If you are a homeowner, this column is for you. If you are like most homeowners, you are occasionally plagued by insects, weeds, and diseases in your landscape. By the time you determine that you have a problem, many times the damage has already been done. Your lawn may look like an abandoned field because of weeds or bare spots. Your favorite flowers or trees may be so close to dying that there is nothing that can be done to save them.

Melissa Hoggard, Consumer Horticulture Agent with the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Center, is currently providing Landscape Management Workshops throughout Robeson County to help homeowners learn more about how to prevent problems in their landscapes. Workshops have already been held in Red Springs and St. Pauls, but you still have the opportunity to attend one of the additional workshops that will be held in the next few weeks.

A workshop will be provided at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 7, for those who live in the Fairmont area. This workshop will be held at the Fairmont Fire Hall which is located adjacent to Town Hall. On Tuesday, September 12, also at 7 p.m., a workshop will be provided for those who live in the Lumberton area. This workshop will be held at the O. P. Owens Agriculture Center which is located at 455 Caton Road (Highway 72 West). The final workshop will be provided for those who live in the Pembroke area. This workshop will be held Thursday, September 14, also at 7 p.m., at the Pembroke Courthouse which is located on 1st Street.

Mrs. Hoggard will base the topics she will cover at these workshops on the most common problems she encounters while working with homeowners. Many people call her each year with problems, such as dying centipedegrass, sickly trees or shrubs, how to control weeds in their lawns, and how to control fire ants. Many homeowners will come to her office with their problems in a jar or bag. They want information about how to identify certain weeds that are causing problems, insects that are devouring their plants, or diseases that are causing their plants to die.

The most common weed, insect, and disease problems that cause the most headaches for local homeowners will be discussed. This discussion, along with handouts, will help homeowners better understand how to identify these problems when they first occur and then how to keep the problems from causing serious losses. Plenty of time will be allowed for questions and answers.

If you are a homeowner, I encourage you to make a special effort to attend one of these workshops. They have been scheduled for various locations throughout the county to make it more convenient for you and to help you cut down on your gas expenses. Although there is no charge for attending, you are asked to call the Extension Center at 910-671-3276 and let Mrs. Hoggard know which workshop you would like to attend. If you call in advance and register, she will be better prepared for seating and will make sure she has adequate handouts for all those who attend.

As you travel through the cities, and also as you travel through the countryside, you will notice that the landscapes of many homes are much more elaborate and more attractive than ever before. This is an indication that many homeowners are becoming much more interested and much more involved in developing and maintaining very attractive landscapes around their homes.

Home garden centers are also becoming much more elaborate than ever before and offer a wide variety of landscape plants and supplies. Whenever you visit one of these garden centers, you will always see lots of people comparing different plants trying to determine which ones they should purchase for their landscapes, Unfortunately, many times these homeowners do not fully understand the requirements for soils, shade, sun, and moisture of many of the plants they purchase. They are often not familiar with the planting zones and which plants do best in Robeson County. Because of this they often wind up purchasing the wrong plants for their landscape.

You will also see homeowners comparing various fertilizers, weed killers, and insecticides, trying to determine just which one they need to purchase. Many times they purchase the wrong products for the problem they are trying to solve or they do not get the results they expect because they apply them wrong.

If the above describes you, you might want to consider enrolling in the next Master Gardener Course that Mrs. Hoggard will teach this coming spring. This course will be taught one night each week for about three months. It will begin shortly after the first of the year. Those participating in this program will be able to learn all about landscapes and gardens, including plant selection, plant care, soil fertility, diseases, insects, weeds, and much more.

Many of those who graduate from the Master Gardener Training Program become members of the Robeson County Master Gardeners. This group meets every month, usually at the Extension Center, and continues to enjoy learning more about landscape topics. They often have guest speakers for their meetings; they organize and conduct field trips to many interesting places around the state; and they participate in lots of fun projects such as the county fair.

Be sure to get more information about Master Gardeners from Mrs. Hoggard when you attend the Landscape Maintenance Workshops.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 09/05/06