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Fat: 15 grams and Sodium: 76 mg Sautéed Squash and Onions I grew up eating squash and onions. It was a farm to table favorite of our family. I converted the bacon grease version my mom made to the Med Way by using olive oil. I use both zucchini and yellow squash but you can use just one variety if you like. This recipe calls for green onions, but white onions will work as well. You

can make this ahead of time and heat up what you need in a sauté pan Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large bunch green onions, chopped, 1 pound yellow squash, cut in medium dice, 1 pound zucchini, cut in medium dice, salt and pepper to taste (go heavy on the pepper) Directions: X Heat a large skillet or stir fry pan. Add the olive oil and heat slightly.

X Add the onions and sauté 3-4 minutes.

X Add the yellow squash and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables soften.

X Add salt and pepper, start with ½ teaspoon of each.

Cook until desired doneness. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information per Serving: (Based on ¾ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup of chopped green onions.) Serving Size: 1 cup, Vegetable Servings: 1 cup, Fruits: 0 cups, Calories: 49 calories, Carbohydrates: 4 grams, Fiber: 1 gram, Protein: 1 gram, Fat: 4 grams and Sodium: 220 mg Basic refrigerator pickles (choose your brine: sour or sweet) A great way to keep produce a little longer (one month) is to make refrigerator pickles. It’s fast, easy, and fun. Onions, cucumbers, asparagus, parsnips, radishes, and pea pods are great vegetables to start making quick refrigerator pickles.

X Step 1. Prepare Vegetables. Wash and chop vegetables into the desired shape you would like for pickles.

These vegetables do not require any cooking prior to pickling.

X Step 2. Select Flavorings. Get creative with fresh or dry flavorings. Mix and match from the following suggested list of fresh and dried herbs and spices to add up to 2 tablespoons per jar. Dry: bay leaves, celery seed, Chile peppers, Cumin seed, dill seed, mustard seed, pickling spices, peppercorns, or turmeric. Fresh: jalapeno or habanero pepper, fresh dill, garlic, oregano, shallot or horseradish.

X Step 3. Pack Vegetables. Pack prepared vegetables snugly into washed pint-sized canning jars or similar sized glass or heatproof plastic containers with lids.

X Step 4. Make Brine. Make either sweet or sour brine using the following recipes: X For Sour Brine pickles: 3 c white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) , 3 cups of water, 3 T. canning/pickling salt, and 2 T sugar.

X For Sweet Brine: 3 cups white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), 3 cups water, 2 T. canning/pickling salt and 1 ½ c sugar.

Bring brine to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 5. Fill Jars with Brine, Carefully fill the jars with brine to within 1/2 inch of the top of the rim. Place the lids on the jars and refrigerate. Allow flavor to develop for 1 – 2 days before serving. Use within 4 weeks.

How To Make Pickled Onions Yields 1 jar or container Ingredients: Onions (amount varies; sliced and packed tightly in selected jar/container), 1 cup white or apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon canning/pickling salt, 2 tablespoons sugar., desired spices (optional) Directions: X Peel and rinse onions, then slice thinly.

X Pack onions tightly into canning jars or plastic containers with lids.

X Bring brine to a boil for two minutes and fill containers leaving ½ inch head space. Cover and refrigerate.

Wait a day or two for flavors to develop.

X Use within 4 weeks.

(Note: There is no specified amount of onions in this recipe as what’s most important is to have the right ratios in your brine.)

Sources for this article NC Extension Food and Nutrition. For more information about the Foods and Nutrition please contact Louise L. Hinsley, Extension Agent, Family Consumer Science at the Beaufort County Center of NC Cooperative Extension, 155 Airport Road, Washington, 252-946-0111.

GARDENING CALENDAR APRIL Lawn Care X Warm season grasses like Bermuda and centipede can be seeded or sprigged.

X If growing enough to mow, mow at the correct height Bermuda - ¾-2”, Centipede - 1-2”, St. Augustine - 2.5-4”, Zoysia - ¾-2” X Collect clippings if possible for the first two mowings of the year to alleviate winter annual weed pressure next season Fertilizing X Early blooming flowers like forsythia and evergreens like holly can still be fertilized.

X Rhododendrons, azaleas, and other late bloomers should be fertilized as soon as their

flowers fade.

X Fruit trees can be fertilized now especially if they are going to bare much fruit.

A good rule of thumb is to use one pound of 10-10-10 for each year of tree age. It’s best to apply half in late winter and the remainder in May. Don’t apply the remaining fertilizer if the crop is killed by frost.

Planting X Azaleas can be planted this month while they are flowering. Some gardeners do this so they can better arrange the different colors.

X Annual flowers can be planted. Examples would be: ageratum, begonia, celosia,

dwarf dahlia, dusty miller, geranium, marigold, petunia, portulaca, salvia, snapdragon, and annual vinca.

X Gladioli bulbs can be planted now and continue till mid-June.

X Plant beans, beets, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, Swiss chard, and watermelon later this month.

X Shrubs can be layered by lowering one of the branches to the ground and covering it with soil. Use a rock to hold the branch down until it takes root.

Propagation X Shrubs can be layered by lowering one of the branches

to the ground and covering it with soil. Use a rock to hold the branch down until it takes root.

Pruning X Faded April bloomers like azaleas can be pruned as soon as the flowers fade.

X Berry producing plants like holly and pyracantha should be pruned while they are flowering this month.

Spray iris beds for iris borers.

X Spray squash plants for squash borers.

X Begin weekly sprayings of fruit trees as soon as the flowers fall off.

X Continue with the rose spraying program.

X Always follow the label and don’t spray insecticides unless damage causing insects are seen.

Spraying X Watch shrubs for: lace bugs on azaleas, leaf miners on boxwoods, tea scale on camellias, scale on euonymus, spider mites, and hybrid rhododendron borers.

Other Activities X Mulch landscape plants to keep weeds from growing and to conserve water.

X Keep records of what was planted and when chemicals were sprayed.

iris beds X Scout and spray for bagworms on shrubs and trees.

X Use recommended herbicide to control poison ivy and honeysuckle if desired.

X Start spraying squash vines to prevent borers.

X Spray blueberry plants for blueberry borers.

X Start fungicide treatment on tomatoes, which show signs of blight.

X Continue with the rose spraying program.

X Continue fungicide program for fruit trees and bunch grapes.

X Pesticides should be used

sparingly! Use only when needed and always follow the label)

GARDENING CALENDAR MAY Lawn Care X Sow or Fertilize warmseason grasses like Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine (cannot be propagated from seed).

X Mow warm-season grasses at the correct height. Bermuda - ¾-2”, Centipede - 1-2”, St. Augustine - 2.5-4”, Zoysia - ¾-2” Fertilizing X Long season vegetables such as corn should be sidedressed 6 to 8 weeks after germination.

X Fertilize summer flowers as well.

X Feed hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas with an acid fertilizer.

Planting X Vegetables to be planted in May: snap beans, pole beans, bush lima beans, cantaloupe, sweet corn, cucumbers, e ggplant, okra, souther n peas, sweet peppers, hot peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and watermelons.

X Gladioli bulbs can be planted.

X Summer annuals like begonia and geranium can also be planted.

Pruning X Hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas can be pruned as soon as they finish blooming.

X Outgrown hedges can be pruned.

X Pinch off garden mums till mid-July.

X Pick off any azalea leaf galls that may form.

X Spring bulb foliage should not be cut back till yellowing of foliage occurs.

Spraying X Rhododendrons should be monitored for borers and sprayed if present.

X Spray for iris borers in

Other Activities X Observe landscape shrubs for azalea-lace bug, boxwoodleaf miner, euonymus-scale, hemlock, juniper-spruce mites, and hybrid rhododendronborer.

X Observe broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, for worms and spray if needed.

X Consider putting down mulch in beds to help with weed control. Good mulches are pine needles, cypress mulch, and pine bark.