Friday, March 27, 2009

Working Lands Protection Program Survey Deadline Approaching

FORT BRAGG, NC (MAR 26) - The Fort Bragg/Pope AFB BRAC Regional Task Force today announced that the deadline to complete Working Lands Protection Program survey is approaching. The BRAC RTF, in conjunction with the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center at Mount Olive College, is working to develop a Working Lands Protection Plan for each of our eleven counties.

Surveys are available online at www.bracrtf.com, at each participating agency's Web site, and at each county's Cooperative Extension office. All surveys must be completed online or delivered to a county extension office by April 15.

The survey responses will provide a better understanding of agriculture and will also be used to evaluate the types of economic incentives offered to farmers and agri-businesses.
Non-farm resident participation is essential to ensure that issues such as green space and planned development are part of the plan as well. Farms and forests provide the ideal 'compatible land use' around Fort Bragg and at the same time provide numerous benefits to the county and its residents.

To receive a survey or for additional information, please contact Grace Lawrence, WLPP Director at (919) 518-6463 or glawrence@bracrtf.com.

The BRAC Regional Task Force was established to unify the BRAC regional planning efforts of the 11 counties and 73 municipalities surrounding Fort Bragg and Pope AFB. BRAC RTF serves as the liaison between the military; the communities; state and federal agencies designated to provide community assistance for BRAC. For more information go to http://www.bracrtf.com.
Contact:

Renee Lane
BRAC RTF Communications Outreach Coordinator
rlane@bracrtf.com
910-436-1345


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Who influences purchases of native plants?

MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS--Native plants are a growing niche market in the
southeastern United States. Researchers have documented recent trends toward
increased interest in native plants by landscape architects, wholesale and
retail nursery owners, and home gardeners. But landscape professionals and
amateur gardeners purchase native plants for distinctly different reasons.
Statistics reveal that landscape architects most often select native species
because they are suited to difficult or unique growing conditions, while
retail plant buyers purchase native plants based on recommendations from
landscape architects and contractors.

Check out the data files for this question at: ASHS Horticulture File


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Water Wise Works

Two new brochures are out from the NC Green Industry Council; Water Wise Works and Watering Tips Guide. These brochures can be ordered along with a banner, display racks and other marketing materials. Contact the Green Industry Council for ordering information regarding these materials. Water Wise Works If you have not visited their informative site do so by linking to NC Green Industry Council

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Weekly Word on Weeds

English Ivy Control – Best Done in the Spring

Although English ivy is a popular ornamental ground cover, it can also be an invasive and aggressive weed of woody parks and landscapes. Woody evergreen plants like English ivy can be quite tolerant of common herbicides such as glyphosate. In fact, I recall hearing recommendations in the 1970’s for over the top applications of glyphosate to remove poison ivy in English ivy beds (not something we currently recommend by the way). In response to many requests for information on how to control this weed, Dr. Walt Skroch, Professor Emeritus at NCSU directed his young and inexperienced graduate student (that was me in 1983) to find out how to kill this pest.

We found that English ivy was controlled by glyphosate applied in the spring, when plants had 2 to 4 new leaves. Later applications were much less effective. Late summer and Fall applications were essentially ineffective. I’ve not seen anything better since those experiments.

So, here is my recommendation for control of English ivy:

Glyphosate -- use any of the 41% or greater active ingredient formulations
Ø Mix 2 to 3 percent by volume with water
Ø Apply in the spring when plants have 2 to 4 new leaves, thorough coverage is essential but NOT to the point of run off
Ø Re-treat when re-growth appears (about 6 weeks later)
Ø Repeat next spring if needed.


Will this recipe work for other evergreen vines like common periwinkle (Vinca minor)? Had you asked me this question two years ago, my answer would be “most likely”. But recent research at NCSU has show otherwise. Vinca was best controlled with glyphosate applied in the fall but poorly controlled by spring applications. So, sometimes our “best guesses” turn out to be wrong and there is no substitute for actually doing the research to find the most effective treatments.

Joseph C. Neal
Professor and Extension Specialist -- Weed Science







For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Support Landscape Tree Health, Seminar on April 14!!


Understanding and managing for environmental stress and pests. This workshop is presented in partnership with The NC Urban Forestry Council, NC Cooperative Extension, The NC Arboretum and Asheville Green Works. Speakers include Barbara Fair, NCSU Department of Horticulture, Anthony LeBude, NCSU Extension and Paul Merten, USFS. CEU's available: 3.0 ISA, 3.0 SAF and 1 NC Pesticide credit (LNDX). Please register through the NC Urban Forest Council: http://www.ncufc.org/ (336)774-0215. Earlybird registration by April 7: $20 for NCUFCmembers/ $40 for nonmembers.


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Granulate Ambrosia Beetle Alert

This message from Dr.Steven Frank. Please note that Granulate Ambrosia Beetles have been found here in Henderson County. Be on the look-out for these insects and let us know if you suspect that you have them. Please note the preventative measures recommended in the article below!

This is the second alert from the Granulate Ambrosia Beetle Monitoring and
Alert program.

Granulate ambrosia beetles were captured in Henderson Co. which is in the
Western part of the state zone 7a-6b. Ambrosia beetle damage was seen in
Johnston Co. also. These at least one detection has been made at each end
of the state. That in combination with current warm weather suggests
growers should begin protecting susceptible trees with preventative
applications of a pyrethroid insecticide.

Recommendations: A landscape borer spray containing a pyrethroid such as
permethrin or bifenthrin can be used and may have to be reapplied every
two to three weeks while beetles are active. A surfactant or sticker may
help the insecticide adhere to bark and provide longer protection.

Astro, Permethrin Pro (permethrins), and Onyx (bifenthrin) are registered
for use on tree trunks in the landscape.

For nursery sites Perm-Up (permethrin) is labeled for field grown nursery
stock. OnyxPro (bifenthrin) is labeled for application to tree trunks in
landscape and nursery sites.

Generic equivalents to the above products are also acceptable.

More details on Granulate Ambrosia Beetle can be found at
Granulate Ambrosia Beetle

If you have other questions DO NOT reply to this email. Contact me at
sdfrank@ncsu.edu

For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

What Was The Marketing Department Thinking?

Weekly Word on Weeds from Dr. Joe Neal.
"I was just looking through a catalogue from one of the major suppliers to our industries and was surprised by what I found in the herbicide section – “Image” herbicide -- but not exactly the Image herbicide we know.

OK, first a bit of background. If you manage warm season turf you are probably familiar with this herbicide – it contains the active ingredient “imazaquin”. Imazaquin is a postemergence herbicide with foliar and root absorption, used to control nutsedge, dollar weed (penny wort) and several other hard to kill weeds in warm season turf and around some established woody plants. I generally do not recommend this herbicide for use in landscape beds because of the risk of damage to many species of woody and herbaceous ornamentals from root uptake.

So, what surprised me enough to make this a topic for my weekly word on weeds? There were three “Image” herbicides, each with a different active ingredient but the same Trade Name. One contained MSMA, a postemergence herbicide for crabgrass and nutsedge control in warm season and cool-season turf. The second “Image” contained atrazine, a preemergence herbicide for broadleaf weed control in warm season turf but not cool-season turf. The third “Image” is the one we are familiar with containing imazaquin.

So, what does that have to do with weed control in ornamentals you might wonder (since I don't recommend the use of any of these in landscape beds anyway). This underscores the need for you, the user, to read the label.

Here is another example. Have you used the herbicide Vantage for over the top applications in ornamentals for crabgrass control in the past? If so, you will be surprised to learn that Vantage is now another name for glyphosate – NOT sethoxydim. The new name for sethoxydim in ornamentals is “Segment”. But, there is still Vantage = sethoxydim in warehouses and on the shelves.

Why does this sort of thing happen? Fortunately this is name changing is not common in the ornamentals market, but it does happen. Marketing departments often like to capitalize on brand name recognition, sometimes (in my opinion) casting common sense to the wind. So, before you buy, read the label and list of ingredients. Make sure you are purchasing the active ingredient you actually want. "



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Weekly Word on Weeds

Even though the record cold weather may damage some of our desirable landscape plants – don't worry about those weeds. They will be just fine.

Winter annuals will need to be controlled
Chickweed, henbit, annual bluegrass and vetch are lurking; insulated under a blanket of snow they are protected from the harsh weather and will be ready to grow, flower and seed when the snow melts. Control these weeds while they are small and before they set seeds. Most winter annual weeds can be controlled with non-selective postemergence herbicides such as diquat (Reward) or glufosinate (Finale). What about glyphosate you may ask. Glyphosate does work on these weeds but it works very slowly in this cold weather.

Annual bluegrass can be selectively controlled in landscape beds with clethodim (Envoy). It will take several weeks for the annual bluegrass to die, but Evoy is selective and can be applied over the top of many broadleaf ornamental plants.

Vetch can be particularly difficult to control in landscape plantings. Clopyralid (Lontrel) controls vetch but must be used as a directed application around woody plants – not over the top of ornamentals. Lontrel works by foliar absorption but has some root uptake as well, so follow the label directions for dose and avoid applications near sensitive species – particularly herbaceous perennials in the aster and legume families.


Sureguard – a new herbicide labeled for use in landscapes:
Sureguard is a sprayable formulation of flumioxazin. This herbicide has been labeled for directed applications in field nurseries for preemergence control of broadleaf weeds. It has also been popular as a sanitation treatment in gravel areas of container nurseries. It is now labeled for use around woody landscape plants and for weed control in and around hardscapes. Advantages include good broadleaf weed control, no staining, some postmergence as well as preemergence weed control. Disadvantages: Sureguard will injure herbaceous ornamentals, will injure woody ornamentals if applied to the foliage or green stems, and will damage turf if applied directly to the grass.

My highly opinionated advice on Sureguard for landscape use:
This may be a good option for weed control in hardscapes where weeds emerge in the cracks around brick or stone pavers. Also, in woody plant beds such as tree islands, median strips, or along fence rows. Sureguard is a good partner with postemergence herbicides such as glyphosate, glufosinate or diquat.



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

The Importance of Farmland in Your Community

April 2, 2009
The Importance of Farmland in Your Community
7 - 8:30 pm
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center Auditorium
455 Research Drive
Mills River, NC 28759

Farmland is important to residents of Henderson and Transylvania Counties. At this meeting we will report on the findings of two three-year studies on the value of farmland and ways to keep farming prosperous in your community. The Farmland Values Project is led by Leah Greden Mathews at UNC Asheville and the Farm Prosperity Project is led by Jeanine Davis at the NC State Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. The Farmland Values Project will share results from surveys and focus groups about what local residents and visitors value about farmland, including their willingness to contribute to local farm protection efforts. Results confirm the importance of farmland for maintaining residents’ quality of life, access to local food, and the scenic beauty of our region. The Farm Prosperity Project will explain how they worked with local farmers to develop tools to help farmers make decisions about their farms, how to preserve them, and what to grow. They will also discuss the research that has been conducted on organic and heirloom tomatoes. This meeting and three others in surrounding counties are designed specifically for the general public. There will also be a meeting for farmers (March 12) and one for local officials (April 15). Please call Terri Schell at 684-3562 to reserve a seat. Walk-ins are welcome, but we can plan better if you call ahead. Directions can be found at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher. More information is available about these projects at http://www.unca.edu/farmlandvalues and http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/specialty_crops/farmprosperity/index.htm. These projects are funded by grants from the USDA-CSREES Small and Mid-Sized Farms Program. The Farmland Values and Farm Prosperity projects are supported by the National Research Initiative of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, grants #2005-35618-15647 and #2005-35618-15645.


For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.

Keeping Our Local Farms Viable: A Meeting for Farmers

March 12, 2009
Keeping Our Local Farms Viable: A Meeting for Farmers
6 to 8 pm
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center Auditorium
455 Research Drive
Mills River, NC 28759

Farmers are invited to a dinner meeting to hear the results of two research projects that examined the importance of farming in our community and how to keep farming viable in the future. The Farm Prosperity Project is led by Jeanine Davis at the NC State Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River and Farmland Values Project is led by Leah Greden Mathews at UNC Asheville. Working with six other organizations, including three land trusts, the Farm Prosperity Project sought to develop an integrated approach to help farmers identify the best combination of farmland protection techniques and new agricultural opportunities to help keep their farms viable. At this meeting, the group will report on the tools that they developed to help farmers make decisions about their farms, including how to preserve the farm for future generations and how to make choices about new agricultural enterprises. Results from the demonstration research project on organic and heirloom tomatoes will also be presented. The Farmland Values Project will share what local residents and visitors think about farming and farmland. You might be surprised! Because a dinner is being served, reservations are required. Please call Terri Schell at the Research and Extension Center at 684-3562 to make your reservation. This meeting is designed specifically for farmers. There will also be four other meetings for the general public (March 19, March 26, April 2 and April 9) and one for local officials (April 15). Directions can be found at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher. More information is available about these projects at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/specialty_crops/farmprosperity/index.htm and http://www.unca.edu/farmlandvalues. These projects are funded by grants from the USDA-CSREES Small and Mid-Sized Farms Program. The Farm Prosperity and Farmland Values projects are supported by the National Research Initiative of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, grants #2005-35618-15647 and #2005-35618-15645.



For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.