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MAILING ADDRESS Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center MHCR&EC 455 Research Drive Mills River, NC 28759 (828) 684-3562 Phone (828) 684-8715 Fax Recent Tweets Are you a plant killer? Watch this episode of "In the Garden with Bryce Lane" to learn to keep plants alive: [more] |
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 1. What is Cooperative Extension? 2. What is 4-H? 3. How do I join 4-H? 4. Something is wrong with my plant. How can I find out what it is? 5. How do I take a soil sample? 6. What are some suggestions for keeping deer out of a garden? 1. What is Cooperative Extension? Cooperative Extension is a part of a nationwide educational system which involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state land-grant university system and county government. Extension programs often enhance the work of other government and nonprofit agencies which join together to improve the quality of life for county residents. North Carolina Cooperative Extension provides a broad range of educational programs that are of benefit to farmers, rural and urban residents, community leaders, homemakers, parents, and youth. Extension programs focus on traditional and changing needs in the areas of agriculture, home economics, community and rural development, and 4-H and youth. In North Carolina, extension's educational programs are delivered locally by field faculty who are housed in offices in all 100 counties and the Cherokee Reservation. To contact your local office of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, select your county from our County Centers page. 2. What is 4-H? 4-H is a fun program where you get to "Learn by Doing." Everyone is invited to join! 4-H has special activities for you! 4-H offers something to match everyone's interests. Best of all, membership is FREE! This is the best news of all! 4-H costs nothing to join, and you are not required to purchase a uniform. Member expenses are minimal and determined by the club itself. Club activities are usually covered by money-making projects conducted by the club. The project you select will also determine cost. This can vary greatly. Each member is responsible for meeting the costs of their selected projects. For example, raising a market lamb for a 4-H project would be more costly than a recycling project. 3. How do I join 4-H? There are many ways to join 4-H:
Your county 4-H agent is your key to getting started in 4-H. They can tell you what clubs already exist in your county, what projects are being worked on, how to start a new club, or how to participate on your own. 4. Something is wrong with my plant. How can I find out what it is? There are many things which could be causing problems with your plant. The best way to find out is to contact your local NC Cooperative Extension Horticultural Agent. He or she can tell you what is needed to diagnose the problem. That could mean taking a soil sample, bringing in a sample of the plant, or capturing a pest for identification. 5. How do I take a soil sample? The benefits of a soil test depend on a good sample. The sample should represent the area it is taken from. Otherwise, the results may have little or no value. Sampling methods vary from homeowners to various agricultural product producers. For further information on taking soil samples, please call or come by the Cooperative Extension office. 6. What are some suggestions for keeping deer out of a garden? Although browsing deer are charming to watch, they can cause extensive damage to yards and gardens by feeding on plants and rubbing their antlers against trees--they pose a serious aesthetic and economic problems. In urban areas, home landscapes may become their major source of food. Damage is most commonly noticed in spring on new, succulent growth. Because deer lack upper incisors, browsed twigs and stems show a rough, shredded surface. Damage caused by rabbits, on the other hand, has a neat, sharp 45-degree cut. Rodents leave narrow teeth marks when feeding on branches. Deer strip the bark and leave no teeth marks. It is difficult to move deer out of areas where they are not wanted, and not all strategies are practical for every homeowner. A hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable, so no plant is "deer proof." Frightening deer with gas exploders, strobe lights, pyrotechnics or tethered dogs typically provides only temporary relief. More practical management strategies include selecting plants unattractive to deer, treating plants with deer repellents, netting and tubing, and/or fencing. The placement of plants in part determines the extent of damage. More susceptible species should be planted near the home, in a fenced area, or inside a protective ring of less-preferred species. Also, a plant species may be damaged rarely in one area but damaged severely in another. There are two types of deer repellents that may provide some results in discouraging the animals--contact repellents and area repellents. Contact repellents are applied directly to plants, causing them to taste bad. Area repellents are placed in a problem area and repel animals by their foul odor. Repellents are generally more effective on less preferred plants. They should be applied on a dry day with temperatures above freezing. Young trees should be treated completely, while older trees may be treated only on the new growth. Since deer browse from the top down, trees should be treated to a height six feet above the maximum expected snow depth. Hang or apply repellents at the bud- or new-growth level of the plants to be protected. Home-remedy repellents, such a bags of human hair or bar soap hung from branches of trees are questionable, but a spray of 20 percent whole eggs and 80 percent water is one of the most effective weather-resistant repellents. However, it must be reapplied about every 30 days. Materials that work in one area or for one person may not work at all in an area more highly frequented by deer. |