Information you can really dig into

This newsletter offers timely information for your outdoor living spaces.  Addressing the

most common questions ranging from container gardening, tree pruning, wildlife management, to fire ant control, insect identification and lawn establishment.

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter.

Shawn Banks
Extension Agent
Agriculture—Consumer Horticulture

______________________________________________________________________________

FEATURE ARTICLE

Gourd – 101

By Heidi-Lee Peach

If you ever wanted to grow gourds for ornamental décor or uses, such as sponges, don’t fret.  They’re very simple to grow as long as you keep your seeds moist to germinate. My experience growing a gourd garden was by accident, when a bag of seeds spilled out in an unused bed.  It rained before I could get them cleaned up.  I decided to rake them around, spreading them out, just to see what would happen.  I had a very big harvest, but keeping them under control was another story.  Beware, as the vines can sprawl and take over your garden, even into unwanted areas.  They do spread quickly.  All it takes to plant a gourd garden are seeds, water, soil, and voila!  You will probably have more gourds to harvest than you ever imagined.  They have beautiful blossoms and it is fun to watch as the shape of the gourds change each week. Although they can get diseases, my experience was that they were fabulous plants to observe.

There are three kinds of gourds:
Cucurbits or ornamentals-used for fall arrangements, with daytime vines of large orange flowers.

Lagenaria or hardshell-used for hardy outdoor ornamentals because of their thicker hard shells, and white blossoms that appear at night.

Luffa or vegetable sponge-known for their tough fibrous interior, they are commonly used as sponges. They produce yellow daytime blossoms on vines.

Although gourds are fairly resilient plants, there are a few insects that like them for munching. Some include, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, powder post beetles, and vine borers. Check your vines, gourds, and leaves for eggs, pinholes, and dust.  Use of pesticides or hand picking off eggs, is recommended.  Some diseases found when growing gourds include gummy stem blight, black rot and bacterial wilt.

Being patient to harvest your beautiful gourds is very important.  Wait until there is a light frost or the stems have turned brown.  The gourds should be very firm to the touch and should be cut leaving at least one inch of its stem attached. Wash gourds in a diluted household bleach solution to delay mold formation or let it get the spotty mold look.  If a finish is desired for a natural glow, use a light coat of non-glossy floor wax.  Gourds can be brought inside for quicker drying and when the seeds rattle, they are ready for crafting. If the gourd needs to be cleaned better, submerge it into soapy water and use a dull knife to scrape off the outer edge of shell.  This may remove any mold spots if need be.  If the gourd will be painted, it is okay to use light sanding or a steel wool to make the surface somewhat smooth.  If there are small cracks or holes in the gourds, wood putty can be used as filler.

Gourds can be made into several crafts, such as birdhouses, holiday decorations, bowls, and even a flamingo.  When working on gourds to make crafts, it is important to use the proper tools.  There are many tools that can be used when crafting gourds including saws (for cutting holes), dremels, sanders (for smoothing), and heated tools for burnishing and carving (making patterns).  After all that time and energy making the crafts you may be interested in having your gourds judged, either for décor or their beauty, uses, shape, etc.  The American Gourd Society has a great website with all kinds of information including a Judging Handbook which is used as a standard for judging.

For specific information on different parts of this article, below are some links to pages on the American Gourd Society’s website where you can find more information.

Gourd Types:

cucurbits or ornamentals
lagenaria or hardshell
luffa or vegetable sponge

Growing Gourds
Drying Methods

Specific Crafts and Tools
Birdhouses
Fall Décor/pumpkins
Gourd-eous HOLIDAY DECOR
Bowls
Flamingos
Tools
Judging Handbook

WORKS CITED- The American Gourd Society. Archive. Web and Gourd Society, Kokomo, IN, 2012  http://www.americangourdsociety.org/

_______________________________________________________________________________

FEATURE PLANT

Hairawn Muhly

Muhlenbergia capillaris

By Tina Stricklen

With common names like mist grass and purple grass, you get the idea that this native plant creates a wispy or transparent cloud of color in the landscape.  When I first saw it blooming in a median strip near downtown Raleigh, I just had to have it.  Once I moved into a house with a yard large enough to experiment with ornamental grasses, it was the first one I procured.   You might wonder when you plant the not-so-exciting clump of narrow green leaves in spring time what the fuss is all about.  Come mid-September, you will know what I mean.

This unassuming clump, which typically reaches 2.5 to 4 feet tall and wide, will start unfurling 18-inch long purplish-red, pink or white (depending on variety) panicles of flowers mid-September through November.  These showy blooms are so spectacular you are going to want more.  The clumps don’t spread by rhizomes or stolons.  To propagate this plant you can either divide the mature clumps in the spring or collect the seeds from the plumes in the fall.  In my yard a few seeds have germinated around existing clumps, so I simply collect the seedlings and plant them elsewhere.  After the big color show, the blooms will fade to a tawny color which persists through the winter.

Like other ornamental grasses you will need to cut it back in late winter/very early spring.  Some publications instruct gardeners to burn or mow Muhly grass to remove old residue.  Lest they stop blooming you must divide the clump every six to eight years.  This plant is not only aesthetically pleasing it’s functional too.  It is known to attract beneficial ladybugs, can be used for wildlife cover, and is used for land reclamation projects.  If you have a sunny location that could use a really cool, purplish, cloud-like, wow-factor, fall-blooming plant, Muhlenberia capillaris is the plant for the job.

Resources:
http://www.floridata.com/ref/m/muhl_cap.cfm

http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/mdpmcfs9498.pdf

______________________________________________________________________________

UPCOMING EVENTS

Oct 1 – Nov 15, 2012 ,The Fruit and Nut Tree Sale, Johnston County Agriculture center in Smithfield, NC. You can purchase a variety of fruit trees, blueberries, muscadines, and pecan trees everyday during this time period from 8:00am – 5:00pm.

October 6, 2012, Plant, Pest and Disease Clinic – 9am – 1pm at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse 40/42

Oct 9, 2012, 6:00pm – 08:00pm – Medicare – 101, Johnston County Agriculture Center in Smithfield, NC.  Are you turning 65? Do you understand Medicare?  Get the following questions answered: What is Medicare? Who is Eligible? What does Original Medicare Cost? What does Original Medicare Cover? What is not covered by Original Medicare? How to Enroll? What are Parts A & B? What are Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, & N? Get these and many other questions answered. 
Registration is necessary 919-989-5380

Oct 11, – Oct 13, 2012, Heritage Quilt Show, Johnston County Agriculture Center in Smithfield, NC.  Johnston County Extension and Community Association is proud to present their Annual Heritage Quilt Show . The event will take place on Thursday from 1:00 p.m, – 7:00 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 12 noon.

October 20, 2012, Plant, Pest, and Disease Clinic – 9am – 1pm at Clayton Farm and Community Market

Nov 2, 2012, 8:00am – 4:30pm – Non-native and Invasive Plants Workshop for Landowners Free for landowners or $15 Fee for participants who register for continuing education credits.  Learn what are non-native and invasive plants, why should you care, and how to identify specific problem species of the plants.

Activities at Johnston Community College:
For more information or to register Click Here.

October 10, 2012, 5:30pm – 7:30pm -  Right Tree/Right Place  $15; Learn how to select, install and maintain the correct tree for your landscape needs.

October 23, 2012, 7:00am – 7:30pm – tour – Mountain Plants at NC Arboretum $65; Take a trip to Asheville, NC to tour the NC Arboretum and see many of the plants that grow in our mountains.  Lunch on your own/ boxed dinner included.

_____________________________________________________________________________

YARD VILLAINS

Tea Scale

Fiorinia theae

By Phil Rocheleau

There are two types of scale Insects – Soft Scales and Armored Scales.  Soft scale insects secrete a thin, waxy layer over themselves, which cannot be separated from the insect’s body. Armored scale insects secrete a hard, lacquered covering over their body, which does separate when the scale is turned over.  Another way to tell them apart is that soft scale secretes honeydew, a sticky, sugary substance that provides the ideal growing conditions for sooty mold (a black mold found on the upper surface of leaves and stems).  Armored scale does not secrete honeydew.  Tea scale is in the armored scale insect category. It is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia.  In the Southeastern United States, tea scale is a serious pest for Camellias.

Identification:  Besides being a major pest on Camellias, tea scale can also be found on Chinese and Japanese holly, bottlebrush, dogwood, ferns, euonymus, orchids, yaupon holly, and some other plants.  Tea scale can be found primarily on the underside of the leaf.  The most conspicuous characteristic of an infested plant is yellow splotching on the upper leaf surface caused by the insects feeding on the lower surface of the leaf.

The female Tea scales develop hard brown covers about 1/10 inch long. The males develop fragile white covers that are usually a little smaller than those of the females.  At maturity the males have wings so they can fly around and mate with the females for the few hours they are alive.  Females lay eggs under their protective shell then die. Because the lifecycle of the scale is from 41 to 65 days, it results in overlapping generations almost year-round.  When infestations are heavy, cottony filaments can be seen hanging from the leaves.
Tea scale damage on top of camellia leaf.   Clemson University – USDA Cooperative
Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org. Underside of leaf shows male and female scale.

Control:  A major problem with tea scale is that often damage has been done before the scale infestation is noticed.  In spite of control efforts, the damaged leaves will often be retained on the plant for at least one more season.  Applying horticultural oils in fall and winter is the easiest and often the most effective means of controlling light to moderate infestations of tea scale.  Most contact insecticides cannot penetrate the protective covering of the immobile scale nymphs and adults.  Attacking the mobile crawler stage is much more effective.  Beginning in April, use acetamiprid, dinotefuran, pyriproxyfen, or insecticidal soap according to label directions to control tea scale crawlers. Fall treatment may also be needed if infestations are heavy.

Reference:

http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/esps/factsheets/turforn/scale_insects_to23.html

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/shrubs/note50/note50.html

_____________________________________________________________________________

WHAT’S IN SEASON

Oriental Persimmons

Diospyros kaki L.

By: Patty Brown

Pumpkins are not the only round, orange fruit that’s in season now. From September through November, you can find oriental persimmons at local grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Although unfamiliar to some cooks and gardeners, persimmons are worth discovering either in the kitchen or in the landscape.

This small fruit, which resembles orange tomatoes, may be eaten raw or cooked. Persimmons are a good source of fiber and vitamins A and C, among other nutrients. They can be used in jams, sorbets, puddings, cakes, salads, and more. In addition to being tasty and nutritious, the fruit is highly ornamental and can be used in fall arrangements or simply heaped in a bowl for an attractive centerpiece.

The many varieties of persimmons that exist can be divided into two types: astringent and non-astringent, which have distinct tastes and textures. The fruit of non-astringent varieties, such as the Fuyu, is mildly sweet and can be eaten while still firm and crispy—like an apple, skin and all. Fruit from astringent varieties, such as the Hachiya, must be very soft before it can be consumed. How can you tell them apart at the market? Fuyus are squat with a flat bottom. Hachiya are picked and shipped firm, are slightly elongated and come to a point at the bottom. Don’t bite into them unless you want to experience some serious pucker power! Take them home and place them upside down (point up) on a window sill to ripen.

Persimmon trees can be grown throughout much of North Carolina, including our area. Easy to grow and maintain, the tree can grow to 20-30 feet at maturity, has a compact spreading growth habit and bright red fall foliage. To add a persimmon tree to your landscape, choose one of the non-astringent varieties. The trees grow best in loamy, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Although they will withstand drought, the trees need adequate water for the best fruit size and yield. During extended dry periods, weekly irrigation is recommended. For more information about growing oriental persimmon trees, refer to the NC Cooperative Extension Service publication “Growing Oriental Persimmons in North Carolina”.

Fuyu Bundt Cake

This recipe, available on the California Fuyu Grower’s Association website, was originally published in the October 1978 issue of Sunset magazine.

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Blend 2 tsp. baking soda into 3 cups of chopped firm Fuyus. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup soft butter with 1 2/3 cups sugar. Add 2 eggs, 2 tsp. lemon juice, and 2 tsp. vanilla and beat until fluffy. Stir in Fuyu mix.

Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Stir flour into Fuyu mixture just until blended. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts and 3/4 cup raisins.

Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 55 – 60 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn onto rack.

Suggestion: When cool, the cake can be dusted with powdered sugar or glazed with a mix of powdered sugar and maple syrup.

___________________________________________________________________________

OCTOBER GARDEN TASKS

Fall is for planting! Autumn is an ideal time to plant or transplant deciduous trees/shrubs and perennials. Fall is also a great time to till the soil and add organic material and lime.   The bed will have plenty of time to “mellow” before next spring. Turning over the soil also exposes harmful insects and grubs to predators.

GENERAL UPKEEP
Collect soil samples for testing.  Test your lawn, flowerbeds & vegetable garden.  Testing should be done every 2-3 years.  The kits and analysis are FREE.  Strong healthy plants start with proper soil pH and fertility.
Throw away any diseased plant material.  Do not put it in a compost pile.  Leaving infected plant material on the plants or on the ground provides a source of inoculum for next years infection.

LAWN CARE
Pamper newly seeded fescue lawns. Little grass plants have very small, shallow roots.  Keep them watered.  Don’t let falling leaves smother them.  Use a leaf blower on low power or rake very gently so you don’t uproot the tender young plants.
If desired, Bermuda lawns may be overseeded with annual rye at a rate of 5 lbs/1000 sq ft.

TREES, SHRUBS & ORNAMENTALS
Improve your clay soil.  Shrubs and perennials can drown and suffocate in sticky clay soils.  Loosening the soil and adding well-rotted compost, in a ratio of one part compost to two parts soil, allows plants to grow much better.  Mix it well with the soil, making a bed 8-12″ deep.

Use shredded leaves as mulch.  Fallen leaves contain lots of nutrients, but they decompose slowly.  Help the process along by grinding up your leaves rather than sending them to the dump.  Don’t have a shredder?  Rake the leaves into rows and run over them with a mower, preferably one with a bagger attachment.

Plan for planting.  Buying on impulse can be costly and labor-intensive in the future.  Before hitting the stores, determine “What does this particular site need?”  Select plants that will do well in the available site conditions.  Consider the mature size of the plant, also.

Purchase spring-flowering bulbs and store them in a cool place until chilly weather sets in and you can plant them. Daffodils , Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanicus), and Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) are bulbs to consider. By contrast, Tulips and Dutch hyacinths decline after their first season in Johnston County, and are best treated as annuals.

Compost your yard waste! As you cut back perennials in preparation for winter, think about returning that bounty to your garden in the form of compost. Compost is nature’s favorite fertilizer and soil conditioner.  Recycle grass clippings, leaves, and non-diseased garden refuse.  E.mail me for a copy of a publication on how to create compost.
Wait to prune trees and shrubs.  Pruning before dormancy may induce tender, new growth that will not have time to harden off before the first frost.

Take cuttings of begonias, coleus, geraniums and impatiens to root and grow indoors during winter.

Remove bagworms from evergreens to greatly minimize their population numbers for next year.  The eggs for next years caterpillars are in the bag.

Trigger roses into dormancy by no longer deadheading spent flowers and allow rose hips to form.

Avoid cool season weeds by applying the appropriate pre-emergent herbicide to plant beds and turf areas that had cool season weeds last year.

Coddle Holiday Cactus  – Leave your holiday cactus outdoors in a spot that gets a few hours of bright sun and no light after dark. Give it regular water and fertilizer. The combination of attentive care, bright daytime, and long, dark nights sets the stage for heavy flower bud production in early winter.

VEGETABLES & FRUITS
Plant a cover crop in your vegetable garden. Legumes, such as clover and alfalfa, will enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen. Cover crops prevent erosion and can be turned over to decompose in the soil and provide needed organic matter.

Consider planting a fruit tree.  The ideal time to plant is December.  We will be starting our tree fruit and nut sale in October in preparation for delivery and planting in December.

Good sanitation is important for disease and insect control.  Thoroughly clean up fallen leaves and fruit.  Don’t forget fruit left hanging on trees.
Dig sweet potatoes  before frost.

Keep pecans picked up.  Weevil larva for next year’s populations will crawl out of the nuts and overwinter in the soil if the nuts are not picked up.

Build a cold frame to plant cool-weather vegetables for harvest into early winter.

If you are concerned that nematodes may be causing problems, NCDA offers a test for only $3.00 to check for nematodes.  The forms, boxes and bags are available at the Cooperative Extension office.

HOUSEPLANTS
Store tender tubers – such as dahlia, caladium, gladiolus, geranium, and tuberous begonia – which may not overwinter in the garden.  Lift roots, tubers, or corms about the time of our first killing frost, just after their foliage dries.  Dig deep enough so that the roots will not be snapped apart when lifted from the soil. Leave soil around dahlia tubers, canna, and caladium roots.

Store tubers in a dry, cool, frost-free place such as a basement. Do not store on back porch or in garage; these plants cannot withstand freezing. Also, store them where rodents will not eat them.

Geraniums can be overwintered in pots, or bare root in paper bags. Store in a garage or other building until soil dries and falls away from plant parts. Shake soil off roots and tubers, and cut away dried stem. Discard any plant parts that show soft spots or disease. Place tubers and roots in old sawdust or peatmoss, in a flat box or plastic bag with holes for ventilation.

Check your houseplants for insects before bringing them indoors.  A few insects on plants outside can easily turn into a problem inside.   Giving plants a bath with mild soap often does a good clean up job.

_____________________________________________________________________________

If you have gardening questions you would like to have answered contact the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers by phone at (919) 989-5380 or by e-mail at jcemastergardener@gmail.com.

If you would like to subscribe to this monthly newsletter send an e-mail to shawn_banks@ncsu.edu and ask to be added to the electronic newsletter list.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Past Newsletters                                 Johnston County Lawn and Garden