Questions of the month

I have had two major and common questions coming in this month. What is killing my squash? What is killing my tomatoes? These two questions have come in various forms and from all ends of the county. The major squash problem has been mildew. Downy mildew has culprit in most of the cucurbit cases (squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, etc.) More information on this disease can be found at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/extension/fact_sheets/Cucurbits_-_Downy_Mildew.htm In the case of tomatoes it has been much more difficult to correctly diagnose. The trouble in correctly diagnosing these tomato problems is that there are so many diseases that present themselves similarly. But one disease that has been confirmed in western North Carolina is late blight. Information on late blight can be found at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/extension/fact_sheets/Tomato_-_Field_Staked_-_Late_Blight.htm I know it has been a difficult year for gardens with such a warm rainy year, but look on the bright side, no drought.

Farmer's Market Update

Just a little update on our local Farmer's Market. This past Saturday was a great day at the market. The day was absolutely beautiful, sun shining, warm, and a light breeze. WOW. There was wonderful potted ready to plant, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs available. Some great fresh baked breads, we have eaten almost two loaves already at my house. And a new vendor that brought fresh and aged goat cheese from Oak Moon Creamery. You can check out their web page here. Their cheese is fabulous and has been enjoyed at our home. You could also enjoy fresh picked salad greens, or locally made jams. If you have not visited, then check it out as soon as you could. We are open every Saturday from 8-Noon, located at the Newland Elementary School upper parking lot on Hwy 184 in Newland.

Rain Rain

With many days of rain in the forecast you may want to keep a close eye on your plants. Pesticides that have been applied will start to loose effectiveness during this time of wonderful much needed rain. Yes we still need rain to replenish the water-table. Keeping a watchful eye on your plants will keep you cued into their needs. Keep looking for any spots, holes, or discoloration on leaves and stems. Something that may rear it's ugly head during this damp period is fungus. There are multiple fungal diseases that can attack your plants and it is important to keep ahead of these diseases. Keeping them in check will make your plants happy and healthy. Apply and reapply fungicides as the label recommends will assist in keeping these things such as blight at bay. Now I'm not recommending you to misuse or overuse chemicals, just keep an eye out for any tell-tell signs of disease, and when you see those first signs get on the defensive. Bring a sample to your local extension agent so you can get an accurate diagnosis and a proper treatment method. So really all I'm saying is be diligent to keep your plants strong.
Happy Gardens

Rhododendron and Azalea Issues

Recently I have had several people bring in samples from azaleas and rhododendrons. These shrubs where showing loss of leave color, and leave loss. This time of year it is no untypical to see these symptoms. There are a couple of insects that will be attacking the azaleas and rhodos around this time of the year in the mountains. They will cause a discoloration of the leaves, yellowish to light green blotchy spots, which can lead to leaf fall. This is a problem that can cause damage to the plant, and is more typical on evergreen varieties of these two plants. The insects that are most likely the suspect for such damage are the Azalea or Rhododendron Lace Bug. These are small insects that suck the sap from the leafs, particularly the young leaves. They lay eggs on the underside of the leaf on or near the midrib, and over one hundred eggs can be found on a single leaf. Both nymphs and adults will feed on the specific host plant. The discoloration is most visible from the top of the leaf, while the underside will be speckled with a dark brown to black excrement and body castings. Detailed descriptions of these insects can be found, respectivily, here and here. If you are unsure of the diagnosis please bring a sample to your local Extension agent for another opinion.
Happy Gardens.

Photograph by: James. L. Castner, University of Florida

Ever wonder about the bumpy leaves?

I have had several calls and visits from people around the county with several different problems. One of these problems was the nasty bumpy leaves you may be seeing on a whole bunch of different host plants. These are called leave galls, and are caused by several different insects ranging from aphids to sawflies. The good news about galls are that for the most part these are not very harmful to the plant, of course a severe infestation could pose a problem. There are chemical control measures for controlling galls and for information on specific treatments for host plants please contact your local Extension agent or check the NC Ag Chemical Manual for suggestions. The image is of a maple gall, caused by a mite. This image came from a webpage you may find useful, buggide.net. It is a good resource for finding out more on insects. You can also visit the NCSU Entomology Insect Note page. It is a great resource as well, with links to other helpful sites such as the Entomology department web page, the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, and others. I do hope this is helpful and answers some questions about those nasty bumps.
As always, Happy gardens.

Farmers Market

Well it was a little cool, but the market was well attended. I was quite pleased to see so many people out and about on Saturday morning. We had some wonderful things for sale at the market. Fresh baked bread, the first strawberries of the season, asparagus, soaps, plants and a host of other things. All in all I thought it was a good day at the market. I also wanted to note how wonderful it is to see sunshine again. I am looking forward to getting out in my garden and working a little. Remember if you have questions or concerns about your lawns, gardens, or plants let me know and I would be happy to help you out. Thanks, and as always, warm wishes and happy gardens.

Rain, Rain

You know the old children song Rain Rain go away. I know many of us are very tempted to sing that one right now. I'm starting to wonder what the sun looks like, I'm having trouble remembering it. This rain is both good and bad, we are starting to recuperate from the past several years of drought. At the same time it is making it difficult to get planting done, and local greenhouse plants are yellow and still small. Things are not growing as well as we might have hoped for during this very wet cloudy spring. Hang in there, I know that it can be frustrating but we are in dire need of replenishing the water table. Good news is always nice and I do have some. This weekend, Saturday May 30, 2009 the Avery County Farmers Market will be open for business. It is located at the Newland Elementary School upper parking lot. Open for business from 8-Noon every Saturday. This is a great place to get local goods, including baked goods, plants, cheese, berries, and even jewlery all from local producers. I know that there will be several local farms represented the weekend and more are scheduled to come as the season goes on. This time of the year we will be limited on produce, but some good local cool season crops such as aspargus, kale, and other salad greens as well as fresh local strawberries (if the weather alowys it). We do hope to see you there.
Warm wishes and happy gardens.

Spring is in the Air

The warmer weather is finally here. Dogwoods, redbuds, and apples have bloomed and are letting us know that spring is here. I have seen some of the most beautiful dogwoods in bloom this year and have truly enjoyed them. I am also aware that many of you are already very busy planting and working in gardens and landscaping.
I do hope that the frost is finally over now, it got many of us that had plants out early. Of course, that is a risk you take in planting early here in the mountains. Frost damage can look like dieback, burnt tips, and leaf curl. Most plants that are in good soil and healthy can recover from damage like this, but young plants and new growth is especially susceptible to this kind of damange and it could prove fatal in the event that the damage is severe enough. Covering plants with plastic that is weighted to the ground, buckets, or large pots can help, also you can water the folage of plants very early before the fost "lays" on the plant to prevent damage. This is especially helpful when plants such as blueberries or strawberries are in bloom.
I also wanted to include this picture of a dogwood bloom that I saw on my farm. The small dogwood had the largest blooms that I have ever seen and it was loaded down with them.
Well, good wishes and happy gardens.

Hello and Welcome

Hello and welcome to the Avery County lawns and gardens website. I hope that this will be a good resource site for those that are interested in gardens, lawns, and landscapes in the High County of North Carolina. I suppose an introduction is appropriate at this time.
My name is Adam Keener, I am a native to Avery County, graduate of Berea College which is located in Ky, married to a wonderful woman, Becky, father of one child, a wonderful and beautiful girl Callie Jo, working in my "dream job" as an Extension Agent in my hometown, working on getting a Masters degree from NCSU, and running a small farm of about 90 acres, 30+ acres are pasture, about 1/2 acre of gardens, horses, cattle, and chickens to round it out.
I hope that this little project will assist people with concerns and questions that they may have about general gardening, lawn care, and landscaping issues. I will try to update regularly, and address questions that I receive at the office or while I'm out and about.