Craven Extension Master Gardener Volunteers

08/18/2026

I saw the gorgeous Ginkgo tree on the Tryon Palace grounds. I hear good and bad about this tree. What do I need to know about it and is it a good one for a homeowner here in New Bern?
By Judi Lloyd

You’re right the Ginkgo Biloba tree is spectacular – especially this time of year. Undisputedly, the most majestic of all trees, this giant has it all. It is considered to be a living fossil as it is old – very old – with fossils found dating to 270 million years ago. Not only is it old, it is also beautiful. It has a unique fan-shaped leaf and a glorious fall color of buttery yellow. Traditionally the ginkgo is massive with a mature height of 50 to 80 feet and a 30 to 40 foot spread. It is resistant to insects and diseases and is extremely drought tolerant. Not a fast grower, it averages 13-24 inches per year with a spreading canopy on most cultivars. It was brought to the US in the late 1700s from China and grows well up to zone 8. It isn’t picky about soil conditions and can flourish in compact spaces, making it a great street tree for urban areas. The ginkgo is also tolerant of air pollution, street salt and salt spray and is easy to establish. Full sun and good drainage is the best spot for the ginkgo. There are both male and female cultivars of ginkgo and the female grows an extremely fowl smelling fruit, so it is recommended that only male cultivars be planted. For those homeowners who don’t feel that they have enough space to grow a ginkgo tree, there are many compact cultivars available for today’s smaller properties. You can even grow them in large containers. Water regularly when the tree is young and only give it simple pruning early on so it will have a strong central leader. There are also columnar cultivars that don’t have a tremendous spread. Ginkgo biloba ‘Fastigiata’ is a columnar tree with a spread of 10 -15 feet. ‘Autumn Gold’ is a larger cultivar growing to 40-50 feet tall with a spread of 25-30 feet. Ginkgo biloba ‘Pendula’ is a nice dwarf cultivar, growing to 8 feet tall and there is a true dwarf, ‘Mariken’ that gets only 4 feet tall. A last interesting thought: This is what the dinosaurs used to eat!

This article was written by Donna Teasley of Burke County NC Cooperative Extension
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This month’s plant is my all-time favorite tree, the ginkgo tree. Undisputedly, the most majestic of all trees, this giant has it all. It is considered to be a living fossil as it is old – very old – with fossils found dating to 270 million years ago. Not only is it old, it is ...

07/23/2026

How do I prune my crape myrtle?

By Judi Lloyd

Two words: very little. Many gardeners and maintenance companies prune the trees with what is commonly termed “crape murder” or “crape maiming”. This is the practice of cutting back the tree to the main stem each year leaving k***s or “fists”. This practice is at the very least unnecessary and at the most potentially harmful to the tree.

The reason to prune a crape myrtle is to maintain its natural shape and to produce strong branches to hold up the large blooms. Drastic pruning doesn’t accomplish either of these goals. What harsh pruning does is lead to a “witch’s broom” effect that that is
no longer in proportion and is so dense it does not allow good air flow and necessary sunlight to pe*****te the center of the tree. The spindle-like small branches also get overburdened with the large flowers and are predisposed to breakage. As if this wasn’t
enough, it also increases susceptibility to pests and diseases and creates wounds on your tree that do not heal well. There is no solid horticultural argument for heavy topping of these beautiful trees.

The right time to prune a crape myrtle is late winter. First, remove any suckers coming from the base of the tree. You can also prune any cross branches, branches that rub and those small branches growing inward toward the center of the tree. These unwanted branches are best removed before they get thicker than a pencil. Remove side branches up to 4-5 feet if you want a more upright look. If you want, you can remove the seed heads but it is not necessary. Nature will take care of them and it reduces your workload. Plus, if you have a 20+ foot tree it becomes very impractical.

There are many good videos on the Internet that will demonstrate the best practices on how to prune your crape myrtle. Try the following Missouri Extension video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzzNaId-XjE

So, what if you inherited a previously topped crape myrtle when you bought your house? There are ways to rehabilitate it. One way is to cut the branch beneath the k***s and keep one new sprout as a new trunk. As other sprouts spring up, pinch them off. This may take a couple of years to create a nice new structure but it is worth it. Auburn University college of agriculture in Alabama has a crape myrtle recovery program that demonstrates ways to properly maintain and prune crape myrtles and bring them back to a healthy beauty after over pruning has occurred.

If you feel the tree needs to be topped because it is too tall, you are dealing with the wrong cultivar in the wrong place. It might be best to start over with a more suitable sized crape myrtle. There are several beautiful cultivars with different growing habits.
You can choose a small dwarf that is 3-5 feet or a taller tree that can grow 10-30 feet.

You can also choose the color of the flowers from white, pink, magenta, lavender or bright red. Bark colors from light brown, gray and to cinnamon also bring interest to your garden. Have fun researching what tree will work best in your landscape.

06/17/2026

THE INVINCIBLES!
By Judi Lloyd

Plants that should do well here in the ‘Eastern Coastal Plains’. These are tough perennials for our hot summers! Remember: no guarantees: no matter what a friend says has been always a
‘no brainer’ for her or what you may read in a magazine or online – no matter how expert they may be – IT IS NATURE! And nature doesn’t always follow the rules.

Some herbs that do well here and are also decorative are:

* Yarrow (Achillea): member of the aster (daisy) family. Benefits are that it attracts butterflies; leaves have soft fern-like texture; drought
tolerant; deer resistant; colors come in pink, red or yellow and bloom from mid-summer to fall; great in cut or dried arrangements. They can be severely pruned back or even mowed. But, it does spread by rhizomes so can end up more prolific than you may want
(although, not invasive).

* Lemon Balm (Melissa officinals): mint family. Bushy perennial that likes sun to part-shade; drought tolerant and deer resistant. Has teensy white flowers that bees love. Is great in tea and soup. New leaves have a better flavor than the mature ones. **Plant in
a container, as with any plant in the mint family, it self-seeds and spreads!

* Bee Balm (Monardo): flowering perennial in mint family. There are many cultivars in a variety of fragrant flower colors; grow 2’ to 4’ tall and are pollinator magnets: bees, hummers, butterflies, song birds. They prefer full-sun with good air circulation to avoid
powdery mildew. Deer and bunny resistant. Since they are in the mint family, remember they will self-seed!

*Coneflower (echinacea) In aster (daisy) family. Full sun, native perennial. Drought tolerant; deer resistant; loved by pollinators; easily propagated by seed and will reseed. Comes in a variety of
colors now. Blooms early summer through mid-fall.

* Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) Again, in daisy family. Native full-sun perennial; drought tolerant and deer resistant; loved by pollinators. Spreads by underground rhizomes and can be divided in spring or fall. Will make an attractive winter ground
cover. But leave seed heads for food source for birds. It was the 1988 Wildflower of the Year at the N.C. Botanical Gardens.

*Buglew**d (Ajuga pyramidalis) Mint family perennial. Spreads by short rhizomes; has pale violet blooms in May & June, which can be mowed when blooms are finished. Great for front border, ground cover, containers, rock gardens, edging & pollinators.
Deer and bunny resistant.

06/16/2026

Happy ! 🐝🌼🦋

National Pollinator Month happens every June in the United States to celebrate bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, bats and other key pollinators. Let's protect these declining populations and work together to help our ecosystems stay healthy and balanced.

🌟 Here's a free, research-based guide from NC State Extension that supports our efforts: "Attracting Pollinators and Other Beneficial Insects" ➡️ go.ncsu.edu/attract-pollinators

(OR gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/attracting-birds-beneficial-insects-other-wildlife/pollinators-and-other-beneficial-insects)

📸 credit: Charlotte Glen, statewide NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ program manager

05/24/2026

Congratulations to two dedicated volunteers! John Wright and Cheryl Wyatt received pins for 1000 hours of volunteer work! Thanks you two for all the hard work.

05/21/2026

Are there any beneficial insects? And, if so, how can I make my
garden inviting so as to attract them?

By Judi Lloyd

When you ask a vegetable gardener about insects in their garden, the typical reaction is to cringe and tell you their tried-and-true way of getting rid of them! Most people think of insects as foes, rather than friends. But did you know that there are many insects that can actually help us keep the “bad” insects at bay? These helpful critters are called “beneficial” insects. They can help reduce the populations of problem pests in the garden. But in order to do so, we must
provide them with habitat to do so. Beneficial insects include parasitic wasps, ground beetles, lady beetles, lacewings, and others.

Parasitic wasps control pests by laying eggs on or in the bodies of pests, and as the eggs hatch they feed on the pest, slowly killing it. One example of this is the Braconid wasp that lays its eggs in a tomato hornworm. Once the larvae hatch inside the hornworm, the spin white cocoons attached to the hornworm and will emerge as adults several days later. Parasitic wasps also lay eggs in aphids. Ground beetles will feed on slugs, and they also will eat w**d seeds. There are many plants that host or attract beneficials but several plant families are particularly attractive to beneficials. One of those plant families is the carrot family, Apiaceae. Plants in this
family that are particularly attractive are dill, fennel, cilantro, Bishop’s flower, and Queen Anne’s Lace. These plants tend to attract parasitic wasps and flies. It is important to let them
flower if you want to attract the beneficial insects, and fortunately their flowers are very attractive! Interplant these among your vegetables to keep beneficials on duty. Plants in the daisy or aster family (Asteraceae) and the verbena family (Verbenaceae) are attractive to both beneficial insects and to the human eye! These plant families have many of our popular flowers.

Good flowers for beneficials in the aster family include sunflowers, marigolds, yarrow, calendula, coneflower, and coreopsis. Asters are especially attractive to beetles and lady beetles. Plants in the verbena family attract a variety of beneficials. Good plants in this family include lantana, hybrid verbena, and lilac vervain. Certain plants in the legume family (Fabaceae), such as sweet clover, hairy vetch, and fava bean, are grown as cover crops to protect soil and add nutrients to the soil when another crop is not growing. They are also attractive to a number of beneficial insects. For the best habitat, intersperse a mix of attractant plants in your vegetable garden, or consider dedicating a bed to be for a “beneficial insect mix”. Besides planting flowers, a diverse landscape including well-managed lawn, trees, shrubs, and perennials that provide flowers throughout the season can help sustain beneficial insects.
Undisturbed areas such as a perennial landscape or forest edge provide a place for overwintering. Mulch in the vegetable garden provides habitat for ground beetles. Beneficial insects also need water. An easy way to provide it is in a shallow pot saucer with pebbles in it for the insect to land on. While having a healthy population of beneficial insects will reduce your need to apply pesticides, there is still a possibility that you will need to apply a pesticide to control insects or slugs during the season. Be aware that pesticides can harm beneficial insects in addition to pests. Before spraying, make sure the insects you see are pests and not
beneficials. To reduce the effect on beneficials, apply pesticides only when needed. Choose pesticides with little residual activity, such as insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Apply pesticides in the evening and avoid contact with flowers that attract beneficials will also reduce the exposure beneficial insects have with the pesticide.

This article was written by Eli Snyder and last updated by Tina Lovejoy of the Caldwell County, N.C. State Extension.

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When you ask a vegetable gardener about insects in their garden, the typical reaction is to cringe and tell you their tried-and-true way of getting rid of them! Most people think of insects as foes,…

05/15/2026

Plants are on their way to the Extension! See you at the plant sale tomorrow - 10:00am.
300 Industrial Drive

05/12/2026

See you Saturday at the Extension! We'll have some great plants available.

05/11/2026

05/06/2026

Hello, everyone. This is Laura working on my projects. I did not get much done this week.. I had bad fall, in the yard if course and I'm on the injured list. Using crutches to get around and minimize pain.
So I have caught up my garden book. I keep note of all the plants I buy and plant. Then I can monitor how they do or why not. Like the camellias that were poorly lat summer. I could check when I planted them, name of cultivars and expected conditions. I have a pocket in the back of my garden book and I keep the tags when I buy a plant. So as I was updating, I see i last did maps for the placement of everything. I need to catch this up also.
Before I was injured, I was trying to get my walkway project finished. Soon close! but it will get done soon enough. I am also watching my pollinators garden and see tons of new growth. I tried some corn this year, but I do not see any sprouts.
I planted a rhododendron, about 2 years ago but it has poor tolerance of the heat. So used some old fencing, looped it over the top and secured it. Then I planted some long green beans to clean I my up and shade the Rhoda. We'll see if it helps but I may transplant it in t he fall. So I'll continue to look at my garden and make more lists. Happy Gardening!!