NEWS FROM THE GARDENIssue 4 October 2018

Welcome to the CabarrusCounty Master GardenerVolunteer Newsletter. I hopeeveryone enjoys reading ourpublication. Please volunteer towrite articles, make suggestionsand contribute in anyway to theendeavor. We need pictures,ideas, and articles. ContactKaren Andre at 517-256-0890or sundukaren1@yahoo.com

Produced by:Extension MasterGardenerSM Volunteers ofCabarrus County

Cabarrus County Fair

Choose plants that flower at differenttimes of the year to provide nectar andpollen sources throughout the growingseason and have a variety of shapes andcolors to attract different pollinators.This includes bees, butterflies, wasps,flies, birds, etc.

ANNUALS: Most annuals produceflowers that will attract pollinators.Plant for sequential blooming allseason. Skip double flowered hybrids,they don’t produce enough pollen.Mass several of each variety. A bigclump is like a sit down buffet forpollinators. Butterflies and moths preferlanding on flat flowers while bees andbirds like to investigate tubular flowers.Provide dishes or puddles of water for

PLANT A POLLINATOR GARDENTHIS FALL

hydration.Butterflies like muddy waterwhere they get needed salts andnutrients. Plant a variety of shapesand colors to attract morepollinators.Some of these are perennials thatare sold as annuals- Bachelorbuttons, Zinnias, Alyssum,Borage, Impatiens,Calendulas, Sunflowers, BeeBalm, Marigold, Herbs: let themflower, Cosmos, Lantana,Dianthus, Nasturtiums, Ageratum,Verbena, Lavender, Scabiosa,Gomphrena(Amaranth) Russiansage, Salvia, Fuchsia, Petunia andLobelia.Continued pg 2

We had a wonderful booth this year atthe Cabarrus County Fair and thetheme was" Diggin' in the Dirt!" Therewere lots of things to entertain the kidsand they had fun looking at thebutterfly caterpillars, plantingmarigolds and doing the scavengerhunt.

Adults were educated on types of soilsand different soil amendments. Inaddition we had information on(Continued pg 4)

Continued from pg 1 -polinator

PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BUTTERFLYCATERPILLARS (host plants): See www.nwf.org-Sassafras, Spicebush: Spicebush swallowtail

-Water Hemlock, parsley, dill, carrot, fennel: Blackswallowtail-Milkweed:Monarch butterfly-Willow, poplar, aspen,cherry, plum: Viceroybutterfly-Elm, poplar, willow:Mourning cloak butterfly-Clover, legumes, alfalfa, vetch: Sulfur butterfly-Blueberry, viburnum, dogwoods: Spring Azurebutterfly

COLOR PREFERENCES: Plant yellow, blue, andpurple flowers for bees and flower flies, which resemblebees. Bees cannot see red, but are attracted to someflowers that reflect ultraviolet light.Butterflies favor orange, yellow, pink, and blue flowerswith sweet scents. They need to land before feeding andprefer flat topped clusters or platform shaped flowers insunny locations. To attract hummingbirds to your garden,provide tubular flowers with lots of nectar in red, orange,purple and fuschia colors. Species to consider includenasturtiums, fireweed, fuchsia, honeysuckle, bee balm,and sage. Many fly species are also important pollinatorsand prefer green, white, and cream colors. They have shorttongues so require simple flowers. Plant night bloomingflowers for moths.PERENNIALS: Try to plant native plants wheneverpossible. Native plants are 4 times more likely to attractbees. They are easier to grow because they are moredrought tolerant, need less attention, less pesticides andfertilizers and we should try to save the species. Plantsmarked with an * are native plants.

*Blue phlox, Clover, henbit, dandelions: (pleasedon’t call them a weed!) * Obedient Plant,Trumpet Vine, Poppies, *Cranesbill (geranium),Mahonia (winter grape), *Asters *, Blackberries*Carolina Jessamine,* Mountain Mint,*Milkweed ( butterfly weed), * GoldenrodSalvia (Sage), * Joe Pye Weed*Coreopsis, * Wild Indigo (Baptisia),*Spiderwort, * Sneezewood,*Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)

* Ironweed (Veronia), *Stoke’s Aster*Black eyed Susan,*Blanketflower (Gaillardia),*Passionflower, Catmint, * Anise hyssop ( abee magnet), *Bee Balm (Monarda),*Stonecrop (Sedum), *Beardtongue(Penstemon), Daylily, *Green and Gold,Mallow( includes Hibiscus ), *Yarrow,Hollyhocks, *Lupines , *Sundrops,*Liatris (Blazing Star), Queen Anne’s Lace(biennial).

For a more complete list of perenials, shrubs, vinesand trees see:https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Pollinator-Garden-Plant-List-May-2018.pdf?fwd=no

PLEASE DON’T USE PESTICIDES WHENFLOWERS ARE BLOOMING. PLEASE DO NOTUSE NEONICOTINOIDS: when you see these on alabel, please don’t purchase as they are very harmfulto pollinators: acetamiprid, clothianidin,imidacloprid, nitenpyram, nithiazine, thiacloprid andthiamethoxam. As an alternative, use BacillusThuringiensis(Bt), if you can find it or insecticidalsoap or horticultural oil. Pesticides should be a lastresort. ALWAYS read label to see if they leaveresidue that are toxic to bees.(Exerpt of article by Cabarrus County ExtensionMaster Gardeners Volunteer Association 4/3/16)

Discovery GardenDiscovery Garden at Frank Liske Park started this year onApril 4th, during spring break week. It was too cold to setout most bedding plants at that time but the MasterGardeners got an early start by planting corn, kale andnasturtiums. Several Master Gardeners volunteered towater the crops until the summer camp started.

Master Gardeners went early in May to weed and plant inseveral plots. They planted watermelons, cantaloupes,peppers, eggplants, okra, cucumbers, green beans andtomatoes to allow plants to be fully established before thestart of summer camp on June 18.

The campers enjoyed digging, weeding, planting,watering, and harvesting produce. Stacy Jones with theExtension office came and had them catch and identify anassortment of insects. They picked 25 pounds of corn,which was donated to Cooperative Christian Ministry fortheir food pantry. Renee Goodnight, with CooperativeExtension’s EFNEP program, did her food groupteaching with the campers four times during the summer.

On many gardening days, the Master Gardeners had aprogram for the campers while they were resting in theshade. These including making a head that had grassseeds in it that would grow “hair”, showing them how tosave seeds for next year’s planting, and showing themcotton and how the cotton gin had saved time and mademoney by removing seeds from cotton quickly.

The gardeners got to sample a good amount of producefrom the garden, which included bell peppers, cucumbers,cantaloupes, and a watermelon they grew. The MasterGardeners always brought a cold watermelon for them toenjoy after they finished working in the garden.

On one occasion, the Master Gardeners hosted a “cook-out” at one of the shelters for the campers. They grilledpeppers, corn, eggplant, okra and other vegetables, whichthey enjoyed.

Approximtely half of the 2018 group of new MasterGardeners Volunteers participated in assisting at theDiscovery Garden. We would like to thank all whoparticipated and especially James Polk and his apprenticeSid Rauch for organizing the event.

Collaborative article with James Polk, Sid Rauch and Karen Andre

Plant garlic in November while the ground is still warmenough to encourage root growth but about one- twomonth prior to our coldest month.

Well prepared and amended soil is key to getting largegarlic heads. Doing a modified raised bed helps keepthe cloves from being planted too deep and encouragingsoil compaction and rotting issues. Working incompost, soil conditioners, sand, perlite or vermiculitewill help loosen clay soils and improve drainage.

When ready to plant, break the bulb into its componentcloves. Each individual clove planted will result in agarlic bulb. Plant each clove, with the point up, in fullsun at a depth of 1-2 inches, spaced 3-4 inches apart.

Not unlike many other plants, garlic likes a fertile soilwith lots of organic matter. Mulch over winter with theorganic material of your choice to protect against thecold and weed competition. Straw or shredded leaveswould work equally well. Top dress in early spring,then again in early May with compost or whateverorganic fertilizer you typically use. Harvest when theleaves begin to dry and discolor, which is late May orearly June.

Soil moisture is key but as harvest nears, ideallymoisture levels should be lessened to prevent bulb rot.As with all vegetable production, crop rotation isimportant to mitigate pest damage and soil pathogens.

Don't forget to let your harvested garlic cure in a warmdry area for about two to four weeks before using.

Happy garlic planting!

Garlic

EVENTS

Oct. 3. 2018 - Western NC Gardening Symposium at BlueRidge Community College Flat Rock, NC

Oct. 5 & 6- UNC Charlotte plant sale 9 am - 3 pmOct 23, 2018 10 am -Plants, Pest and Pathogens- a 2 houronline class: https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/ppp

December 16, 2018 - Master Gardener's Christmas Party at73 and Main Restaurant

Jan. 16- May1, 2019Master Gardener Class

Jan. 22 -March 26, 2019- Bee Keeping Serieshttps://cabarrus.ces.ncsu.edu/site-cabarrus-beekeeping-series/

ToursOct 17, 2018- 9am at Reedy Creek

Speakers

October 2- Sheri Neely - RCCC Agripreneur Academy andNetwork

November 6- Clark Barlowe - Chef and owns HeirloomRestaurant

WHAT'S HAPPENINGFair -continued from page 1-

lawns, trees, Master Gardener program and soil testing.We were able to hand out many soil test kits.

Unfortunately bad weather caused the fair to close onThursday and the booths were taken down.

Thanks to everyone who helped to organize, setup, staffand tear down the booth!

Agri-Business DaysFrom September 11 – 13, Agri-Business Days tookplace during the week of the Cabarrus County Fair,from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena.All 6th graders in Cabarrus County attended. Therewere three extra stations added this year due to aschedule change, and although it took four MGs tosecure volunteers to maintain each station, they pulledit off! A time change was put in place this year also,beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 12:30 p.m. Allwent well, programs were delivered according toguidelines, with independent, creative decisions madeat each station. Students did hands-on planting, (whichwas also different for most stations). Two new posterswere added that were made by a student at StonewallJackson Training School. - Marianne Scully

Thanks much to all who organized the event and allwho participated in the two days it lasted.

Agri-Business Days Agri-Business Days

Tour at Living Decor- Charlotte

Discovery Garden - Donated Corn

Discovery Garden Watermelon Patch

Tour at Terri Edward's Home