March 2019 Volume 10, Issue 3

Alamance County Cooperative Extension Horticulture Department Coming Events

Workshops and Demonstrations March (Meteorological) Madness!

Thu., Mar 7, 10:00a Pruning and Trees Thu., Mar 14, 10:00a Pruning Small Sat., Mar 16, 10:00a DEMO at BSF* Pruning Small Fruit Plants at BSF* Thu., Apr 4, 10:00a Vegetable Gardening Thu., Apr 4, 6:00p Vegetable Gardening (repeat of 10:00 class) Thu., Apr 11, 10:00a Rain Gardens (Alamance Creek Week) Thu., Apr 25, 10:00a A Dalliance With Dahlias

*BSF pruning demos will be at Buster Sykes Demonstration Farm, 2430 Turner Road, Mebane, NC. All other classes will be held at the Agricultural Building (address below) Registration is required for all classes. Register online here: March 21, 2018 https://goo.gl/JaFYs1 March is a month of unpredictable weather. It can be 75 degrees one day and Contact us : 35 degrees the next. We are starting to have some warm days, but it is not spring yet. There are some garden chores that can be done now and there are Alamance County Cooperative some that should wait a little longer. Pruning is a chore than can be done now, Extension Service 209-C N. Graham Hopedale Rd. but not every should be pruned in March. More on pruning in just a mi- Burlington, NC 27217 nute. Phone: 336-570-6740 First, I want to say a few words about planting a vegetable garden. I am glad E-mail: that more people are interested in vegetable gardening, but it is not as easy as it Mark Danieley would seem. The first time gardener usually gets a few surprises. One challenge [email protected] the new gardener has to deal with is when to plant Chris Stecker what. Many assume that when they start seeing [email protected] vegetable plants for sale it is time to plant. It is not Visit our website: unusual to see tomato plants for sale in the middle http://alamance.ces.ncsu.edu/ of March, but with low temperatures normally well Like us on Face-  below freezing; March is not a good time to plant book; click the tomatoes. I hope that any new gardeners that plant link below: too soon will not be so disappointed with a frozen tomato plant that they quit gardening. If you are interested in learning more about vegetable garden- ing, you can attend one of our gardening classes on April 4.

Alamance Gardener Volume 10, Issue 3 Page 2 The Kindest Cuts

Pruning our woody plants is a good chore for March. Many of the broadleaf evergreen shrubs we use as foundation plants tend to get too large for their space. The good news is that many of these evergreens like holly, camellia, nandina, laurel and privet can be cut back severely in March and will put out new growth in the spring. The new growth can then be trained to make a smaller, more manageable . There are several deciduous shrubs that can also be pruned now. Shrubs like butterfly bush, beauty- berry, crapemyrtle and sweetshrub will bloom on this year’s growth so pruning at this time will not affect their bloom. You may have noticed that several plants are starting to bloom now with the recent warm weather. Forsythia, quince and star magnolia are some examples. These plants, along with azaleas, rhododendron, bigleaf hydrangea and dogwood, bloom on last year’s growth and should not be pruned until after they bloom. Some folks are reluctant to prune azaleas after they bloom, but azaleas respond well to pruning in May and June. They can be cut back in half and will sprout new growth quickly. The trick is to prune the new growth regularly to make the shoots branch and form a new compact plant. I am doing a woody ornamental pruning demonstration at the Ag. Building on Thursday March 7 as part of out Think Green Thursday class schedule. For a complete listing of the TGT classes, follow the link below. https://alamance.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Think-Flyer-2019-with-links.pdf?fwd=no If you have any questions about vegetable gardening or pruning, please give Chris or me a call. Alamance Gardener Volume 10, Issue 3 Page 3

March Garden Tips

pply pre-emergence inish pruning roses habit. Encourage old box- A crabgrass preventer F early this month. woods to put on new inte- to your lawn before March Reduce hybrid tea roses to rior by thinning to 15th. Keep in mind that 24 inches, prune to an out- allow sunlight to reach the

most crabgrass preventers side bud and remove dead center of the shrub. At- should not be used on re- wood. Begin your rose tend our next Think Green cently seeded or over - spray program as soon as Thursday class on March ed lawns. Read the label first leaves appear. Alter- 7th for a demonstration of carefully before applica- natively, plant some of the proper pruning techniques. tion. tough shrub roses that re- Register here: quire little, if any, spraying. https://goo.gl/9gFcre

ertilizing your cool- F season lawn (Fescue) ertilize pecan trees at ut back old foliage of should be done before F the rate of 4 pounds C liriope, pampas and mid-month as well. In the of 10-10-10 per inch in other ornamental grasses absence of a soil test, a diameter of trunk. Spread as close as possible to the balanced fertilizer, such as the fertilizer under the ground without damaging 10-10-10 may be applied at limbs of the tree to the full new growth tips. the rate of 1 pound of ac- extent of the drip line. tual nitrogen per 1,000 emove spent square feet. n the vegetable garden, R from spring bulbs I sow of beets, let- but leave the foliage to tuce, peas and turnips. replenish the bulb for next bout that soil test— Plant cabbage, broccoli, year. Don’t braid or other- A Collect your samples cauliflower, head lettuce wise damage the leaves, before applying fertilizer if and onions. but allow them to die you can. Beginning April down naturally. Plant oth- 1st, the testing at the er annuals and perennials NCDA Soils Lab in f your cool-season veg- etable garden usually among the bulbs to dis- Raleigh will be free again. I guise unsightly foliage. Contact Extension for succumbs to unseasonable

more information on soil heat, try gardening in con- testing. tainers. Pots can easily be s new leaves of roses moved to a more sheltered A and other plants emerge, expect an infesta- spot if unusual heat – or rune butterfly bushes cold – threatens. tion of aphids. These tiny to about eighteen insects have sucking P mouth parts that pierce the inches. Hardy lantana and rune evergreen tissue and cause un- salvias may be pruned P shrubs now. For the sightly, though not usually now, too. Remove the old best result, cut back the life-threatening, damage. growth of these plants longest twigs to a joint. A sharp stream from the close to the ground. This will maintain a more garden hose should dis- natural look and growth patch these critters. Alamance Gardener Volume 10, Issue 3 Page 4 Arbor Gate Plant of the Month

Buttercup Winter Hazel

A burst of clear yellow, brightening up the last of winter and the very first of spring, Corylopsis pauciflora is what eve- ry Forsythia aspires to be - a civilized ephemeral bloomer. Lightly fragrant, glowing pale lemon when in , re- maining graceful and compact after the blossoms fade, Buttercup Winter Hazel is a little-used garden treasure. After flowering, this Witchhazel relative leafs out prettily in pink and burgundy before the leaves fully expand and take on their pleasant, medium green dress for summer. Shades of yellow repeat when the foliage turns color in fall. No prun- ing needed, but cut some branches and let the sun shine indoors. Give Buttercup Winter Hazel a well-drained site with a little protec- tion from the worst of summer’s sun and wind. Read more here: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/corylopsis-pauciflora/