Invasive Plant Workshop Asheville 9/19/07

You are invited to participate in an invasive plant workshop to be held at Blue Ridge Parkway headquarters conference room Wednesday September 19, 2007, 8:30-4:30. This training will provide a review of safety precautions, reading herbicide labels, plant identification, herbicide modes of action as well as some new information to keep you current. Pesticide Continuing Education Credits will be available for those who need them. Lunch will be provided and there is no fee for this workshop.

Headquarters is located at the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Hwy 74 - head north on the parkway for 0.5 mile and headquarters will be on your right at mile marker 384.5. The class is limited to 40 participants. Please respond to Nancy_Fraley@nps.gov to register, 828-296-0850 x100.


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

TIMS On-Line Decision Aide Offers Lawn Owners Irrigation Help During Drought!

Water conservation is everyone’s business, especially as the drought in NC worsens.

Through a cooperative effort between the Department of Crop Science and the State Climate Office of North Carolina at NC State University an internet based decision-aide entitled the Turf Irrigation Management System (TIMS) has been developed and is now available to the citizens of North Carolina. This simple to use system can be utilized by anyone from the dedicated turf professional to the homeowner to help make irrigation management decisions.

First, it guides you through your account set-up by asking a few simple questions about the type of grass, soil and irrigation system you have. After set-up, it calculates the amount of irrigation you need and keeps track of when and how much water you actually use. Once you have entered your address, climate information is read from the closest weather station which is part of the NC Climate Retrieval and Observations Network Of the Southeast (CRONOS) and the irrigation needed by your turf is calculated based on recent weather conditions including precipitation and evaporation.

This system will help you practice better water conservation for your lawn, landscape or other turfgrass areas in this critical time for water resources.

It is free to the public in NC and can be accessed at the following URL:
TIMS
The State Climate Office of North Carolina is a public-service center and extension of the UNC system housed at NC State University and the primary source for climate data and expertise in North Carolina. The mission of the State Climate Office is to provide climate related services to the state, local and federal agencies, businesses and citizens of North Carolina.



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

September Edition of Commercial Hort News- NOW AVAILABLE!!

Need-to-know information for the wonderful Green Industry in WNC!
http://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=site

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

2007 Nursery Short Course and Field Day

There will be a Nursery Short Course and Field Day on September 20th at the Mountain Horticulture Crops Research and Extension Center in Fletcher. All green industry professionals should schedule time to attend. The registration form is attached below.

2007 Nursery Short Course

Pesticide Credits are available at this short course!

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

Weed Control During the Drought

Having trouble managing weeds? This is just a reminder as to why that may be:

Why is it??? Crabgrass grows fine but my shrubs and lawn are drying up!

In a drought like this it seems that the only things that are growing -- are the weeds. But, now is not the time to apply herbicides to kill weeds. Herbicides don't work very well on wilting weeds. Post-emergence herbicides work better if applied about 2 days after rain -- BUT, that is not all. If it goes dry after that single rain event you may need to irrigate the weeds about 2 days after treatment to get them to die to the best of their ability.

Bottom line, post-emergence herbicides work better on actively growing weeds. If you do have to treat drought stricken weeds with herbicides, be prepared for a re-treatment after we get some rain because the weeds will likely come back.


from- Dr. Joseph C. Neal
Professor and Extension Specialist -- Weed Science
--------------------------------------------------
Two notes- Irrigated crops may have actively growing weeds that are sensitive to the herbicides and respond accordingly. Container nurseries may also want to consider an application of pre-emergent herbicides to control winter annuals.

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

Green Tips August Newsletter Online

The August edition of Green Tips is now posted on-line at GreenTips


Keep posted for new information as it comes available.

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

Cultural Control to Prevent Tree Pests

Healthy trees are often capable of combating mild insect attacks. In fact, many of the telephone calls we receive are about insects that normally only attack dead and dying trees and are not the cause of the tree's problem. What can you do for a tree to keep it healthy? Here is a short list.

1. Make sure the tree receives the appropriate amount of sunlight for the species.
2. In my opinion, trees (especially established trees) need zero or little added fertilizer. Extra nitrogen can cause overgrowth or might encourage certain insects.
3. Perform a soil test to see if soil conditions are appropriate for the tree.
4. Minimize turf around the root zone. Use mulch if possible, but NOT against the bark. Apply mulch three inches deep at the most. Turf and tree roots are in direct competition for water. Regular lawn fertilization is not beneficial to the tree.
5. In order to reduce soil compaction, avoid parking vehicles, having playgrounds or conducting other heavy traffic activities beneath a tree.
6. Don't change the oil from the old 1960 Ford Galaxy (that you've been restoring to look like the police car from The Andy Griffith Show) under the tree.
7. Quickly prune out any newly damaged limbs. Tree injuries can attract insects within hours.
8. Drought conditions may not have a noticeable impact on established trees the first year. Repeated dry conditions may result in a problem two or three seasons later. If possible, practical and affordable, watering a specimen tree might be justifiable. Ask about the best way to do this if you are unsure.
9. Keep that mower and weed trimmer away from the bark.

From Dr. Steve Bambara, NCSU Entomologist


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

Landscape Pests of Concern in August

* Yellow jacket populations are nearing their peak, with a
higher likelihood of negative encounters.
* Bagworms will be large and stripping Leyland cypress trees and junipers, remove by hand as there are no effective chemicals now.
* Fall webworms will be very noticeable in pecan, sourwood, wild cherry and hickory trees.
* Be on the lookout for fall armyworms in turf, especially newly-sodded lawns.
* Cicada killer wasps may be more noticeable.
* Spider mite injury is now very evident.


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

Certified Turfgrass Professional Short Course

The Certified Turfgrass Professional Short Course is coming up soon. Be sure to follow this link to the registration site and more information about the class:
CTP Short Course