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
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Plant A Privacy Screen
By Joanne King
Tall Grass Hedge picture from Great Garden Plants Blog.com
The first step in planning a privacy screen is to assess the need. You are probably trying to hide from your view a road, or your neighbor’s or your own garage, driveway, A/C unit, shed, or play set. You may be planning ahead because you know an area could become unsightly in the future, due to a new development or road adjacent to your property. Do you need to create the privacy for a year-round view, or only for the summer? Does the screening material need to be high or close to the ground? Will the screen be only in your view or will it need to be attractive on all sides? All these factors will help determine the type of plants or other materials you will need to accomplish your goal.
The second step is to determine the size of the area (how high, wide, and deep) and the growing conditions (sun, shade, wet, dry, soil type, drainage). Keep in mind the screen itself may alter the growing conditions, so what was once sun may become shade for other plants or your lawn. Screens can reduce air flow which may not be desirable for a lawn.
Landscape Screen picture from Landscapenashville.com
The third step is the fun part – selecting plants and layout. The plants can be of various shapes and sizes, you can plant one row, and you can plant groups of various sizes and types (evergreen, deciduous, flowers). You may only need one or two trees or shrubs. If you want a hedge, select plants that are suitable for pruning like a hedge. Take very seriously the information regarding the plant’s size, especially the spread. There is a tendency to over plant to create a screen quickly, and then the plants keep growing and get crowded. Plants growing too close together contribute to the transfer of disease. Such is the case with Leyland Cypress, which is ideal for a screen, but is prone to disease, which is easily spread when planted too close together. Then the tree is so big, it is impractical to prune the disease out or chemically treat for disease.
You will probably want fast-growing evergreens for your screen. I mentioned Leyland Cypress, but there are many other evergreens, such as cedars, hollies, junipers and magnolia. There are also large evergreen shrubs, like viburnum, hollies, and osmanthus. If you want privacy quickly, get creative. Try using a section of lattice work with a climbing plant. As the other plants grow, the lattice provides some privacy. Add some large container plantings to the area. Put a couple of colorful Adirondack chairs in the open space to create a visual distraction from the unsightly area. Plant a row of flowering perennials in front of the plant screen to add color.
Container plant screen picture from sunset.com by Norman Plate
Finally, get out the shovel, the hose, and mulch! Prepare the soil, dig the holes, install the plant, add mulch, and WATER. You want the water to get to the roots. This depends on the size of the plants, but is generally at least 6 inches deep. It takes 1-2 inches of surface water to penetrate 6 inches deep. New plantings require consistent watering for 2-3 weeks to initially establish. This usually means rain, or hand watering. An irrigation system will help but may not be sufficient, due to uneven distribution, wind, or evaporation. Don’t forget to supplement water during the winter. Extreme cold and wind are stressful to new plants.
Here are some links to help you select plants and maintain the screen.
Plants: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/homehort/Evergreen.html
How to plant: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-601.html, http://www.treesnc.org/howtoplant.html
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FEATURE PLANT
Stokes’ Aster
By Shawn Banks
Stokes Aster Flower
This native herbaceous perennial performs well in hardiness zones 5 – 10, although it may need some protection in the form of mulch from the winter cold in zones 5 and 6. The evergreen, basil leaves of this plant reach a height of 6 to 8 inches tall, making it a good option for the front of the bed or border.
The flower stalks come from the crown of the plant late spring to early summer, shooting up 1 to 2 feet, supporting flowers that measure 3 to 4 inches across. Flower color depends on the cultivar and can range from white to pink, lavender, or blue. Flowering continues for several weeks. Pinching off spent flowers (deadheading) encourages the plant to produce more flowers. Better yet, cut some of the flower stalks as they begin to flower and use them to decorate indoors. The cut flowers look good for a little more than a week.
Grow this plant in full sun to partial shade. The more sun it receives the better the flower show will be. It is native to lowlands and swampy areas that drain well and may be dry during the winter months. A well-drained soil in an area that receives plenty of moisture is recommended for this plant. A dry root system in the winter is a must for this plant to do well.
Stokes Aster Flower and Foliage
This plant propagates well in late winter or early spring by dividing the crown of the plant into two or more pieces. It is more difficult, but the plant can also be propagated by seed after cold stratification for 6 weeks. Seed germination may still take several weeks.
Reference:
Floridata.com Stokesia laevis: http://www.floridata.com/ref/s/stok_lae.cfm
NCSU Plant Facts on Stokes’ Aster: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/perennials/Stokela.htm
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, September 8 – 9am – 1pm
Plant Clinic at Hudson’s Hardware in Clayton on Amelia Church Road. Come speak with an extension master gardener about any of your gardening questions.
Wednesday, September 12 – 6pm - 7:30pm Fire Ant Control Workshop at the Johnston County Agriculture Building. Come learn more about how to control fire ants in the landscape. Shawn Banks will be giving a presentation on fire ant control in different situations, answering questions, then if time and weather permit go out into the landscape and practice some of the control methods discussed.
Saturday, September 15 – 9am – 1pm
Plant Clinic at Clayton Farm and Community Market downtown Clayton. Come speak with an extension master gardener about any of your gardening questions. It’s time to take soil samples again, so pick up soil sample boxes and forms so you will have the soil test results before fall planting season.
Saturday, October 6 – 9am – 1pm
Plant Clinic at Lowe’s Home Improvement at Cleveland Crossing (40/42) store. Come speak with an Extension Master Gardener about any of your gardening questions.
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YARD VILLAIN
Bluegrass the Weed
By Phil Rocheleau
Annual Bluegrass
Annual Bluegrass is commonly referred to as Poa annua. When Poa invades your lawn, it is definitely a difficult weed to control and eradication is almost impossible. A good strategy is to manage the population to a tolerable level rather than attempt to eradicate it from your lawn. If you have looked out at your lawn in spring and noticed patches of white there is a good chance annual bluegrass has infested your turfgrass. Bluegrass is a winter annual and sometimes perennial, grassy weed that grows vigorously in moist, cool shaded conditions and tolerates compacted soils. This tough, grassy weed is extremely common in North American yards and can be difficult to eliminate.
The best weed control is always a healthy, well-managed lawn that will not allow weed seed to germinate. Weed seeds need contact with soil and sunlight to germinate and grow. A dense vigorous lawn will choke out weed seedlings before they become established.
Tip of Bluegrass looks like a boat
Some cultural ways to prevent bluegrass from becoming established in your lawn are: Reduce soil compaction by core aerating – but not during the peak annual bluegrass germination times because core aeration will actually encourage germination of weed seeds. Water infrequently and deep – if you are over-irrigating (watering too frequently), you are creating a wet soil that will be more favorable for this weed. For fescue lawns, mow high (3 – 4 inches) and frequently – if you are mowing too low, then you’re creating a situation where weed seeds will get enough light to germinate. Over-seed in combination with aeration every fall to maintain a thick lawn that will choke out weeds. For summer lawns that go dormant in the winter, fertilize for a healthy lawn during the summer, and mow at the correct height for your turf species. Aeration in May will reduce compaction and encourage vigorous summer turf growth.
There are currently several products labeled for annual bluegrass control; however, there are limitations on the number of annual applications that can be made.
Pre-emergence herbicides applied in the late summer or early fall before annual bluegrass emerges give effective control. However, many pre-emergence herbicides prevent seeding of cool-season turf species in home lawns or over-seeding of warm-season turf.
Recently registered sulfonylurea herbicides such as Monument, Revolver, and TranXit GTA provide excellent post-emergence control in fall or winter in non-over-seeded warm-season turfgrass species. Annual bluegrass patches can be spot treated with the non-selective herbicides glyophosate (Roundup) or glufosinate-ammonium (Finale) and then re-seeded.
Reference:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2090754_identify-annual-bluegrass-weed.html
TurfFiles @ http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Weeds/Bluegrass_Annual.aspx
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WHAT’S IN SEASON
Phaseolus lunatus
Lima Beans, Butter beans, or Sieva
By: Beth Raines
Whatever you call them, these legumes of the Fabaceae family are certainly worthy of a place in your edible garden. They are a great source of fiber, iron, and protein; and they are virtually fat free.
These annual beans thrive in hot temperatures and full sun. Start beans indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost date for your zone. Or, direct sow seeds outdoors, after danger of frost passes, and soil temperature reaches 65° for 5 consecutive days. In mild winter regions like ours, you can plant now for a fall harvest. Choose a warm, well drained location. Ideal soil pH is 6.0-6.8. (You can get a free soil test to check your pH level through your local extension office.)
Butter Bean picture from pennlive.com
Some varieties of Butter Beans have a bush habit. Beans will be harvestable in about 70 days. Others with a pole habit take about 3 weeks longer until they are ready for harvesting. The beans can be used fresh, when the pod is full, or they can be left to dry on the plant in the pod to be used as dried beans. And remember that you can fix nitrogen in your soil for your next crop by plowing the plants back into the soil, after harvest. Note to seed savers: different varieties must be sown at least 125’ apart to avoid crossing. Grow 4-8 plants per person in your household for a good yield of beans.
If you had the foresight this past spring to include these beans in your garden, then you should be in the beans about right now. Otherwise, there are plenty of Butter Beans available at local farmers’ markets. They’re delicious and nutritious! Below is a recipe used by my family for years. Since we’re Yankees, we called them Lima Beans.
Lima Beans
2 cups green Lima beans or,
1 cup dried Lima beans, soaked
in water over night
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or other fat
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg yolk
Cook beans in boiling salted water until almost tender. Drain; add fat, salt, milk and beaten egg yolk.
Turn into casserole dish and bake in 350° oven, 20-30 minutes. Stir twice until beans begin to brown.
Resources:
Seed Savers Exchange 2012 Catalog
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange 2012 Catalog
Johnny’s Selected Seeds 2012 Catalog
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SEPTEMBER GARDEN TASKS
GENERAL IDEAS
Collect soil samples for testing, so that you’ll know how much fertilizer and lime to add this fall. Test your lawn, flower beds and vegetable garden. Testing should be done once every 3 years. We have FREE kits.
Clean up and throw away any diseased plant material. Do not throw it in a compost pile. Leaving infected plant material on the plants or where it fell on the ground provides a source of re-infection for next year.
LAWN CARE
Tip for fertilizing cool-season (i.e. fescue) lawns: Fertilize on Labor Day, Thanksgiving & Valentine’s Day. Fescue lawns are green & growing during the cool months of fall, winter, and spring. Use a slow-release fertilizer.
Plant fescue seed to fill in bare spots or rejuvenate your lawn. The best time to plant fescue seed is Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. Contact us for a publication on lawn care and renovation and get your soil samples in!!
Overseed common Bermuda grass lawns with ryegrass in late September – to keep lawn green all year.
Control winter weeds with a pre-emergent herbicide applied around mid-September on lawn and shrub plantings.
TREES, SHRUBS & ORNAMENTALS
Prepare plants for dormancy. Plants need time in the fall to slow down & prepare for the winter, so do not apply nitrogen (N) fertilizer or prune after July. Consider applying potassium (K) fertilizers, which increase winter hardiness.
Divide spring & summer-blooming perennials – such as daisies, daylilies, creeping phlox – that are overgrown. This is an easy way to enlarge your garden without purchasing more plants. Dig the plants, gently separate into smaller clumps & replant immediately. They’ll have plenty of time to get re-established before next spring.
Set out cool-weather annuals for winter color. In addition to pansies and ornamental cabbages, other cool-weather ornamentals such as Dianthus, snapdragons, dustymiller, and ornamental sage look great throughout the winter. Wait to plant spring bulbs till chillier fall weather arrives.
VEGETABLES & FRUITS
Start fall vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, collards, and cole crops to fill in spaces in the vegetable garden.
Mulch Peppers. Be sure to mulch the plants to keep the roots cool and moist. Stake plants if you like, or you can allow them to tumble over onto ground that is covered with a thick blanket of hay, straw, or even newspapers.
LANDSCAPE IDEA
Think ahead to next fall and consider plants that will provide autumn color. Trees such as ginkgo, red maple, southern sugar maple, Japanese maple, sourwood, crape myrtle and tulip poplar have outstanding autumn foliage color. The flowers of Sasanqua camellias and autumn-flowering chrysanthemums contribute much to the colorful autumn scene. Don’t forget the brilliant red foliage of rabbiteye blueberries. The berries of pyracantha, nandina, viburnum, beautyberry and many hollies provide bright accents into winter. Look for interesting plants in the nurseries, and add them this fall.
HOUSEPLANTS
Plan to bring houseplants and tropicals indoors when temperatures dip below 50 F.
Move plants into partial shade for a week to condition them to lower light levels indoors.
Prune them, if necessary, to a manageable size. Give them a good bath in soapy water or spray with insecticidal soap to keep insect pests from moving indoors with them.
Give tropical plants as much light as possible once they are indoors.
Prune them, if necessary, to a manageable size. Give them a good bath in soapy water or spray with insecticidal soap to keep insect pests from moving indoors with them.
Give tropical plants as much light as possible once they are indoors.
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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.
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