DO YOUR PART TO PROTECT BEES
We all depend on bees to pollinate the crops that feed us, and we all need to do our part to protect them. There are many reasons to READ THE LABEL before using ANY pesticide, but one good reason is to look for precautions about bees. Many insecticides, for example, should NOT be applied when plants are in bloom to prevent accidental bee poisonings. One area beekeeper reports that they lost an ENTIRE hive due to an apparent misapplication of insecticide in a nearby garden. Please take a moment to read more here: http://www.ent.iastate.edu/dept/faculty/hodgson/files/ul/Purdue%20pollinator%20fact%20sheet.pdf
TALL FESCUE CARE
Early September is the preferred time for sowing tall fescue. Make plans now for overseeding. If, on the other hand, you have designs for a complete renovation, you should have already applied a broad-spectrum herbicide to kill the existing turf and weeds, and submitted a soil sample to check lime and fertilizer needs. More details available at http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/
WARREN COUNTY FAIR BOOKS AVAILABLE
Join the fun by submitting your garden produce, houseplants, cut flowers, crafts, baked goods, and more! It’s easy and rewarding! Stop by the Warren County Extension Center to pick up a Fair Book. They should also be available at many local businesses.
THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN
(From the WIZS Garden Show, Tuesdays at 4:30 pm, 1450 am)
1 – Consider planting a cover crop in your vegetable garden to conserve soil and add organic matter.
2 – Many vegetables can be planted in August for a fall harvest, including green beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, okra, onions, and more!
3 – Late summer and early fall is a good time of year to spray brush and vines such as poison ivy. Use one of the brush control products that kills the plant to the root, but use extreme caution about drift onto ornamental plants and vegetable gardens.
4 – If you haven’t soil sampled your lawn in recent years, do so now to see whether you need to apply lime this fall.
5 – Be cautious of stinging insects in the lawn and garden such as yellow jackets, fire ants, and saddleback caterpillars. Yellow jackets and fire ants become more active in late summer.
6 – If you have problem weed or insect that needs identification bring it to the Cooperative Extension Office.
This information is intended for residents of Vance & Warren Counties in NC, and may not apply in other areas. Information on a pesticide label ALWAYS supersedes what is written above. READ IT!