Extension Gardener FALL 2017 Know Before You Grow MOUNTAINS NEWS Work smarter Landscaping is a major undertaking for homeown- ers, especially when they choose to do it them- Enjoy sweet corn all year selves. It can be a great learning experience and a source of pride when the job is done and the WNC gardening symposium gardener can stand back and say, “Look at what Fall webworms I’ve done.” But landscaping can also turn into an overwhelming task with not-so-great results. Bare patches in your lawn? There is a simple phrase that I’ve used when Tips and tasks speaking to gardeners who want to take on a new project: Know before you grow. If gardeners STATE NEWS take the time to find out about the plants they want to use before installing them in the land- Know before you grow scape, many problems could be prevented. Simple landscape plantings with attractive spacing can You can’t beat kale be just as attractive as complex arrangements. What type of information is important? The plant ©JR P, Flickr, CC By-NC-4.0 Wild world of broccoli hardiness zone is one key to a plant’s survival in a specific location. A plant that is labeled for the Beyond lawns—grasses for mild temperatures of USDA zone 8 or 9 simply about the amount of potential pesticide applica- your garden won’t make it through a winter in zone 6 or 7. tions you are prepared to make. Is the landscape Light and water requirements are also crucial. going to be a formal one where lots of pruning is Tools for curious gardeners involved? Think about this: Would you rather be Azalea lacebug problems would be virtually pruning or fishing on Saturday? Are you financial- nonexistent if azaleas were planted in the shade ly able to pay a landscape maintenance company Extension Gardener provides instead of the sun. It is also important to remem- to do the work, or are you the designated pruner timely, research-based horticultural ber that heat hardiness is just as important as for the family? These are all things that should be information. We publish four issues cold hardiness. per year. Send comments about planned for when considering a new landscape. Extension Gardener to: Become familiar with the culture of the shrubs A landscape planting can be amazingly low main- Content Editor and Team Leader and trees to be planted. Look at insect and dis- tenance when well-researched plans are imple- Lucy Bradley, Ph.D. ease problems, and make a decision beforehand NC State University mented carefully. Remember that simple is good Campus Box 7609 and can be even more attractive than complex - Raleigh, NC 27695 7609 plantings. Learn to read tags and to use proper Managing Editor spacing. This saves many hours of future pruning. Ben Grandon Regional Editor, Coastal Many gardeners think that they can make a plant Matt Jones into something that it is not. Such a gardener Regional Editor, Piedmont may win for a couple of years, but eventually Joanna Radford that plant is going to fulfill its growth potential, Regional Editor, Mountains Donna Teasley whether that is growing in front of a window or Statewide Editor out over a walkway. Katy Shook The NC Extension Gardener Handbook includes a chapter on landscape design that offers lots of The use of brand names does not imply endorsement by NC State Extension nor good advice on planning a landscape: content. discrimination against similar products ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook. or services not mentioned. © 2017 NC State Extension A landscape is an endlessly changing thing, as Extension Gardener may not be it should be. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be reproduced without written permission. pleasing, but always remember my favorite piece News media quoting the newsletter should credit NC State Extension. of advice: Know before you grow. A formal landscape can involve lots of pruning to keep plants symmetrical and in scale with other landscape —Donna Teasley extensiongardener.ncsu.edu elements. ©Roy Ostling, Flickr, CC By-NC-ND-2.0, Mountains Extension Gardener Extension Showcase Smart Gardening: Work smarter WNC Gardening Symposium We all know the phrase “work smarter, not harder.” It holds major importance in our gardening habits as well as in other You will not want to miss the areas of life. There are some simple ways that you can exciting and impressive lineup make your garden work with you as well as for you. First, of speakers at the 2017 WNC if you aren’t used to gardening or if you don’t have much Gardening Symposium. “Gazing spare time, start small with your garden space and make into the Future: What’s Coming in sure that you don’t plant more than you can handle on a Gardening” will be held on October daily and weekly basis. This habit will help you learn about 25, 2017, at the DoubleTree Hotel in what you can manage realistically. If you’d like to grow from Asheville, NC there, you always can. Once you have your space estab- Tony Avent, keynote speaker, is a lished, choose plants with maintenance requirements that renowned plantsman and founder you can manage. of Plant Delights Nursery. Tony Natives and perennial plants tend to require less mainte- will share from his treasure trove nance than annuals or plants that aren’t adapted to our area. Mulches can conserve time and of knowledge, experiences, and Especially in spots where you aren’t likely to visit often, in- moisture. ©Donna Teasley, Burke County plant stories about new and unique stall plants that will thrive on their own. The more often you perennials for the garden. visit an area and inspect your plants, the more likely you are Tom Ranney, NC State horticulture to spot any problems and address them quickly. Scout every few days to catch problems before professor and program leader of the they get out of hand. Building your soil by adding homemade compost is a great way to reduce Mountain Crop Improvement Lab, both green waste and fertilizer costs while improving plant health. Use mulch to suppress weeds will provide a special presentation and build soil as it breaks down over time. on his plant breeding research and Last but not least is the importance of proper watering techniques. Water the soil rather than the highlight exciting plant introductions, leaves, and be sure to apply enough water to penetrate several inches deep. Drip irrigation can be TM including ‘Invincibelle Spirit’ moun- used in many garden areas. tain hydrangea and the first ever —Hannah Bundy mophead ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea. In addition, Craig Mauney, NC State Food Production: Enjoy sweet corn all year Extension area specialized agent, This growing season will be one of the best years will bring his humor and deep for sweet corn production in recent history. Unlike understanding of vegetables and field corn, sweet corn is harvested before the kernel fruits. Brie Arthur, author of the matures–about 18 to 22 days after all of the silks (those newly released book Foodscape fine white threads that you see coming out of the devel- Revolution, will talk about new gar- oping ear) have emerged. Each of those individual silks dening methods and technologies. will develop into a kernel on the ear of corn but only if it The symposium fee is $55, or $50 pollinated by a pollen grain from a corn tassel (the long if you register before September spike emerging from the top of the corn plant). Pollen 19, and includes a continental from the corn tassel is carried by the wind, so corn breakfast, lunch, and afternoon needs lots of neighbors to assure that every develop- dessert. As always, there will be ing silk receives a pollen grain. This is why sweet corn wonderful door prizes, great ven- Corn should be harvested about 18 to 22 should be planted in blocks (at least four rows wide) dors, and plenty of free parking. days after all of the silks have emerged. rather than in long single rows. Poor pollination will ©George Place, Catawba County result in corn ears with lots of missing kernels. Attendance for the full day is valid for five hours of continuing edu- Start checking your sweet corn three weeks after you see the first silks. Harvest the ears while cation credit for Extension Master the kernels are plump and juicy. If you wait a few days too long, the sweet juice, called “corn GardenerSM Volunteers. milk,” will start to convert to a starchy soft dough. Traditionally, sweet corn that will be stored in the freezer is blanched (put in boiling water for two minutes) to destroy the enzyme that converts Visit buncombemastergardener.org sugar to starch. Cutting corn off the cob with knives is effective, but there are circular blades that for more information. can be used to speed up the process. If you use a power drill with a long drill bit inserted into the —Alison Arnold cob of the corn, the corn ear can be rapidly rotated while being pressed in and out of the circu- lar blade. Tilt the corn ear to go through the circular blade at a slight angle for a more complete removal. Freeze the kernels and enjoy sweet corn all year. extensiongardener.ncsu.edu —George Place Mountains Extension Gardener Pest Alert: Fall webworms Tips & Tasks Lawns We are fortunate to have plenty of large, beautiful trees here • Fertilize cool-season turf, such in western North Carolina. But during the late summer and as tall fescue, using ½-pound to early fall, some of our trees are full of worms—fall web- 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 worms to be exact.