Cherokee County Community Garden

Harvest Celebration 2011

2011-08-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

On August 9th, we had a wonderful harvest celebration! This year's celebration seemed to be the best one ever! There was a huge variety of vegetable dishes.

Everyone seemed to have a great time. Door prizes were given to three lucky gardeners. Special recognition was given to those who had put so much effort into the community garden. Thanks to everyone who has made the community garden such a success!

Hard Work, But Rewarding!

2011-07-26T08:20:00.001-07:00

Master Gardeners & Community Garden Participants at Work

2011-06-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

Finally Progress is Being Made!

2011-04-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

The plastic has been pulled and the garden has been laid out and marked with each participant's name on their plot! Keith and Teresa are out at the garden planting, along with Alex Whitlock, Donna Owen and Dennis Salvatore. The Master Gardeners are eager to help the newcomers this year! I hope everyone enjoys the community garden this year. As always, if you have any questions, please call our office at 837-2210.

Gardening Classes at the Community Garden

2011-03-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

Beginners or Experienced Gardeners are Welcome! All classes are open to the public for a $10 fee for the series. (The fee is waived for community garden participants.)

March 22rd
Vegetable Plant & Selection & Preparing Raised Beds

April 19th
Planting Techniques

May 3rd
Trellising & Weed Control

May 17th
Integrated Pest Management & Environmental Stewardship

June 28nd
When to Harvest/Giving Back to the Community & Dehydrating Using a Food Dehydrator

July 26th
Planting Fall Crops & Mid Season Garden Clean-up

August 9th at 6pm
Garden Harvest Celebration

September 20th
Composting

October 18th
How to Take a Soil Sample & Understanding Your Report

November 8th
Garden Clean-‐up

2011 Community Garden

2011-02-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

"Our Garden, Our Food" is a community garden project facilitated by the Cherokee County Center of the NC Cooperative Extension. The project is intended to provide an opportunity for interested individuals of all experience and socio-economic levels with the opportunity to share in the process and product of growing a garden together. Participants are expected to donate 10% of their total crop yield to a local charity. An additional component of the project will teach area youth, and consequently their families, the concepts environmental stewardship, basic gardening, and good nutrition.

If you are interested in participating in the community garden, please fill out and sign the following documents:

2010 Community Garden Application
2010 Community Garden Agreement - part 1
2010 Community Garden Agreement - Part 2

Community Garden Harvest Celebration

2010-09-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

The Community Garden Harvest Celebration was held on September 21st at the garden site. Members of the community garden, master gardeners, Extension staff and other community leaders were present. The food was absolutely scrumptious! Everyone was asked to bring a covered dish made with something from their garden. Door prizes were also awarded. Pictured are the winners of the door prizes:
Kim Delaney - Pressure Cooker,
Alex Whitlock and Donna McOwen- Garden hoe,
T. Wayne Cook - Water Bath Canner,
Mary Hulse - Canning Accessories,
Karen Thomas - Upside Down Patio Garden

Blossom-end Rot on Tomatoes

2010-07-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

We have been receiving several calls lately concerning tomatoes that are rotting on the blossom end. The problem is blossom-end rot. Blossom-end rot is a fruit disorder that causes the blossom end of a tomato fruit to rot. The rot is dark brown in color and has a tough, leathery feel. It is usually worse on the first fruit cluster but can be a problem throughout the season.

Blossom-end rot is caused by a lack of calcium in the fruit. If the soil pH is too low, calcium is not available to the plant. Dry weather contributes to the problem.

You can also reduce blossom-end rot by spraying with a calcium chloride solution. Ideally, you should start spraying when the first green tomatoes are about the size of a silver dollar then spray once a week for three to four weeks.

Inconsistent watering encourages the problem of blossom-end rot. So, water as needed to maintain uniform soil moisture. Tomatoes need about 1 inch of water per week. During hot dry weather they may need more. Blossom-end rot tends to be worse on staked tomato plants and when high rates of nitrogen fertilizer have been applied.

While the tomatoes that are already affected will continue to be deformed, they are safe to eat. Simply cut out the bad portion and eat the rest.

For more information see: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-28-d.html

Photo credit: Darrell Blackwelder

Downy Mildew Confirmed in North Carolina

2010-06-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Downy mildew is a widespread, serious disease of grapevines. Initial leaf symptoms are light green to yellow spots, called “oil spots” because they may appear greasy. Under humid conditions, white, downy spore masses can be seen on the lower leaf surface. These spores are wind dispersed. The lesions eventually turn brown as the infected tissue dies. Severely infected leaves drop prematurely, which can reduce winter hardiness of the vine. Infected flower clusters dry up or become covered with white spores under humid conditions. Infected berries turn a mottled dull-green or reddish purple and readily fall from the cluster. Although berries become resistant to infection within three weeks after bloom, the rachis remains susceptible for several weeks longer.

Downy Mildew was confirmed on cucumbers in Columbus County late last
week (5/27) and in Duplin County early this week (6/1). It is probably
scattered all over NC even if symptoms have not been observed yet.

For commercial growers:
General recommendation is to spray on a 5-7 day schedule with high
pressure and enough water volume (25-50 GPA depending on canopy size) to
obtain coverage. Presidio and Ranman are the top tier products for
efficacy. Previcur Flex, Gavel, and Tanos would be the second tier.
Presidio, e >S9 E n @ lA dJ}AQ Pq 1yP A m fungicide to
be tank mixed. Ranman requires a surfactant and Gavel can be used alone.
Bravo, Mancozeb products (Dithane, Pencozeb), Curzate, and copper
fungicides are good tank mix partners. Post harvest interval should be
consider when selecting products. Gavel and mancozeb products are a 5
day PHI while all others are 3 or less.

For home gardeners:
Spray a chlorothalonil product (Bravo, Daconil) every 7-14 days.
Alternate each week with a mancozeb product before harvest, then use
only the chlorothalonil product through harvest. Mix fixed copper in
with either product 2 or 3 times a season. Good thorough coverage is
important for control. In rainy periods, spray at least every 7 days.

More information about downy mildew forecasting, identification, and
control, is available at the Downy Mildew Forecasting website which can
be found at http://cdm.ipmpipe.org.

Tomato Blights are coming to a Garden Near You!

2010-06-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension office here in Murphy has already received information that late blight (Phytophthora infestansin) in tomatoes has been detected in the states of Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida, Louisiana, and Maryland. It has not “officially” been reported in this area yet, but it is very likely to show up here before summer is over. This same disease will also destroy Irish Potatoes.

Late Blight is one of many diseases that can infect tomatoes and potatoes, but is probably the most devastating. Once the disease first starts on a plant, it can completely destroy the whole plant in a couple of weeks.

How does this disease end up in my garden? This disease, unlike Early Blight, usually does not overwinter here. Spores get caught up in upper air currents and are deposited in rainfall. However, it can overwinter in stored potatoes from an infected crop the year before.

Now that you are aware of the possibility of your garden getting infected by different diseases, the big question is what to do about it. One thing to keep in mind is how disease happens. Three things need to be present for any disease to develop. You have to have a pathogen (disease), a susceptible host (plant) and moisture. Take away any of the three, no disease.

With all diseases, the most important thing to do is prevention. Always purchase disease free plants and certified seed. Look for varieties that have resistance to certain diseases. Never work with plants when they are wet. Space plants out as much as possible for good air circulation. Dip tomato stakes in a 10% solution of bleach for 10 minutes. This will kill early blight spores and other bacterial diseases from the year before. Always rotate tomatoes and potatoes to a different location in the garden. Never follow one with the other. We have a list in our office or on the website of what vegetables should not follow other vegetables.

If you have done all of the prevention measures, you are still likely to get diseases. You now have to make a decision on whether or not to apply a preventative fungicide. Most of all fungicides the home gardener can purchase are preventative, not curative. Once a disease is present, the best you can do is try to slow down its development. For a fungicide to work, it has to be on the plant before the pathogen gets there. This means you have to apply the fungicide early, often (at least once a week) through out the season, reapply after rain wash off and get good coverage over the whole plant. It is best to alternate with different fungicides if possible to prevent diseases from getting resistant.

For those that choose not to spray a fungicide, you need to keep the plant as dry as possible. Do not water the whole plant, just the ground. Some commercial organic growers use “hoop houses” or high tunnels that are plastic coverings to keep rainfall and morning dues off plants. They also spray approved copper products to help with prevention. You can modify planting dates by planting very early hoping to harvest some fruit before the disease takes the plants out.

If you need more information on these diseases, visit our website or Blogs, http://cherokee.ces.ncsu.edu/. We have good pictures of these diseases and detailed information posted there or call the office at 837-2210 or email keith_wood@ncsu.edu

Trellising Demonstration

2010-05-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, there was a lot of work going on up at the community garden. Keith Wood worked with some of the class participants to start putting in the stakes to hold the trellis.

Upcoming Gardening & Food Preservation Classes!

2010-03-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Please click here for the list of classes!

2010 Community Garden

2010-01-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

Sweet Tater Day

2009-09-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to do with those extra sweet potatoes this year? We are planning a “Sweet Tater Day”! Click here for more information.

Garden Harvest Celebration

2009-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Please join us for our Harvest Celebration at the community garden on August 6th at 5:30pm. Please bring a covered dish you have created from your garden and the recipe. We will also be collecting entries for the Mountain State Fair so bring your canned goods you would like to enter for juding. Also, if you would like to display any of the vegetables from your garden, please feel free to bring them to display. Don't forget your hearty appetite! Please RSVP by August 3 at 828-837-2210.

4-H Explorers Learn to Preserve

2009-07-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Home-schooled 4-H Explorers learned to preserve vegetables they have grown in their plot at the community garden. Shannon Coleman, 4-H Agent, instructed the group on making pickles, salsa and preserving green beans. It was a long day of hard work! The rewards will be well worth it when it comes times to enjoy the tasty foods. Club members who canned will chose a sample of their work to enter in the Mountain State Fair this summer.

Next Gardening Class- July 16th

2009-07-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

The next gardening class will be held on July 16th at 5:30. Please join us at the community garden to learn “When to Harvest”. As the vegetables are starting to come in, this class will help to know what to look for when harvesting your vegetables. Extension Agents, Keith Wood, Teresa Wiley & Shannon Coleman will be at the garden to answer any questions you may have.

Community Garden Up and Growing!

2009-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Participants in the Community Garden have been attending classes about gardening and participated in demonstrations about gardening. For many of the participants this is the first time they have ever gardened. Agricultural Extension Agent Keith Wood, Family and Consumer Science Agent Teresa Wiley, and 4-H Agent Shannon Coleman have been providing instruction on gardening and gardening techniques. Classes are $10.00 for the entire series for the public and are included in the registration fees for garden participants. Several classes are still to come so please call the Extension office for more information.
The Explorer’s 4-H Club is growing one of the rows in the garden. The Explorer’s are a home school 4-H club here in Cherokee County. One of the clubs main objectives is to learning about gardening and they are getting involved and are knee deep in dirt. The leader is Nancy Duggan, of Andrews, and she is an avid gardener herself so she has a lot to teach the youth. Youth in the club have also contributed by making plant identification stakes from recycled blinds. These have been a big help for the garden participants to identify their crops they are growing. Youth have also help with getting the trellis ready for the beans by helping Keith Wood put the string on the trellis. The youth will also be doing some canning projects when their crops come in but the majority of their row of food will go to help needy families here in Cherokee County.
As a rule of the garden all of the participants must give 10% of their products to a local charity. This giving back is part of our commitment to being good stewards and giving back to the county that helped the participants by providing a place to garden.

Proper Planting Techniques

2009-05-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Keith Wood, Extension Agent, Agriculture demonstrates proper planting techniques for the community garden participants.

Program to Encourage Family Gardening

2009-05-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Frank Bradley Sentinel writer
(Originally published in the Cherokee Sentinel 1.7.09)

Demonstrations and classes will be held to show people how to get the most out of their garden. As jobs shrink and food prices soar, there are some folks looking for ways to help struggling residents put more food on their table. Their answer--grow it.

At the commissioners meeting on Monday, Keith Wood, Teresa Wiley, Doug Clement and others brought a plan before the board to set aside some land near the county land fill in Marble in order for local residents to grow a garden.

They're not talking hundreds and hundreds of acres, yet. In fact, they are only looking at about half an acre to test out the idea and see if it takes root. The idea is to divvy up the land into small four feet by 50 feet parcels, allowing one per family on a first-come basis for the first 25 families to apply.

Well, if you already have sufficient land, gardening know-how and already have plans for putting in a garden this this spring, this won't interest you. But if you've been used to living out of Ingles for the past few years and are interested in getting back to the basics of where food really comes from, then this might just be your motivation to get up off the coach, get outside and do a little digging in the dirt.

The other benefit to you will be that the garden area will be plowed and ready for planting. You won't have to go out and buy some expensive gardening ve- hicles or hire someone else to get the ground ready for you to start planting. Then too, there will be demonstrations and classes held to show you how to get the most out of your garden. You will have the advice of county extension agents and master gardeners, who will teach you the tricks of the trade. You will be working your garden along with others who are learning or relearning the planter craft just like you. Learning about such things as organic gardening, how to use gardening tools, proper use of canning equipment, identification of different varieties of vegetables and herbs, food safety and money saving ideas as well as how to get the most from your gardening effort.

According to Wiley, who is the county's Family and Consumer Science Agent, intensive gardening on a small plot the size of the one to be provided to the new gardeners can provide enough food to feed a family of four.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

2009-05-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Cherokee County's Community Garden Project had a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 9Th. Vegetables gardening classes held by Keith Wood of N.C Cooperative Extension are open to the public from a small fee and are held at the Community Garden site at the Sheriff's training facility located in Marble, on U.S. 64, between the traffic light at 141 and the sanitary landfill. Ten percent of the produce will be donated to charity and local food banks.

The challenge for Master Gardener Volunteers is to learn how to start other community gardens in the future. To take what we learn with this project and teach others to grow some of there own food and/or to add more fresh vegetables to their diets.

The plastic mulch has been set in place and planting has begun. More pictures to follow. Watch us learn and grow.

Please call the extension office for more info. 828-837-2210