NC State Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

Helping Gardeners Put Knowledge to Work

We are community volunteers. Our mission is to support, teach and encourage a diverse community of gardeners using current research-based horticulture practices. We invite you to explore our website and over 440 blog posts about gardening in Western North Carolina. Learn more

Looking for Gardening Education?  See our list of over 40 Videos 2023 Gardening Programs

Speakers and Sponsors: 2023 WNC Gardening Symposium

Spotted Lantern Fly Confirmed in NC! This piercing-sucking insect produces copious amounts of honeydew causing black sooty mold to grow on infested plants as well as homes and other structures. They are considered a nuisance pest of over 70 species of plants, and can severely damage several crops, including grapes. Report it if you see it! Click here to report. For more information about this destructive pest, click here.

The Learning Garden is offering over thirty, in-person gardening programs in 2023! Check it out ➜ 

A Gardening Guide for Our Mountains: The Perfect Holiday Stocking Stuffer

Living in Western North Carolina means there is always something to do in the garden, from preparing soil and pruning to fertilizing and transplanting. But when and how? You’ll find the answers in A Gardening Guide for Our Mountains.

A Gardening Guide for Our MountainsCreated by NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers of Buncombe County (BCEMG), the guide provides a complete month-by-month description of what to do (and not to do), along with tips on invasive species, mulching, composting, and creating bird- and pollinator-friendly habitats.

This quick reference makes the perfect holiday gift for the gardeners in your life, whether they are old hands, new to gardening, or new to gardening in the mountains. A Gardening Guide for Our Mountains will get them off to the right start and keep their gardens growing all year long. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that funds raised through this publication go to support the many educational and outreach programs provided by BCEMG volunteers.

How to order: Send $13 (checks payable to Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener) to N.C. Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Center, 49 Mount Carmel Road, Asheville, N.C. 28806, ATTN:  Buncombe County Master Gardeners. Include mailing address for shipping and a phone number, in case we have a question about your order.

Copies are available for pick up at the office for $10.  Please call in advance. 828-255-5522.

To learn more about the NC State Extension Master Gardener Program in Buncombe County, go to: https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/

Garden Planning: What is Your New Zone?

As we approach winter, many of us shift to more indoor gardening activities, especially planning for next year’s gardening projects! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just released a new version of one of our most useful planning tools, an updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

What is a Plant Hardiness Zone?
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, the USDA began providing plant hardiness zone information in 1960 to help assess what perennial plants would survive winters in 10 areas of the United States. Each zone represented a 10-degree difference in the average annual minimum temperature, the lower the zone, the lower the temperature.

A 1990 update divided each zone into 5-degree increments labelled “a” and “b” for more precise information. The 2012 version, based on 30 years of temperature records, increased the number of zones to 13, each divided into “a” and “b” 5-degree differences.

The latest map includes the same 13 pairs of 5-degree zones and 30 years of temperature data. The update shows that while Buncombe County zones ranged from 5b to 7a in 2012, zones now range from 6a to 7b! If your garden has shifted to a new zone, it  may now have an average low temperature of 5 or even 10 °F warmer than it did in 2012. 


How to use the Plant Hardiness Zone Map
To get your zone:

  • Click on the map link: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov
  • Plant Hardiness Zone: 28806
    Plant Hardiness Zone: The Learning Garden

    Enter your 5-digit zip code; this will give you the general zone for your area and the key will indicate the average low temperature.
    — For example, for the Buncombe County Extension Office Learning Garden, the zip code is 28806.
    —  The general zone for this area is 7b and the average low temperature is between 5 and 10 °F.
    —  Zoom in to locate your garden’s specific location.
    —    Match the color(s) of your location on the map to the color on the key to indicate your zone. In the case of the Learning Garden, the zone is also 7b, with the average low temperature between 5 and 10 °F.

How to use your Plant Hardiness Zone
Your zone helps you know which perennial plants will survive our winters. Most plants and seeds available for sale will come with information about their hardiness zone. The North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox entries also provide the range of zones for plant survival: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu

Other factors affecting plant survival:
The USDA notes factors other than the average low temperature that determine if plants survive:

  • Light: Plants need different amounts of light to thrive. Sudden changes in plant temperature from too much sun in winter might injure marginally hardy plants.
  • Soil moisture: Plants’ moisture needs might also vary seasonally. If soil moisture is too low in late fall, they might suffer during their dormancy.
  • Temperature: Plants have wider or narrow ranges of ideal temperatures—hot as well as cold.
  • Duration of exposure to cold: Plants that can tolerate brief cold exposure may not survive longer cold periods.
  • Humidity: Higher humidity reduces plants’ moisture loss, limiting cold damage. Low humidity can cause more severe cold injury, especially for evergreens
      Adapted from: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/pages/how-to-use-the-maps

Remember that Plant Hardiness Zones are based on average low temperature, not the lowest temperature that occurs in any given year. “Microclimates” are also important in siting plants. You may have protected areas in your garden where your plants may stay a few degrees warmer, or frost pockets where they may experience longer periods of cold. Knowing your Plant Hardiness Zone is a start in creating the right place for your chosen plants. 

Article written by Debbie Green, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

 

For more information about the recently updated Plant Hardiness Zones:

USDA Announcement: https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2023/usda-unveils-updated-plant-hardiness-zone-map/

How to use the maps: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/pages/how-to-use-the-maps

NC Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County announcement: https://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/2023/11/new-hardiness-zone-map-released/

Why Plant Hardiness Zones are Important: https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/plant-hardiness-zones-important/

Some history of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps: https://ag.umass.edu/sites/ag.umass.edu/files/fact-sheets/pdf/The%20USDA%20Plant%20Hardiness%20Zone%20fact%20sheet.pdf

Reminder: Submit Soil Samples before December 1 for Free Testing

There’s still time to get your soil samples to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services before Thanksgiving and take advantage of free testing. Samples received after November 30, 2023 through March 31, 2024—the peak soil testing season—are charged an analysis fee of $4 per sample. Before you get started, here are the current Soil Sampling Tips for Homeowners.

Soil test kit

Get soil test kits at the Extension office
Soil test boxes, sample information forms, and instructions are available outside the front door at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Center, 49 Mount Carmel Road, Asheville, NC 28806. 

Taking the sample
The instruction sheet, A Guide to Soil Sampling—A Soil Test Is Only as Good as the Soil Sample Taken!, explains how to take your sample. Using a clean, stainless steel or chrome-plated trowel, dig about 6 inches deep in 4 or 5 spots in the testing area. Place the soil samples in a clean plastic bucket or bowl and mix well. If the soil is wet, wait for it to dry out before mixing. Fill the soil test box to the fill line and label the box. If you still have questions about taking the sample, here is a short video:  How to Test Your Garden Soil.

Where to sample
Take several soil samples from different areas of your yard or garden and use a separate box for each sample. Suggested sample areas include: lawn, vegetable garden, flowerbeds, landscape trees and shrubs, roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, and other fruits and berries. 

Complete the sample information form and mail
Complete an information form for each soil sample, note any lime applications you’ve made in the last 12 months, and indicate the Lawn and Garden Planting Code for the area sampled. You’ll also need to provide an email address to receive your results.

Place the information form on top of your soil test boxes in a cardboard box and mail to the address listed on the form. It is helpful to keep a record to remind yourself of where you took each sample.

After the lab has tested the soil samples, you will receive a test report with recommendations for fertilizer and pH amendment. During the winter it takes about one to two months to receive your test results. Currently, it is taking about 4 weeks for the lab to process a soil sample.

More information
– A separate page on this website, includes links to all things related to soil testing by homeowners:  Soil Testing Information for Home Gardeners
– N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website:  https://www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/sthome.htm
– Soil Testing for Lawns and Gardens by Charlotte Glenn, State Coordinator, NC Extension Master Gardener Program Horticultural Science – NC State University

 

Contact Us

N.C. Cooperative Extension
Buncombe County Center
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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