Avery County Lawns and Gardens

4-H Chickens, Sheep, and Goats

2010-05-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

OK, I know this is a blog for lawns, gardens, and such but I wanted to share some exciting news. I have been incubating chicken eggs for the last three weeks, and they are starting to hatch today! The chickens are for the second annual 4-H chicken club and show! The show is held at the Avery Agriculture and Horticulture Fair on Saturday September 11, 2010!!!!! I have also arranged for 4-H to start sheep and goat showmanship club lambs and kids. We will have no less than two sheep and goats available for children to take home, raise, train, and show this year at the Fair! The sheep are "free" but come with some stricter responsibilities outlined in their contract. There will be a small fee for the goats but, less obligations will come with them. I am super excited and currently working on the contracts. I ask you, my followers for assistance in getting the word out, I need children to sign up or at least contact the office if they are interested in participating this year! So, Please help spread the word. And a big THANK YOU! for helping.

Farmers Market Now Open for the 2010 Season

2010-05-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that the Avery Farmer's Market will be open tomorrow! I hope to get there, the Newland Elementary School parking lot on Hwy 184 in Newland, to get some of the best food ever. Fresh asparagus, the famous Elk Park sour dough bread, local grass fed beef, the best goat cheese ever, transplants for my garden, and hopefully some great greens and other foods should be available. Only time will tell. If you are interested in participating please come on down, we kick off the season at 8 am on Saturday. I look forward to seeing you there!

NEW POST!!!!

2010-05-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggers, I know, I know, it has been a very long time sense my last post, and I know I've said that it wouldn't happen again...but, I must say that is has been a busy spring this year. I'm sure that I'm not the only one to feel this way. I haven't even been able to till my garden yet, with farm visits, training requirements, speaking at workshops, hosting workshops, teaching embryology at schools, lining up for the 4-H Chicken Club/Show, calving on the farm, etc..., I just haven't had the time to spend getting my own garden planted. Hopefully I will be able to get into the garden soon. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that my family is going to enlarge by one sometime around the 1st of August. How exciting. Well, enough rambling on, now to important things. Soil temperatures are up and it is time to get gardens well underway, ground should be ready, soil tests completed, fertilizer and lime applied, and ground prepared for planting. Now is the time for planting crops you are starting from seed! Transplants can wait for a little longer but, you should be sourcing out your plants already. Most garden seed needs soil temperatures above 55 degrees F for proper germination and some seed (such as corn) need soil temps above 65 degrees, we are now above or at that mark. So get your seed out and start planting! As for transplants, we still have a slight chance of seeing frost, even heavy frost in our area, especially in the higher elevations, so keeping a close eye on the forecast, and having frost protection in place will be critical to a successful growing season. If you can wait another 10 days, until May 21st, we should be out of our frost/freeze period and it should be safe to plant all transplants without worrying about protecting those young tender plants. Hopefully, I will be able to post regularly throughout the year and keep up to date information available for you.

Happy Gardening.

2010 Avery County Cooperative Extension Service Plant Sale

2010-03-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

That is right people. It is time for the 2010 Plant Sale! I know that winter has been long and everyone is now thinking of spring and planting new plants in their yards, gardens, and orchards. Well I think that this is going to be a great Plant Sale. We have some very popular heirloom apple varieties that you always look for, and new "too us" varieties of heirloom apples that have been asked for, for several years. We also have blueberries, strawberries, brambles, and other plants available this year. The sale is now underway and orders are coming in like crazy. If you want something that reminds you of the old apples you ate growing up, or just want to enjoy some of the terrific old time flavor make sure to get your orders in quickly. Don't forget, if you don't want apples but are interested in the other fruits we sell, we will in no way frown on you or turn you away. (Blueberries and strawberries for my little girl are a sure thing this year at the Keener house). We do hope to hear from you. You can get the catalog and order forms at the Avery County Extension Office, Avery True Value Hardware, Brinkley's Hardware, or Christa's Country Corner. You can also get it Here, and the Order Form Here.

Been a Long Time, and A Long Winter

2010-03-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

I know it has been some time since my last post. I want to apologize for the long absence. I would like to get started back up and will do my best to keep regular updates coming. I know that you, the readers, are wanting information and looking forward to getting news on a regular basis.

Speaking of long times.....Is it just me or has this been a long winter? We have seen more cold weather, and snow this year than we have in a very long time. With the ground being covered in snow and frozen for so long, I do hope that we will see a reduced number of insect problems during this next growing season. Today marked the first day since December 17, 2009 that I could see my entire front yard with zero snow on it! WOW.

So, now that we have seen a few days of warm weather I am more than ready for spring. I do, however, fear that we are not completely in the clear just yet. I know that we are chewing at the bit, when it comes to thinking of spring, and planting or gardening but I want to remind you all to be patient. I will not be long now until spring finally arrives. It is time to start planning, but not much else. I hope this finds you all well, safe, sound, and warm.

Questions of the month

2009-08-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-06-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

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.