N.C. Cooperative Extension - Carteret County Center

📢Join the Extension’s, Family & Consumer Agent,👩‍🍳Stephanie Stevenson, for a FREE program Air Fryer Basics at the Western Branch of the Carteret County Public Library System on Monday, September 9th, at 5:30. Learn about all the features, safety tips, and try some😋treats from healthy recipes. Sign up on the📚library website or call (252)648-7728.🆓

Silver Dollar Tree 𝘌𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘴 are woody, upright, evergreen trees or shrubs noted for their peeling bark, blue-green leaves, and distinct aroma attributed to oils in the leaves. Plant them in full sun and well-draining soil. Once established, they are drought tolerant. Though evergreen, the leaves of silver dollar tree only last a year or so and then they drop in favor of new leaves being produced.
Photo credit: Dina Murray https://tinyurl.com/5n6n6hvs

Brown Turkey Fig 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 was bred to be more cold hardy than other fig cultivars and quickly grows to a mature size of 10-30' tall and wide. Grow in full sun in organically rich, well-drained, moist soils that are neutral to acidic. Mulch roots to maintain moisture and especially in the fall to protect them throughout the winter. https://tinyurl.com/ynthzexu

🌱Show your support for a local farm!👨‍🌾👩‍🌾Crop mobbers are needed Saturday, August 24th, 9-1pm Garner Farms. 🚜

St. Andrew's Cross is a semi-evergreen shrub native to the Eastern US. In NC, it can be found growing in the coastal plain in light sandy soils of prairies, open pine-hardwood and hardwood forests, thickets, grasslands, and bogs. It will grow 2-4' tall and 1-3' wide. See how pollinators are attracted to the flowers! 📷: Dina Murray

A lot of trees, even crepe myrtles, either have a thinning canopy, smaller leaves, or dead branches at the top. Sign low potassium in the soil? To be certain, take a soil sample around these trees to have it analyzed for nutrients. Based on the results, find out how to improve the tree’s ability to make it through the upcoming winter. https://tinyurl.com/4jwzf5zs

The heat of the summer is when lawns do their best growing. When growing fast, like now, they need some nutrients to keep them going. Warm season grass, even centipede, can use another dose of fertilizer to help them finish the growing season strong. See if your lawn lacking phosphorous or iron: https://tinyurl.com/46bpwxss

Butterfly Ginger 𝘏𝘦𝘥𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 is tropical looking plant that likes hot and humid summers and consistently moist soils. Hedychium means "sweet snow," which may refer to the fragrant white blooms, or to the white insides of the edible, spicy tubers. We can attest to the sweet perfumy aroma! 📷:Dina Murray https://tinyurl.com/bdhbbazf

Check out the Tri-County👩‍🌾GrowHERS Program featuring all aspects of🌱 agriculture. Grow and learn with hands-on activities and talks on🐖🐄 livestock, farm finances and more.

Introducing the ✨Tri-County GrowHERS Program✨, created by our Area Livestock Agent, Kristi Welke!

This exciting series includes 4 sessions featuring hands-on activities and informative lectures on everything from livestock care to farm finances. Join us for this annual event that’s set to grow and evolve every year!

Only 30 spots! Register now ⤵
www.go.ncsu.edu/JCP-GrowHERS

🚜

More info on our website: https://jones.ces.ncsu.edu/2024/08/the-tri-county-growhers-program/

It's time to start planting a fall vegetable garden. Transplants for many fall favorites like cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Swiss chard should start showing up in garden centers ready for planting, if they haven’t already. The sooner these get in the garden the larger they can get before it’s time to harvest them. https://tinyurl.com/skft79pa

⚡Have you recently lost power?🔌Here's what you need to know about which foods to keep and which ones to toss.🗑️

🎉Let's Celebrate National Farmers Market Week! Show your support to local👨‍🌾👩‍🌾farmers and vendors by taking home some local🥒🍅vegetables and🍉🍑fruit, poultry and meat, prepared foods,🥖baked items, and more. Ask questions about food safety and feel confident about what you're bringing home. #

➡️Pollinators need your help now!🦋🐝You or your group can participate in The Great Southeast Pollinator Census for 1-hour on Friday 8/23, or Saturday, 8/24, to count pollinators that visit a flower near you.🌺To participate, you will need to register for the Pollinator Pep Rally on 8/15. This is also opportunity to ask questions about pollinator plants and🪲insect id from experts in their fields. To learn more: https://tinyurl.com/5x233ey6

Regardless of how you get your weather info, we’re just waiting to see what Debby has in her plans. Now is good time to ask any hurricane food safety questions. Proper food temperature? Food spoilage? Meal prep?

Much of NC may experience heavy rain and storms this week that may cause flooding in some areas. Another concern is Tropical Depression Four. Floods are very dangerous and can be deadly. Fortunately, many of these deaths can be prevented. Please be aware and follow flood safety guidelines. https://tinyurl.com/y5e2chn6

𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞– 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻(𝘁)𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 August 26, at the Western Carteret Branch of the Carteret County Public Library System at 5:30. Shawn Banks, Horticulture Agent and County Extension Director, will share how to start planning and planting now for a fall harvest. Learn about the supplies needed, how to use transplants, direct sowing, and more. To register: https://tinyurl.com/mpdd67xf

➡️➡️Have you seen one of these insects?🔍If so, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wants to hear from you. During August, the service is asking people to check for signs of non-native invasive pests that kill our trees.🌳The main pest they are concerned about is the Asian Longhorn Beetle (ALB). https://tinyurl.com/2e6retj6

So many😋yummy and colorful fruits and vegetables in season for August! Check out okra, a southern versatile favorite. Pods may be cooked, pickled or eaten raw. 🌱Leaves may be cooked or eaten raw. Flowers are edible with a mild, slightly sweet flavor but add more color than flavor. Roasted seeds are a☕coffee substitute. https://tinyurl.com/3pn5wpca

Practice🟢GREEN Exercise!💚Check out the data from National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture that shows the mind and💪🏼body benefits from🌱gardening.

Don't let improperly stored food ruin your😎fun day at the beach.⛱️🌊Keep your treats at the right🌡️temperature to keep everyone safe, healthy and happy.😋

➡️Interested in expanding your👩‍🍳👨‍🌾agribusiness with an online sales platform for direct-to-consumer sales?➡️Take a look at this list of options to help manage this market channel and questions to consider while planning to get started with online sales.📈💲 https://tinyurl.com/569e48c2

You can show your support for native plant species with this Venus flytrap license plate that supports conservation efforts at the NC Botanical Garden. Learn more about this carnivorous plant: https://tinyurl.com/yedfzemf

PHOTOS: NC’s new ‘Home of the Venus Flytrap’ license plate to honor native species, raise money for conservation Within the next several months, you’ll start seeing the new license plates on our roads.

Texas sage 𝘓𝘦𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴 is a low maintenance evergreen coastal shrub. It is a seasonal bloomer depending on changes in humidity to see the showy purple flowers. Shrubs prefer low humidity but have tolerance for drought and heat.This plant is moderately salt tolerant. https://tinyurl.com/mrwnsvup

Summer storms⚡🌩️ can be unpredictable and outages can sometimes happen without notice affecting refrigerators and chest freezers. Knowing a reliable source☎️🖥️ for food safety questions can help keep you and your family safe from any possible spoiled foods.👍

Do you have food safety questions as a result of a severe weather situation or power outage? You can find information on our website https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/protect-food-and-water-during-hurricanes-and-other-storms and you can call our food safety experts for help at 888-SAFE-FOOD. We're open Mon-Fri, 10 am - 4 pm ET.

🍀4-H Campfire Delight or🐺Wolftracks? It's always a good day to celebrate🍦🍨 National Ice Cream Day! Get your favorite🐄Howling Cow flavor at a local store or visit NC State Howling Cow Ice Cream next time you're in Raleigh.

➡️Don’t let one of these pests ruin your🌞⛱️summer getaway memories.😎✈️🌊Typically, a bed bug infestation begins with a lone straggler transported in from somewhere else. An example could be🧳luggage we take to hotels or rental properties. Here’s some tips to help you avoid taking an unwanted guest (or guests)🏠home with you. https://tinyurl.com/u88ya6eb

A vegetable garden is a good way to supplement food we get from the🛒grocery store. If you're thinking about growing a few vegetables in your own yard, it’s a good idea to start small with a few plants and then expand the garden as you get the hang of growing vegetables.🥒Try your hand at these suggested fast growing🥕vegetables: https://tinyurl.com/33vy2c53

Removing dead🏡tree branches is a great way to prevent them from becoming 🎯projectiles during a🌀severe weather event like a hurricane or even a🌩️thunderstorm with🌬️strong winds. If the branches are low enough, they can be reached with a pole pruner but if they’re too high, a professional tree service may need to safely handle the task. https://tinyurl.com/y62498p9

➡️Want a better looking lawn and save energy? You can, by safely sharpening your lawn mower blades.🏡When they're sharp, they make a cleaner cut, allowing the mower to work more efficiently, while allowing the grass to use less energy healing the cut part of the grass.👍A clean cut has less surface area to heal than a jagged cut. More tips: https://tinyurl.com/5n93jv2u