NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, Stanly County

05/09/2026

Way to go, North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Stanly County ~ Master Food Volunteers! Supporting our Ag Community at the Albemarle Downtown Farmers Market.

04/30/2026

Have you ever thought of becoming a Master Gardener? Attend one of these information sessions to learn all the details. NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Stanly County

Looking for a volunteer opportunity?

Want to increase your knowledge of gardening and related subjects?

Interested in serving the community?

The Horticulture Agent is looking for new Extension Master Gardener Volunteers!

This is a multi-month program with a rigorous curriculum of various topics, ranging from soils to disease diagnostic skills.

The information sessions will cover the purpose of the program, cost, participation requirements, and how to maintain your status as an Extension volunteer.

Thursday, April 23rd
Thursday, May 14th
Thursday, May 21st

All sessions are held from 12:30-1:30pm at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center (26032 Newt Rd, Albemarle, NC 28001)

For additional questions, contact the Horticulture Agent at:

[email protected] or by calling our office (704) 983-3987

04/01/2026

Oh, how beautiful are the spring Columbines?

Nature is a team sport.🤝For 75 years, we’ve protected 2,900+ species that keep NC resilient - from cliff-hanging Columbines to wild stream banks.🦋 Find out how we serve as guardians: https://bit.ly/4kXuyAA
https://ncwildflower.org/b2s_ex_post/26046/

04/01/2026

All the yellow-green pollen and now RUST. Happy Spring!!

What's that bright orange "dust" appearing on pine trees around April? It’s likely Fusiform Rust! 😮

✔ This form of rust is caused by the fungus Cronartium quorum f. sp. fusiforme, producing bright orange spores on southern yellow pines, especially loblolly pine. (Longleaf pine is moderately resistant, while shortleaf is highly resistant.)

Spindle-shaped swellings called galls will eventually burst with orange spores in Spring. While this phenomenon looks interesting, it can weaken branches and lead to trunk breakage during storms.

🌲 For rust management strategies, check out this reference from Colby Lambert, NC State University Extension Forestry ➡ go.ncsu.edu/fusiform-rust

(or forestry.ces.ncsu.edu/news/so-what-is-the-orange-stuff-on-my-pine-trees)

📸 credit: John Wright - "Time to Watch for Fusiform Rust" by N.C. Cooperative Extension, Craven County Center (craven.ces.ncsu.edu/news/time-to-watch-for-fusiform-rust)

03/05/2026

Want to become a pollinator pro? Check out the Great Southeast Pollinator Course. See info below:

🐝 Want to know more about the that visit your garden? Registration is OPEN for the Great Southeast Pollinator COURSE! Learn from the experts and scientists.

Details ➡ GSePC.org/course

Southeast Pollinator Census Community

03/05/2026

Hellebores are blooming. Spring is on the way!!

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/helleborus/

01/13/2026

Support Stanly County 4-H and their annual fruit plant sale.

Announcing the Stanly County 4-H Fruit Plant Sale! We are taking orders until February 20, 2025. Pick up is March 5th from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the Arena (behind the Ag Center). If you don’t have access to print order forms, you can pick them up at our office. To view the brochure ...

01/13/2026

Garden activities for January ~ there is always work to do.

To Do in the Garden: January 2026, by Gary Crispell, North Carolina Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteer of Durham County

Gary Crispell walks us through gardening tasks for January. Some highlights: keep accumulated leaves off turf areas, plant asparagus crowns now, prune back branches that overhang the house, shade key areas of the garden, or are misshapen or overgrown.

Much more here! ➡ https://wp.me/p2nIr1-6U5

📸 Photo: Left to right: Asparagus can grown from one-year-old roots, called crowns. Crowns grow vertically and horizontally. This is an example of ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus crowns. (Image credit: NC Cooperative Extension (osiristhe CC BY-ND-2.0). Tender young asparagus shoots coming out of the ground (Image credit: twoellis/Bigstock.com)

12/29/2025

Excellent info from NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers for recognizing our beneficial spiders. There are 2 useful charts included: non-web building spiders and web building spiders.

12/29/2025

Now that we’re past “dreaming of a white Christmas,” it’s time to start dreaming of lush green container gardens in the New Year. Check out this info from NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers for more productive planting & harvesting ideas.