November 2000 EXTENSION'S
^5375Tii NC STATE UNIVERSITY NORTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & LIFESCIENCES Carolinians
Increase Their JC Raulston Arboretum Plant Focus Knowledge of Mahonia Adds Color & Texture to Winter Landscape Gardening, Manage Their ahonia is an excellent choice for a reliable, shade-loving evergreen shrub with Landscape fragrant winter blooms. This coarse-textured plant bursts forth with yellow investment & ft blooms, decribed as fountains of gold, which are followed by pretty blue berries. Birds love the berries. Humans use them for jelly instead of eating them fresh. Protect the The genus contains about 70 species. The taller speciesmake useful specimen plants while Environment the shorter ones are used as groundcovers. Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia healei) came from China in 1845. In the Piedmont and coastal plains, leatherleaf mahonia is the most common. At six to eight feet, this specimen plant is also the tallest you'll find for landscape use. Oregon grapeholly (Mahonia aqiiifolium) is an upright type introduced from Oregon in 1823. Some gardeners prefer its purplish color in spring and fall along with ' -a§ . Master its medium foliage texture which results from finer points on the leaves. At the other ie HiS! *..•-•••* | Gardeners end of the size spectrum, consider the groundcover mahonias which include creeping SB Share mahonia (Mahonia repens) and Cascades mahonia (Mahonia nervosa). «<^B 1 Knowledge Place mahonias where they get protection from the winter sun, and where sticky leaves and coarse texture won't cause a problem. Most adapt well to variable soil types as long as it drains well. Use a general mulching and fertilizing regime, and once mahonias become established they are drought tolerant. They rarely need to be pruned except to remove dead limbsanytime but you may also cut back leggy stems in early m spring. Mahonias seldom have insect and disease problems. Enviro-Tip You'll find an abundant selection of mahonias at the JC Raulston Arboretum (JCRA) at NC State University in Raleigh. Mahonia aquifoliwn 'Orange Flame' produces bronzy- orange new leaveswhich stand out against the wine red and green color of the older foliage. Mahonia aquifoliwn 'Smaragd' ('Emerald') boasts lovely, glossy leavesof mostly green which become more bronzy-purple going into winter. Some of the newest mahonias Garden for landscape use are cultivars from the hybrid Mahonia x media. Ask for 'Hope', 'Charity' and 'Winter Sun' at your local garden center or nursery. To check out the inventory of Spot Leatherleaf plants at the JCRA, visit the website at
JC Raulston © National Association of County Agricultural Agents BestTeam Newsletter •,','••• International Association of Business Communicators 1999 Silver Quill Award
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Master Gardener Volunteers Share Knowledge, Enhance Communities Spend a few moments around gardeners and program to her. "The Master Gardeners training you'll quickly learn that they love sharing their program was a wonderful and essential course that expertise and enthusiasm about plants and the prepared me as a homeowner to do my own land gardening world. This helpful spirit of gardeners scaping and fruit and vegetable gardening while is personified in Extension's Master Gardener1'" also giving me the chance to help others." volunteers, one of Cooperative Extension's premier Walt McAvoy of Henderson County said, volunteer organizations. "Being a Master Gardener for 14 years has given Extension's Master Gardeners"" receive intensive me the opportunity to meet many people from training through their county Cooperative Hxtcnsion various parts of the country and share gardening Center. In return, they give volunteer time back to information." their local Hxtcnsion Center horticulture programs. One of the most common ways Master Gardeners Extending Knowledge provide expertise is by staffing a plant clinic hotline to Master Gardeners help extend the expertise and answer the public's gardening questions. research of NC State University and NC A&T State University through each county center in which Enhancing Communities they volunteer. Currently, the Master Gardener The expertise of Master Gardeners enhances program is in 72 counties and the Cherokee our quality of life through the many projects they Reservation in North Carolina, with over 3,000 contribute to, and their work often adds economic Master Gardeners. Master Gardeners is a nation value to our communities through beautification wide Cooperative Extension educational program projects. Whether it's installing a demonstration that originated in Washington State in 1972. Water Wise garden at Lake Crabtree Count)' Park in Wake County, teaching schoolchildren in Guilford Celebrating Contributions County or designing, planting, maintaining and Because of their contributions to the state, providing educational programs at the New Hanover Extension's Master Gardeners"" receive top billing County Cooperative Hxtcnsion Arboretum, Master during one day each year at the Southern Spring Gardeners are proactive in helping Cooperative Show in Charlotte, the South's premier gardening Visit the Southern Extension meet the very high demand for horticulture exhibition. Extension's Master Gardeners"" in Spring Show education programs across the state. Mecklenburg County have been involved with the Feb. 24 through show for several years, staffing a horticulture infor Empowering People mation booth. To recognize their efforts and the March 4, 2001! The program is much more than horticulture, work of Master Gardeners statewide, Robert Stop by the N.C. Association though. It empowers people with knowledge and Zimmerman, chief executive officer of Southern of Nurserymen garden to get builds self-esteem and confidence so they can enrich Shows, Inc., decided to honor Master Gardener your gardening questions the lives of others. contributions to gardening in the Carolines by answered by one of Extension's "The popularity of the program speaks for itself," establishing Extension Agent and Master Gardener Master Gardeners1". said David Barkley, Cooperative Extension horticul Day in 1997. Make time to enjoy the ture agent in New Hanover County. "We have a "It's been gratifying to help establish an annual creativity of young gardeners, consistent waiting list (in New Hanover County) event that honors our Southern Horticulture too! A new feature this year will of more than 200 people interested in participating Extension Agents and Master Gardeners," said be a garden installed by the new in Extension's Master Gardener"" program. It is Zimmerman. "We look forward to growing this Junior Master GardenerSM pro because of how these people enjoy this program, deserved recognition and special day as a significant gram in Mecklenburg County. passing on the information to their friends, that part of the Southern Spring Show." This program for children uses they become interested and want to take the class. The prerequisite for becoming a Master curriculum materials adminis As a volunteer they are doing something worthwhile Gardener is a love of gardening and the desire to' tered by the TexasAgricultural for the community and, at the same time,continuing share gardening knowledge. To learn how you c ^ hxtcnsion Service. The program their learning." become a part of this exciting program, contact teaches children many skills Michelle Hanrahan, a Master Gardener from your county Cooperative Extension Center. while growing their love of Catawba County, shared the importance of the Bill Skelton gardeningand an appreciation of the environment. North Carolina Cooperative Extension 1
How do I keep deer from Fall Is for eating up my landscape? Planting! First, the cute little Game Repellent and Deer Away contain The ideal time to plant Bambi of movie star rotten eggs at rates too low to be a problem trees and shrubs is during the fame is no relation to the rats with antlers Uu for humans. Don't use putrid egg solids on dormant season. Weather terrorizing your landscape. When the deer plants that humans will eat. A single strand conditions are cool, allowing pressure gets high, it will take a nine-foot electric fence works for moderate deer plants to fence or a dog to control them. Scare tactics numbers. Coat the fence with peanut butter establish and repellents will work on low populations to teach the deer how electric fences work. roots in the of deer for a while. Scare tactics include any Sports hunting effectively reduces deer new loca human smell like leaving a sweaty T-shirt in numbers. Homeowners can shoot deer tion before the garden each night or using human hair. anytime they are substantially damaging top growth Hanging soap bars on fishing line creates a crops but check the regulations of your starts in the smell that repels deer. Use several per tree. county first and obtain the appropriate per spring. Hinder, an ammonium soap, will repel by- mit and rules from a local wildlife officer. Proper taste. It can be used on home gardens. Big David Goforth handling during planting is Red Buckeye The Root of the Matter essential to ensure a healthy future for new trees and ENVIRO- Trees often provide the basic struc extend well beyond the "drip line" shrubs. Hollow these six sim ture to our landscapes. They provide (think of the shade zone at high ple steps to increase your shade and beauty and have a major noon). These roots are fine and tree's chance of survival. influence on our surroundings. They fibrous, and take up all the nutrients • Dig a shallow, broad also increase personal and community and water needed by the tree. planting hole. property values. Mature trees are Root damage is among the most • Place the tree in the hole at hard to replace so it's important to common causes of death in mature the proper height. Make sure know how to take care of them. They trees. These fine roots are very sus the trunk flare where the TIP generally need very little attention, ceptible to damage from tilling, dig roots spread at the base of the but one thing they definitely need is ging, trenching and heavy equipment tree is partially visible when protection from root damage. traffic. Once damaged, there is little the tree is planted. Storms in recent years have largely chance lor recovery and the tree will • Straighten the tree in the dispelled the myth that shade trees likely decline over a period of one to hole then backfill,gently have deep taproots that tap into five years. Keep this in mind anytime but firmly. underground water supplies. The you are digging or undertaking a con •Stake the tree only if many upturned stumps we've seen struction project. Protect the roorzone necessary. have revealed that tree roots tend to and your trees will reward you with • Mulch the base of the tree be quite shallow, living in the top 4 to many more years of shade and beauty. with 2 to 4 inches of an 6 inches of soil. In addition, they may Paul McKenzie organic mulch. Ginkgo • Provide appropriate follow- up care and water as needed. Trees are a valuable asset 'f«Slardental to any landscape and provide Lawn and Garden a long-lasting source of beauty and enjoyment for people of "A man docs not plant a w Question? all ages. Por more information tree for himself; be plants on tree care, contact your • Contact your county Cooperative it for posterity." local Cooperative Extension Extension Center. - Alexander Smith Center. Fred Miller •Access numerous NC State University horti culture leaflets at
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