North Carolina Cooperative Extension partners with communities to deliver education and technology that enrich the lives, land and economy of North Carolinians.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension airs a live broadcast every Tuesday from 4:30pm until 5:00pm and covers a variety of topics.

Check out their website https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=home
for more information.

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Small Woodlots

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Got wood? Or, more precisely, small wood lots? If so you may want to develop a management plan for those lots.  “There are over two million acres of woodland holdings in lots of less than 20 acres,” said Wayne Rowland, Vance Co. Extension Agent. The majority of these holdings are owned by 341,000 families and are unmanaged.  These woodlands provide environmental, economical and social benefits to both owners and communities.

According to Rowland, management is a step by step process and developing a management plan is essential for these small lots. He recommends assess the land and the intent to help with development of a management plan.

The basic elements of developing a management plan includes goals and objectives for the property in question, preparing a property map, inventory the property and write a description of the land in question. It also should include activities and a schedule. Additionally, Rowland suggests a legal property description, ownership information, property history and contact information for forestry professional, particularly if they have designed the management plan.  Lastly Rowland says establish priorities for the property based on the type of land it is and what the property owner wants to do with the land.

For more information contact Wayne Rowland at the Vance Co. Extension office at 252-438-8188. You can hear the Vance Co. Extension Report on WIZS at 11:50am Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and the Home and Garden Show on the Local Skinny! with Rowland and Paul McKenzie at 11:30am on Wednesdays.

 

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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There’s nothing quite like picking a fresh apple or a peach right from the tree and taking a big bite.  If you’d like to be able to do that right from your back yard then prepare to spend a lot of time and effort to get that big bite.  Paul McKenzie of the Vance Co. Extension Service says that this is the cold, hard truth when it comes to back yard fruit crops.

“It can be incredibly rewarding,” McKenzie says of the work required for apples, peaches, nectarines and plums. An intensive spray program is required. Approximately 10 to 15 applications per year is usually needed to keep pests away from these fruit trees.  “If you don’t follow through with, then you don’t have success,” McKenzie said.

However, McKenzie does have some other ideas for those who don’t have the time or energy for such intensive work but still want to have a fruit crop in their backyard. These crops will still require some work but not as intensive. McKenzie says growing figs is relatively easy with little or no pest control required. Pruning is simple as well and fig trees are reliable producers. Additionally, McKenzie suggests Muscadine grapes, blackberries and blueberries.  The biggest effort required is installation and soil prep but little pest management is required.  Once the prep work is done, the rest of the work is fairly straight forward.

Lastly, McKenzie also suggests strawberries. “They are easy to manage,” McKenzie said. Some soil and site preparation is required but McKenzie said that after the first planting you can expect to harvest berries for up to three years.

For more information on back yard fruit crops contact McKenzie at the Vance Co. Cooperative Extension Service at 252-438-8188.

The Cooperative Extension Service Report can be heard on WIZS at 11:50am Monday, Tuesday and Thursday as part of the Local Skinny!  The Home & Garden Show with Wayne Rowland and Paul McKenzie can be heard every Wednesday during the Local Skinny at 11:30.

 

NC Coop Extension

Tips for Starting a Fruit Orchard

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Who doesn’t enjoy an apple or a peach pulled right from the tree?  Or gathering pecans for a perfect pie right from your own backyard? If you are considering starting an orchard of your very own then Wayne Rowland of the Vance Co. Extension Service has some advice for you.

The climate and soil in our area is good for planting an orchard according to Rowland. “Site selection is the most important decision,” Rowland said about starting your own orchard.

In order for your orchard to produce the highest quality and quantity of fruit it’s important that the fruit trees have full sunlight. Correct spacing and pruning of trees will be helpful in keeping that all important sunlight on the trees. “It’s important that the trees don’t shade each other,” Rowland said of proper spacing.

Temperature is another important consideration. Some trees are more tolerant of late season freezes than others. Peach trees, in particular, are not fond of late season frost or freezing temperatures whereas pecan trees are a bit more hearty when it comes to cold weather.

If you need more information about planting an orchard call Wayne Rowland at the Vance Co. Extension Service at 252-438-8188.  The Coop Extension Report can be heard as part of the Local Skinny on WIZS Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:50am and the Home and Garden Show airs on Wednesday at 11:30am.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

Click Play

 

Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Living Christmas Trees

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: A Proper Foundation

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Forest Incentives

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Reuse Before Recycling

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Recycle…it’s something we hear a lot about but is it the smartest idea? Wayne Rowland of the Vance Co. Extension Service explained on Monday’s Local Skinny that there are actually better ways than recycling to manage waste. Rowland says that recycling is important but it is third of the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. “Before you recycle, choose to reuse,” Rowland said. Reusing an item might mean to repair it or perhaps repurpose an item for another use.  Reusing an item has the advantages of minimizing waste and maximizing resources. Additionally, reuse saves or delays purchasing a similar item, eliminates disposal costs, reduces the waste stream, lessens pollution and items that are to be reused can be more affordable than the same item purchased new.

Rowland also explained that reducing is also important when it comes to waste management.  Reducing involves eliminating and decreasing the amount of waste and reducing toxicity of materials. Redesigning products to use less packaging, making items more durable and avoiding disposable products are all ways reducing waste helps the environment.

Recycling involves the collection of used materials and these materials are used to manufacture new products. Rowland pointed out that recycling consumes energy, water and other resources and recyling itself can also cause pollution but less than manufacturing products with virgin materials.

For more information contact Wayne Rowland at the Vance County Extension Service at 252-438-8188. The Cooperative Extension Report can be heard as part of the Local Skinny on WIZS Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:50 AM.

 

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.