NC



GREEN THUMB PRINTS

GREEN THUMB PRINTS

September - October, 1999



The Benefits of Xeriscaping!!


We have all been watching the slow torture (through our air conditioned windows) of our plants suffering through two summers worth of drought. Some of them have died gracefully while others fought on only to reach the same demise. This can be very discouraging especially if you put a lot of work into installing your landscape. However I ask to to keep faith in a speedy recovery for what little is left and when making your planting choices this fall keep drought tolerance in mind!!

Plants that are structurally adapted for life and growth with a limited water supply are termed xerophytic. Landscapes using these plants as well as other methods of water conservation are known as xeriscapes. Normally when we think of xerophytic plants, the cactus comes to mind, but it doesn't have to stop there. We have many suitable plants that will do well both in the Piedmont and under the droughty conditions that mother nature has imposed on us. This abbreviated list of some of the many xerophytic plants that you can use that was developed by Ohio State University. Feel free to call us for even more choices!

Annuals and Perennials


Trees and Shrubs


Some things that you need to keep in mind when planting a xeriscape are the other factors that will help you conserve water.

  1. Design your landscape using mental irrigation zones. By grouping plants together that need very low, low and moderate amounts of water separately, you will be able to irrigate more efficiently.
  2. Try to place the plants that need the least amount of water the furthest away from your water source. This can take a little bit of gardening savvy because you also need to make sure that these plants are also in the correct amount of light.
  3. Using mulch really can help decrease moisture loss from the soil due to evaporation. In addition to making planting areas look more tidy, your mulch is doing a more important job by keeping your soil temperature stable and adding nutrients to soil... if it is an organic mulch. Usually 2-3 inches of mulch is better for trees and shrubs while 1-2 inches is best for annuals, perennials and vegetables.
  4. Try and use soaker hoses and drip irrigation rather than sprinklers. Sprinklers are very inefficient for irrigation because there is a lot of water loss due to evaporation. However for turf areas the sprinkler is your only choice since uniform coverage is important.
  5. Limit turfgrass areas which can become a drain on your water resources. To reduce drought stress on turf, maintain a leaf blade of 2.5-3.5 inches. Your turf may not look as manicured as you are used to but it will probably save you some re-seeding in the fall!


Home Lawn Fall Update:


If you want to establish a tall fescue lawn, September 1-15 is the time to do your seeding. Tall fescue is established by seeding 6 lbs/1000 sq ft. If you are using a tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass blend, the rate is 1 lb of Kentucky bluegrass and 5 lbs of tall fescue seed per 1000 sq ft. For some shade tolerance, it is helpful to use a blend with fine fescue in it such as 5 lbs of tall fescue, 1 lb of kentucky bluegrass and 1 lb of fine fescue. If you are going to use fine fescue in your blend, be sure to seed it ASAP. Fine fescue should be seeded from August 15-September 1.

September is also the time to fertilize cool season turfgrasses such as tall fescue as well as blends that include tall fescue, kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue. One pound of nitrogen/1000 sq ft is recommended. Centipede lawns should not be fertilized at this time. If you have bermudagrass, you should use 1/2 lb nitrogen/1000 sq ft at this time.



Seed Saving


Have you ever wanted to save seed from your vegetable garden but didn't know where to begin....or saved seed only to find that it produced totally different plants than your original? Seed saving doesn't have to be difficult. Home gardeners were perpetuating and improving vegetable varieties through seed selection long before seed catalogues even existed. To be successful however you must be familiar with the basics. Ask yourself these questions:

You may not have the answers to these questions and that is OK! To address the first question, there are three methods of pollination that the home gardener is concerned with: air-borne, insect and self.

If the seed produced is to have the same genetic composition of its parents, it must be pollinated with pollen of the same variety. In the case of air-borne pollinated crops, there must be no other varieties within a mile shedding pollen at the same time. If there is, some of the harvested seed will result from a cross between these two varieties. The closer the varieties are located, the higher the percentage of crossing.

Insect pollinated crops should have at least 1/4 mile between different varieties to avoid crossing between the two varieties.

Self-pollinated crops offer the best opportunity for a home gardner to save seed because the pollen is transferred within the same plant. Even though this occurs, you still need to be careful for pollen that can escape to adjacent plants. To avoid this, separate varieties by a few rows of another crop.

Air-borne pollen vegetables

Insect-borne pollen vegetables Self-pollinated vegetables What about hybrids? More and more vegetable varieties that you purchase as seed are hybrids. Hybrids are a deliberate cross between two inbred lines. Hybrids are usually chosen because they are more vigorous and uniform than open pollinated crops. However if you plant seeds from hybrid plants you will be disappointed!! The seeds produced will not have the characteristics of the parent plant. This is known as "not true from seed". Only the person who controls the original parent plants can produce the hybrid. Before considering saving seed check the package to see if it says "F1 hybrid". F2 plants are not hybrids and can be used for seed saving.

How do you harvest your seed? Extract your seed after the fruit ripens but before it rots. You can leave many cucurbits on the vine until after frost before extracting the seeds. Remove the seed from the pulp, dry at room temperature, remove any remaining flesh and story in a cool dry place. If you have pod crops, leave the pods on the vine until they dry and harvest the seeds before they disperse.



The Master Gardener Program of the Millenium


The Chatham County Master Gardener Volunteer Program has really taken off this year. Fifteen volunteers strong, the Master Gardeners have been hard at work providing over 200 hours of volunteer service to Chatham County since February! In October I will begin recruiting potential Master Gardener Volunteers for my 2000 training program. If you like to garden, are interested in learning more about it, and love to volunteer your time to help others, this may be the program for you. Classes will run on Thursdays, February 3, 2000 - April 27, 2000 from 9 AM - 12 PM. In return for 40 hours of training, Master Gardeners will be required to return 40 hours of volunteer service withing the first year. There is a fee to cover the manual and course materials the amount of which has not been determined yet. If you would like to be contacted about the 2000 Master Gardener Volunteer Program to receive more information and an application, please contact Jillanne Burns at 542-8202. Spaces are limited! The application period will be open from October until December. I hope to see some of you this spring!

Upcoming Events


September 7-11 The New Chatham County Fair. Fairgrounds
Cecil Wilson, Mgr. (919)362-5825
James Alston, Pres. (919)542-3868
September 8 Pricing Nursery Stock for Profit.
The Chatham County Agriculture Building, Pittsboro.
Contact: Jillanne Burns 542-8202
September 18 The Piedmont Organic Gardening School
CCCC, Pittsboro.
Contact: Laura Lauffer 542-2402 or Jillanne Burns 542-8202


Jillanne Burns
Asst. Agricultural Extension Agent

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