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Welcome to Garden Zone, a monthly newsletter for anyone interested in gardening. ​​It's produced by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in Mecklenburg County.

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July Garden Tasks

The growth of many plants and insects can increase with the temperatures, and watering becomes even more of a priority! Here are some things to consider:

Perennials, annuals, bulbs
🏡 Inspect your plants regularly. Aphids, beetles, thrips and white flies are at their worst in July. You can hand pick and drown them in a bucket of soapy water.
🏡 If needed, divide and transplant daylilies, irises and peonies after they bloom.
🏡 Remove spent flowers from perennials and annuals to promote plant growth.
🏡 Remove one-third of growth off fall-blooming perennials to encourage abundant flowers and compact growth.

Vegetables
🏡 Plant beans and carrots now. Collard plants and brussel sprouts can be set out mid-July.
🏡 Through August, start seeds indoors for collards, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.
🏡 Plant tomatoes for fall.

Trees, shrubs and groundcovers
🏡 Fertilize trees and shrubs for the last time this year.
🏡 Do not prune spring flowering shrubs after July 15.
🏡 If shrubs need light trimming, do it now. Otherwise, the tender regrowth could be killed back over the winter.
🏡 Hot, dry weather fosters powdery mildew. Once spotted, spray every 7-14 days. Spider mites are another problem during hot, dry weather. Reduce their numbers with horticulture oil or spray with insecticidal soap.

Gardening in a Changing Climate: Take Home

By EMG Alden Picard

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It is critical to start taking climate change seriously now. This is not a problem to worry about later. The impacts are being felt across the globe today. The fact of the matter is that, since the Industrial Revolution, humans have changed the chemistry of the atmosphere. Carbon has been removed from the earth in the form of coal, crude oil or other fossil fuels; and then burned for energy production releasing greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

Since 1895, this unnatural transfer of carbon from the geosphere (land) to the atmosphere (air) has increased the global average temperature of our planet by 1.8 F degrees. This rapid rate of warming is certainly cause for alarm. Warming temperatures, coupled with increased development, have changed the planet and created environments that are marginalized and no longer function as part of a “natural” system. This poses great challenges for agriculture and horticulture alike.

Climate change is leading to erratic freezes and inconsistent winter chilling hours impacting the production of fruit crops. These novel conditions will likely lead to the emergence of new and unpredictable insect pests. Rainfall extremes and intense droughts are becoming more common leaving garden crops more susceptible to pests and disease. The increase in extreme summer heat is putting additional stress on plants and creating unsafe conditions for working outside. Fortunately, that are strategies available to face these challenges head on.

Incorporating biodiversity as a tool into your garden and home landscape is critical to mitigating these impacts. Diverse ecosystems are more resilient when faced with environmental and biological stressors. Use cisterns or features in your landscape like rain gardens and swales to hold valuable water onsite during rainfall extremes. Consider reducing your lawn and increasing the vegetative cover throughout your property to cool the ambient temperature. Lastly, it is essential to select the right plants. Plants that are adapted to the cultural conditions (listed above) of a warmer climate will generally fare better. This means utilizing plants in your garden that might be considered nonnative.

Photo courtesy of NCSU Rebecca Ward

The Doomsday Global Seed Vault

by EMG Amy Russell

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Despite it’s apocalyptic nickname, the “doomsday” vault maintains the world’s largest collection of agricultural biodiversity and helps protect against the loss of agricultural genetic material.  It holds the most diverse collection of food crop seeds in the world in an effort to safeguard as much of the world’s unique crop genetic material as possible.  Thirteen hundred kilometers into the Arctic Circle, deep in permafrost and thick rock, over 1.2 million seed samples from almost every country in the world are stored at less than -18° C at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.  Located on an archipelago in Norway, the seed vault opened in 2008 to provide safe and secure long-term storage for multiple varieties of essential food crops.  

With a capacity to store 4.5 million varieties of crops, and each packet consisting of an average of five hundred seeds, the Seed Vault has the capacity to hold 2.5 billion seeds!  Due to the naturally sub -18° C temperatures, low levels of humidity, geologic stability and its position well above sea level, the Seed Vault is uniquely positioned to ensure low metabolic activity within the seeds and keep seeds viable for an extended period of time.  It is located at the northernmost location reached by commercial air flights and, while it’s entry is built into the side of the mountain, the vault itself is situated 430 feet into the mountain.  It is owned by the country of Norway and managed by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the regional gene bank NordGen and the Crop Trust.  

Photos courtesy of: Pinterest, Design you can trust, and Blogspot

See video at the following link: https://seedvaultvirtualtour.com/

Creating Eden:  Rhythm = Scale, Harmony, Balance, Repetition

By EMG Sylvia Hindman

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What do you like in this garden photo?  Is it the way the path gently curves?  Or perhaps the repeated color of the golden grasses or the blueish evergreens?  This garden is a good example of ‘rhythm’ with its flowing design and repetition of plants and colors.  It isn’t symmetrical but it is balanced.  And the scale of these plants complement each other, ranging from low-growing to mid-size to upright. 

Your garden, no matter the size or style or function, can have rhythm by being aware of the principles of scale, harmony, balance and repetition.  Use drifts of color and similar shapes by incorporating groups of the same plants (it doesn’t matter if they are annuals, grasses, herbs, conifers, even vegetables).  Plant what you like but don’t plant individual polka-dots as so many plant collectors do.  By grouping or using similar color palettes, you will unify the space and create a more pleasing garden. The importance of scale often depends on the size of your property.  A massive evergreen in front of a small house will be as out of place as using only ground-covers in front of a large mansion.  

Rocks, stairs, walls, planters, or hedges will also help lead your eye through the garden and create harmony.  Just as you might sway back and forth when enjoying music, there is a feeling of flowing, being uplifted, happier, and more peaceful when in a well-designed garden.  

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCullough

To drink almond milk or not to drink almond milk…  By EMG Gina Tadle

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Almond milk has gained popularity in recent years as a dairy-free alternative, but a dark truth lies behind its production. Pollination of almond trees requires millions of bees, and their transport and exploitation have turned into a lucrative business. Beekeepers from all over the United States travel to California each year to rent their hives to almond growers. Once the trees have been pollinated, the bees are often subjected to harmful pesticides used in the almond orchards, which can cause severe health problems and sometimes death.

Furthermore, the high demand for almond milk means that almond growers need to maximize production. This leads to the destruction of natural habitats and the displacement of native bee populations. The monoculture of almond trees deprives bees of the diversity of pollen and nectar that they need to maintain a healthy diet.

The alarming decline of bee populations has been linked to colony collapse disorder, which is likely caused by a combination of factors such as pesticides, habitat loss, and disease. Losing bees would have a devastating impact on food production as they are responsible for pollinating crops that account for one-third of our diet.

Therefore, it is crucial to support sustainable and ethical farming practices that prioritize the health and well-being of bees and other pollinators. Consumers can also make a difference by reducing their consumption of almond milk and opting for locally sourced and seasonal produce instead.

Photo courtesy of: Bing, Healthimpactnews, and aginfo.net

English Ivy Control by EMG Jean Wilson

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English Ivy remains a big problem in Charlotte. Many of us who move into established neighborhoods discover yards and trees covered with vines that were planted years before or spread onto our property from seeds of neighborhood infestations. Trees can die and fall due to the weight of the ivy leaves and vines. The ivy can carry a bacterial disease that can infect the trees. Mosquitoes lurk beneath the thick cover of leaves on the ground. The vines choke out all other vegetation, including the native wildflowers that our pollinators require, as they move into natural areas and continue to spread.

In removing them, the first thing to do is cut the vines where they are climbing trees. Cut a gap of one to two feet and leave the vine in the tree. It will die and be easy to pull down in 6 months or so without damaging the tree. It can be helpful to dab herbicide on both cut surfaces of the vine. Vines on the ground can be dug out fairly easily if the ground is soft and moist. If there are no other plants remaining in the ivy patch, it is possible to use herbicide according to the directions. Because the mature leaves are heavily waxed, it is helpful to start by weed whacking the leaves off and then spraying the new growth. It may take some weeks for the ivy to completely die.

Photo courtesy of EMG Jean Wilson

Introduction to Trap Cropping by EMG Stacy Hodes

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If you are looking for a way to deter pests from attacking your vegetables, trap cropping may bring some relief.  A trap crop is a sacrificial plant that draws pests away from your desirable plants.  Things to keep in mind:

  • The trap plant must be planted earlier than the other plants so it is bigger and more tempting to the pests.  
  • It should be planted nearby, but not directly next to, the desirable plants. 
  • It could be the same type of plant or a plant that attracts the same pest. 
  • The trap crop should be treated with a pesticide to control the population of the pest.  If you want to avoid chemicals, remove the bugs and put them in soapy water.

Want to control Japanese Beetles?  Trap crops include soybeans, zinnias, or white roses. 

Got issues with cucumber beetles on your cucurbits (cucumbers, melons, squash, etc.)?  Blue Hubbard squash is a good trap crop.

Squash Bugs on your squash?  Use squash as a trap crop.

Harlequin bugs on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish and turnips?   Trap crops include radishes, turnips, or mustard plants.

Corn and Cabbage maggots?  Radishes are a good trap crop.  

Here are a few research-based resources to provide a more in-depth look at this interesting and integrated approach to controlling pests in your garden. 

Trap Cropping - https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2017/3/Trap_cropping/

Using Trap Crops to Minimize Damage by Insect Pests to Veggies https://ipm.missouri.edu/MPG/2011/5/Using-Trap-Crops-to-Minimize-Damage-by-Insect-Pests-to-Veggies/index.cfm

Trap Cropping for Small Market Vegetable Growers https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1118&title=trap-cropping-for-small-market-vegetable-growers

Photo courtesy of NCSU Plant Toolbox

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Do wasps fertilize figs by EMG Gina Tadle 

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Wasps have a fascinating relationship with figs, but their role can be more accurately described as facilitating pollination rather than directly fertilizing the figs. Figs are unique because they have a specialized structure called a syconium, which is essentially a hollow inverted flower with the flowers lining its inner surface. Each fig syconium depends on a specific wasp species for pollination.

The wasp that is associated with fig pollination is known as fig wasp. The life cycle of the fig wasp is closely intertwined with that of the fig tree. Female fig wasps carry pollen from the male flowers of one fig to the female flowers of another fig. As the wasp crawls inside the syconium to lay her eggs, she inadvertently deposits pollen on the receptive female flowers, thus pollinating them.

The fig tree has coevolved with fig wasps for millions of years, resulting in a highly specialized mutualistic relationship. The fig provides a safe environment for the wasp to lay her eggs and provides nourishment for the developing wasp larvae. In return, the fig wasp ensures the fig's pollination and fertilization, allowing it to produce seeds and fruit.

It is important to note that not all fig species require wasp pollination. Some cultivated varieties, such as common edible figs (Ficus carica), are parthenocarpic, meaning they can produce fruit without the need for pollination or fertilization. These figs are often seedless and do not rely on fig wasps for reproduction.

In summary, while wasps do not directly fertilize figs, they play a critical role in their pollination by facilitating the transfer of pollen between fig flowers, ensuring the figs' successful reproduction and fruit production.

Photos courtesy of Pinterest, and EMG Gina Tadle

GATHERING HERBS BY EMG CONNIE ROTHWELL

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Seasoning summer dishes with fresh herbs is one of summer’s joys.  Herbs thrive on being snipped throughout the summer.  Since a plant’s prime goal is to “go to seed,” invigorate them by harvesting often, especially the fragrant and tasty flowers.   Cutting larger leaves, from basil, for example, allows smaller leaves to get more light.  Cut all the way back to a sturdy stem to create bushier growth, keeping the plants shaped and not top heavy.

Herbs are low feeders, so fertilize at half strength every four weeks, especially if plants are in pots or poor soil. Most herbs are happiest when simply watered regularly.  Put your harvest in a vase of water; often the cuttings will form roots. Otherwise, wrap in a damp towel and store in a cool place. 

If you notice your parsley disappearing, it is most likely the Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar this is munching it away.  Sacrificing your garnish for a beautiful butterfly might not be a bad deal.  Next year, plant more to share!

Perennial herbs, such as lavender, rosemary, oregano, sage, marjoram, mint, bay laurel, thyme, lemon balm, chives, and tarragon can be snipped up to a month before the last frost.  Annuals, such as basil and cilantro, will die at the first frost, so harvest as much as possible during the summer, then let some go to seed for next spring’s planting.  Parsley and dill are biennial: they thrive the first year, grow through the winter, then go to seed the second year. 

“Vegetables, herbs and spices. If you can combine those ingredients, that would be the best dish you’d ever cook!” ~ Chef Rinrin Marinka

Photos courtesy of Pixabay

Take Safety Seriously By EMG Stacy Hodes

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How often have you been told to make sure to drink plenty of water; put on sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat; and wear gloves for protection when working outdoors?  These are important safety tips, but they are not the only precautions you need to take.  Here’s a helpful checklist:  

Just as with other types of exercise, warming up helps keep muscles from aching.  A few minutes of stretching or just walking around is all that is needed. 

The repetitive motions of digging, pruning, and raking wreck havoc on tendons and nerves.  Take a break between tasks or at least alternate them occasionally.  

Bending and lifting can cause serious injury.  Avoid bending whenever possible by kneeling on a kneeling pad or sitting on a stool.  Bend your legs to lift objects and carry heavy items close against your body.  Better yet, get a wheelbarrow!

Apply insect repellant when working in areas infested with mosquitos and ticks.  Tuck your pants into your socks, wear long sleeves and a hat.  And check yourself outside for bugs and insects before entering the house.

How long has it been since your last Tetanus shot? It is recommended that you receive a booster every 10 years.  Tetanus bacteria is commonly found in soil and manure and can enter your skin through cuts and scrapes.  

Protect against allergic reactions by wearing a nose and mouth mask and sunglasses or protective eyewear to keep dirt and pollen from entering your system.  

Wear supportive footwear - no sandals or flip-flops. Shoes that fit securely and have good traction will prevent tripping or falling.  

And, finally, get up and stretch every half hour.  A cool drink of water and sitting in the shade will invigorate you so that gardening tasks are more manageable.  

Photos courtesy of 123RF and iStock

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The Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener Volunteer (EMGV) program operates under the Mecklenburg Center of the NC Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES), a part of NC State University and NC A&T State University. 

NCCES is a part of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identify, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.