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By Joanne K, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, Pitt County Extension Office One of the first surprises for Northerners moving South is the sight of beautiful flowers blooming in January. One of the best is the beloved camellia with cultivars whose bloom times span the seasons from early fall into late spring adding vibrant color to the landscape. Their flowers are also important providers of nectar for bees when little else is blooming. More than 1000 years ago, wild species of this evergreen native of southeastern Asia were selected and bred by the Chinese and Japanese to develop the cultivars grown today. With more than 200 species and thousands of cultivars worldwide, the most common ones grown in eastern NC can be divided into two groups based on bloom time.
Fragrant Camellia sasanqua blooms from September through December. Its flowers are single or semi-double in pink, white, or a combination of the two. While smaller than the japonica flower, it sports more blooms. Sasanqua tolerates more sun than other camellias but does best with afternoon shade.
Camellia japonica may bloom as early as October and end in March. Its flowers may be single, semi-double, double, formal double, or full peony form. Colors range from pure white, pink, and red to color variations. Japonica grows best in dappled shade. Camellias are slow growers, but heavy feeders. According to NC State Extension, the time to fertilize camellias is after they finish blooming in March and April and before they put out new growth.  Camellia japonica 'Grace Albritton', skdavidson, CC BY-SA 2.5 In May, an optional application can be applied. Finally, in early July, fertilizer can be applied again to promote bud development. Don't fertilize after July to avoid promoting new growth that could be damaged by cold weather.
Look for slow-release fertilizers for acid-loving plants like camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons. Before applying, clear the mulch back to the drip line—that's the farthest point to which the plant's branches extend. This is where water drips off the leaves into the shallow feeder roots that absorb the nutrients feeding the plant. Follow the label instructions and apply it directly on top of the soil. After that, water thoroughly to allow it to reach the roots. The mulch can then be raked back in place. Leaving the mulch in place when fertilizing reduces its effectiveness. Camellias bloom on old wood. Be careful to prune shortly after the plant finishes flowering to avoid cutting off the buds for next year's flowers. Pruning is done to shape and control the size of the shrubs. Diseased, dead, or damaged branches can be cut back at any time. Camellias are susceptible to a variety of insects, diseases, and plant problems. Scale is a common insect problem. Aphids and spider mites may be problems. Various fungal diseases can also plague camellias. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a fact sheet detailing common camellia diseases and insect pests at https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/camellia-diseases-insect-pests/ Gardeners can also contact the Pitt County Master Gardener Information Line for help at 252-902-1700. At the Pitt County Arboretum, camellias grow in the Perennial Border and the Walking Garden. In Manteo, NC, the Elizabethan Gardens feature more than 85 varieties of camellias encircling the Great Lawn. Beginning in the fall and continuing into spring, this gorgeous display of color with a wide variety of flower shapes and sizes is well worth a trip to Manteo. https://www.outerbanks.org/things-to-do/museums-and-historic-sites/the-elizabethan-gardens/ For more information NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: https://emgintranet.ces.ncsu.edu/ A Gardener's Guide to Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs: https://eit-wagpress-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/a-gardeners-guide-to-fertilizing-trees-and-shrubs.pdf
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Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer "I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree." These opening lines of the classic poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer perfectly express the love that gardeners have for trees in our gardens. The winter silhouettes of deciduous trees, the early spring flowers of dogwoods and cherries, the gorgeous oranges, reds, and yellows of fall leaves all add to the beauty of our landscapes. Early spring is an ideal time to add this beauty to your landscape. Planting trees in cooler temperatures when they are dormant allows the roots to settle in before the stress of summer heat and humidity takes hold. Trees benefit the environment in many ways. Their beauty enhances the appearance of gardens and neighborhoods making them inviting places to live and visit. Studies have shown that time spent outdoors reduces stress and enhances mental well-being. In addition, trees add so much value to your property and the environment by providing cooling shade in the summer, screening for privacy, nesting sites for birds, food for pollinators and wildlife, wind protection, removal of air pollutants, improvement of soil health, and storm water filtration. Native trees are particularly valuable landscape additions as they evolved over thousands of years adapting to the local environment without human manipulation. That has acclimated them to local climates, soils, and other environmental factors. As such, they are vital to a healthy ecosystem supporting pollinators, birds, insects, birds, and mammals. The following are some native trees to add to your landscape.
Redbud, Cercis canadensis, is flowering now in eastern NC. It's a slow-growing tree reaching from 15 to 30 feet high. It grows best in full sun to partial shade in moist soil. Reddish-purple flowers appear along the branches ahead of the leaves. It's a favorite of native bees and other pollinators. It's a host plant for 12 species of the butterflies and moths, including Henry's Elfin Butterfly (Callophrys henrici) and the Redbud Leaffolder Moth (Fasciata cercerisella). Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus, is a deciduous tree growing 12 to 20 feet tall forming a wide multi-stemmed shape. It grows in average, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Its fragrant, creamy white flowers bloom in late spring. Its blue-black fruits provide nutrition for birds and wildlife.
Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana, is an evergreen in the cypress family. This juniper tolerates a wide variety of soils growing up to 30 to 40 feet tall with a width of 10 to 20 feet. Although viewed as weedy by some gardeners, it's a tough, dependable salt-tolerant tree. The small, round blue cones ("juniper berries") of the female tree are favored by cedar waxwings. For the Juniper hairstreak and the Imperial moth, it's a host plant for their moth larvae. Carolina Silverbell, Halesia carolina, grows best in moist soil in partial shade as heat and drought stress it. In summer, it will need additional watering. Its height varies from 10 to 40 feet tall, but it frequently grows in a multi-stemmed shrubby form. Its white bell-shaped flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
Colonists called the Sweet Bay Magnolia the "Beaver Tree" because its fleshy roots were used as bait in beaver traps. Sweet Bay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 For more information on planting trees and on native plants, go to the following links:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/11-woody-ornamentals https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/12-native-plants https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/gardening-plants/trees-3/ https://ncwf.org/habitat/native-pollinator-plants/trees/ Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Year-round landscape color is a goal of many gardeners, but some seasons, such as winter, are more challenging than others. Here in Eastern NC we have gorgeous camellia varieties that start blooming in red, white, and pink in the fall and continue into spring. But what other plants can brighten the winter scene? Luckily for us our planting zone between 8a and 8b is mild enough to support a number of colorful plants from late fall into early spring. The following are some shrubs that shine this time of year.
During the winter, the flowers and/or berries of all of these plants provide critical sustenance for a variety of pollinators, including birds, bees, and butterflies, when other food sources are scarce. Additionally, the evergreen shrubs provide shelter and protection for birds and wildlife from the cold and predators.
Adding one or more of these plants to your landscape will not only enliven it with cheerful winter color but also provide essential nutrients and/or cover for our pollinators. For more information about these plants, go to the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants. Also, take a trip to the Pitt County Arboretum to see its winter blooms. Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Visitors to the South are frequently surprised to see long squiggly gray clumps dripping from trees, fences, and telephone poles and wonder what they are. Those wild-looking masses are Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), a signature plant of the South. A native of the southern U.S., the stems of Spanish moss form curtains up to 20 feet long, creating its distinctive beard-like appearance. Spanish moss can be found from southern Virginia to eastern Texas growing along the moist coastal regions. It's also native throughout much of Mexico and Central and South America.
Birds and the wind can also carry tiny pieces of moss to new areas to produce new plants. Another means of propagation is to tear off a piece of the plant and put it on some type of support. The adult plant does not have aerial roots. Instead, it has specialized gray scales on its stems and leaves to absorb the moisture and nutrients from the environment needed to thrive. Although they are normally a gray color, these scales will turn green when it rains. High humidity is required for Spanish moss to grow. During droughts it goes dormant until the rain returns.
In the early 20th century, Spanish moss factories were common throughout Florida and Louisiana. These factories harvested, processed, and marketed Spanish moss for many uses, such as insulation, packing materials, bedding, rope, and stuffing for furniture and car seats. The development of synthetic products for these purposes ended this business in mid-century.
According to Vince Bells, retired ECU botanist, John Lawson, the Englishman who explored the Carolinas in the early 1700s, noted in his journal that the Indians used it to thatch roofs and diaper babies. Spanish moss is now used mainly for decorative purposes or craft projects. Some bat species roost in Spanish moss clumps, while birds like yellow-throated warblers build their nests inside them. Other birds, like Baltimore orioles, use the moss to build nests. Chiggers and spiders may be found in the moss so wearing gloves is advised when handling it. If grown outside in the home garden, Spanish moss doesn't require watering or fertilizing. If grown indoors, it requires bright, indirect light and humid conditions. Allow the plant to dry in between waterings and feed periodically with a half-strength liquid fertilizer. While some may see Spanish moss as a Halloween decoration, others appreciate its ethereal aura signifying that you are in the South! By Joanne K, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, Pitt County Extension Office Year-round evergreens form the bones of the garden whether as trees or shrubs thanks to the wide variety in their sizes, shapes, and textures. In winter, evergreens are even more prominent providing structure, color, and visual interest in the landscape when few flowers are blooming and deciduous trees and shrubs are bare. Why are evergreens green in winter? Tough evergreen needles are coated with a waxy layer allowing them to conserve moisture so that they lose less water during dry periods. Evergreen needles are actually hollow tubes with internal pores that can resist water loss. The small surface area of the needles also reduces moisture loss.
This frost protection allows holly leaves to photosynthesize to produce food and stay green during the winter. Hollies may also curl their leaves when the temperatures drop to preserve moisture and resist drying winds. Thanks to their dense growth evergreens are also particularly valuable in winter for the survival of wildlife like birds and small animals. They provide shelter in their dense foliage from adverse weather and predators and food when other sources of nutrition are scarce. Photosynthesis releases oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the air.
By adding evergreens to your landscape you'll enjoy year-round beauty and structure in your garden while benefiting the environment as well.
All of the evergreens pictured can be seen in the Walking Garden at the Pitt County Arboretum. All photos are by Joanne K. Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer You can't miss them! Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are for sale in every florist shop, grocery store, green house, and big box store as Christmas approaches. Bright red, creamy white, variations in red and white, pink and white, green and white, the choice is endless. They're even sold in shades of blue or purple or covered with glitter. December 12 is National Poinsettia Day when this favorite holiday flower is celebrated. Created in 2002 by Congress, this day celebrates Paul Ecke, Jr., who commercialized the poinsettia in the U.S. It also memorializes the death in 1851 of Joel Roberts Poinsett, first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, who brought the plant to this country and for whom it is named.
The link between Christmas and the poinsettia began in 16th-century Mexico where, as the legend goes, a poor young girl wanted to celebrate the Christ child's birth but she had no gift to give. So she picked roadside weeds for a bouquet to put in the manger where they blossomed into beautiful red flowers, which became known as flor de noche buena (Christmas Eve flower). Because of its red color and winter bloom time, Spanish friars used the plant in nativity processions starting the use of red and green to symbolize Christmas. To them the red bracts represented the blood of Christ.
What are commonly called flowers are actually bracts, modified leaves that turn color as days grow shorter and nights longer. The yellow, green, and red buds at the center of the bracts are the real flowers. North Carolina is the second top producer of poinsettias in the country after California. At NC State, the Horticultural Science Department grows nearly one thousand poinsettias each year for research on new cultivars and new methods of growing them. At J.C. Raulston Arboretum, more than 140 cultivars of poinsettias are grown and showcased at the annual National Poinsettia Trials where growers can see what's new and will best suit their customers.
When you bring home your poinsettias remember that they are not cold hardy so be sure to keep them away from drafts and where the temperature stays above 50 degrees. Put them near a sunny window but out of direct sunlight. Only water them when the soil is dry. Poinsettias are not poisonous but best to keep them away from small children and pets as the sap could cause an upset stomach.
With care, you can enjoy this symbol of holiday cheer for weeks! Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer With Thanksgiving just around the corner, visions of culinary treats dance in our heads! Not least of which are the tasty fall vegetables gracing the holiday table—mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn on the cob, squash casserole, cranberry relish, and pumpkin pie. Truth be told, many folks look forward more to savoring the side dishes than the turkey! Did you know that most of these vegetables originated in Central and South America?
As you enjoy the holiday feast with family and friends, you'll be celebrating the sharing of these delicious native foods that have nourished people for thousands of years. Happy Thanksgiving! Joanne K. and Dell H., NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Love it or hate it, garlic definitely adds zest to a meal or to that pat of butter on a warm croissant! Whether minced, chopped, sautÇed, roasted, powdered, or in oil, it's been used for centuries by cultures around the world not only to enhance the flavor of their cuisines but also for its health benefits.
Two Types of Garlic Hardneck garlic has a woody stalk and cannot be braided. Each bulb has 4-12 cloves. It's grown where winters are long and growing seasons short. It produces scapes, which are woody flowering stalks with bulbils at the top. These bulbils are small, secondary bulbs that are edible or can be planted to grow more garlic.
Softneck garlic has no woody stalk and can be braided. Each bulb has 10 -40 cloves. With a long shelf life it can be stored for 6 to 9 months. It grows in areas with mild winters and long growing seasons. It doesn't have scapes.
Growing Garlic * Choose bulbs from a reputable source. Don't plant garlic from the grocery store as it may have been treated with an anti-sprouting chemical. * Planting the larger cloves will yield larger bulbs. Save the small ones for the kitchen. * Plant in well-drained soil with added organic matter such as compost (pH 6 -7). Bulbs will rot in soggy soil. * Add organic nitrogen to soil/potting mix when planting. Garlic can be grown in planters. * Plant in full sun (6 hrs/day). * Plant between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the first frost.
* Do plant near where you have planted or are going to plant tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, or carrots. Garlic's strong odor discourages the pests normally attracted to these plants. Garlic is an easy-to-grow, low maintenance plant offering a variety of culinary uses to enhance your dining pleasure while promoting good health. So let's plant some garlic!
Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Walking along a woodland trail, you may spy some shelf-like growths protruding from a tree trunk or some tiny toadstools covering a decaying tree stump. After rainy periods, white puff balls may suddenly appear in a circle in the middle of your lawn. With their unique shapes and colors, these organisms are attention grabbers providing lots of visual interest in our environment. But what are they?
Decomposition occurs within the soil through the fungi's white filaments. The above ground structures contain the spores that will spread the fungi throughout the environment. Other fungi work with plant roots as mycorrhizae, which is Greek for fungus- root. They may not have a fruiting body. They attach to plant roots forming a thread-like network extending beyond the roots. This network absorbs more water and nutrients, especially phosphorus, which it supplies to the plant. In turn, the plant sends some of its sugar and carbon to the fungi in a mutual exchange.
The mycorrhizae can also extend beyond one tree to connect its roots to two or more trees helping all of the trees to survive particularly during weather extremes such as prolonged droughts. Many trees, especially oaks, pines, and other conifers, need these partners for healthy growth. Fungi can be harmless, but unless you are an expert, don't eat mushrooms in your yard or along the trail. it's tough to identify the edible from the poisonous. While some mushrooms can just cause unpleasant digestive discomfort, others can be deadly.
If you are concerned that a curious child or pet may want to sample the toadstools in your yard, cut them down and toss them in the trash to keep the spores from spreading. There are no chemicals to remove fungi from mulches and lawns. However, within a few days, these growths will disappear.
Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer While walking on the greenway around your neighborhood or in your yard, have you spotted some funky-looking natural growths and wondered what are they? Are they useful? Do they harm the plant? What causes them?
Keep your eyes peeled for these and other natural oddities while walking in your neighborhood and along woodland trails. These natural phenomena are all part of the wonders of the natural world, which make it so fascinating to learn about.
For more information: For the plants, go to the NC State Extension Plant Toolbox at plants.ces.ncsu.edu. For the mold, fungus, and galls, search by the Latin name.extension. |
