97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com have partnered with NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers of Orange County for “Playing in the Dirt,” a monthly column providing information and inspiration to gardeners of all skill levels! Check back on Chapelboro each month for a new subject – from our gardens to yours!
By Margaret Alford Cloud, Orange County Master Gardener℠ volunteer
Happy 2024! As the year starts, make some New Year’s resolutions for your garden. You probably have your own garden-related goals but here are some to think about.
American goldfinches feed on the seeds of orange coneflower in the fall. (Photo by Chris Moorman, NC State University.)
Add native plants to your yard. Native plants have adapted well to local climate and soil over many years so they may require less maintenance. Birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife rely on native plants for food and habitat. To help these creatures, include a variety of plants that bloom at different times of year. Read more here.
Container gardening makes it easy to grow plants almost anywhere. Here, salad ingredients grow in pots. (Photo by Anne Moyer, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Try container gardening. Gardening in pots or planters saves space, makes weed control easier, allows accessibility for people who can’t bend or kneel, and enables plants to be located in convenient spots. Learn about container gardening and how to grow edible plants in containers.
At the soil test station at the Orange County Extension office in Hillsborough, you can pick up and return soil test kits. (Photo by Margaret Cloud.) Mark the soil sample box before returning it. (Photo from NC State Extension.)
Test your soil. Soil testing yields information on acidity of soil and what nutrients it needs. Soil test kits and information are available at the entrance of the Orange County Extension office, 1020 US Hwy 70 West, Hillsborough. Soil tests are free from April through November; in other months, each test box costs $4. Read about soil tests and the importance of healthy soil.
Use organic fertilizers. If your soil test indicates that your soil needs nutrients, look for organic fertilizers. They may work more slowly than chemical fertilizers but they improve the health of the soil and provide longer support for plants.
At PlantFest in October 2023, Master Gardener volunteers of Orange County showed people how to sharpen tools. (Photo by Katie Rentzke, Master Gardener volunteer in Orange County.)
Take care of your tools. To keep your tools ready for work in the garden, clean them regularly and sharpen them as needed. They’ll last longer and function better with regular care. Read tips for tool care and maintenance.
Kids love to learn about worms and other creatures and how they benefit plants and soil. (Photo by Katie Rentzke.)
Encourage kids to try gardening. Help children start seeds or plant vegetable seedlings. Ask them to help with garden tasks. Growing and caring for plants sparks curiosity and learning! Read about garden activities for kids.
Give plants space to grow and spread. Proper spacing will help ensure that they get enough light, air and moisture. (Photo by Lucy Bradley, NC State Extension.)
Choose plants carefully and follow spacing instructions on labels. Think about a plan for your garden before you plant. Remember: “Right plant, right place!” Select plants that will thrive in your garden’s temperature, soil, moisture and light conditions.
A garden journal is a helpful reminder of what you have planted. You can note harvest dates, plant problems, names of plants and other details. (Photo by Valerie Blettner, Master Gardener volunteer in Orange County.)
Start a garden journal. It will remind you of what you planted in a previous year, when it bloomed and whether it thrived. A journal also reminds you of plant names, sources of garden supplies and other details.
At the Pollinator Paradise Garden at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, blazing star, coneflower and bee balm made a stunning combination last summer. The garden is 85% native plants. (Photo by Debbie Roos, Chatham County Extension.)
Enjoy your plants! Gardening is hard work but watching plants grow and thrive is rewarding. Take time to wander around your yard or in public gardens and admire all of nature’s colors, textures and scents.
Happy gardening in 2024!
Train to be a Master Gardener volunteer
Interested in becoming a Master Gardener volunteer in Orange County? We help people in our county learn about plants and gardening, using research-based information.
A training class for new volunteers will start in September 2024. The class meets weekly (a three-hour session) for 14 weeks. You’ll learn about plants, plant diseases, insects, soil, good gardening practices and other topics. Previous gardening experience is welcome but not required.
After volunteers complete the course, they provide at least 30 hours of volunteer work and obtain at least 10 hours of continuing education each year. We have a wide variety of interesting volunteer opportunities.
Click here to join our contact list so that you can receive more information about the class as it becomes available. We hope you’ll join us!
Become a Master Naturalist volunteer
The Orange County Cooperative Extension hopes to host a North Carolina Master Naturalist training course beginning in January 2025. The Master Naturalist courses started in 2022 in Durham and Chatham counties.
The Master Naturalist volunteer program prepares participants to lead stewardship, education outreach and citizen science projects with environmental organization partners. Topics covered include Piedmont climate and geology, botany, insects, birds, human environments, conservation and water quality.
The training will be open to all Orange County residents. Click here to receive further information about the course by email.
Upcoming Dig Deeper talks
Learn more about gardening at our Dig Deeper talks! All are on Saturdays, 2 to 3:30 p.m., at the Orange County Library in Hillsborough. (Please register on the library’s website.) Join us for these presentations by Master Gardener volunteers:
- Jan. 27: Vegetables: The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.
- Feb. 24: Invasives and Plants You Don’t Want in Your Garden.
- March 23: Insects and Disease in the Garden.
Check us out!
- Have a plant or garden question? Email the Orange County Master Gardener volunteers at ocmgardeners@gmail.com or phone 919-245-2061.
- Subscribe to The Garden Buzz, the Orange County Master Gardeners’ monthly newsletter, for gardening news and tips. And visit our website, The Orange Gardener, for helpful gardening information and tips.
- Follow us on Facebook! Our page is Orange County NC Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.
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I moved to NC several years ago from New York State. I am also now a balcony gardener. Would you address the specific problems of having a balcony garden? It is not the same as planting in a “ground” garden or in patio pots? The heat of the building in summer definitely affects my plants. How do I pick the most hearty plants since the zone on my balcony does not seem to correspond with that at ground level. With more apartments in the future of Chapelboro, I think it would be very helpful to address these differences. Thank you.