Extension gardener : mountain [2018 : summer]

Extension Gardener NC STATE SUMMER 2018 MOUNTAIN NEWS Conifers and Japanese Maples Make some compost! Ease into edamame "Steps to Health" in action Granulate ambrosia beetles Summer lawns Tips and tasks STATE NEWS Conifers and Japanese maples St. John's wort Squash blossoms The beauty of biodiversity Vegetable varieties Extension Gardener provides timely, research-based horticultural informa¬ tion. We publish four issues per year. Send comments about Extension Gardener to: Content Editor and Team Leader Lucy Bradley, Ph.D. NC State University Campus Box 7609 Raleigh, NC 27695-7609 Managing Editor Ben Grandon Regional Editor, Coastal Matt Jones Regional Editor, Piedmont Brad Thompson Regional Editor, Mountains Hannah Bundy Statewide Editor Hanna Smith The use of brand names does not imply endorsement by NC State Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. © 2018 NC State Extension Extension Gardener may not be repro¬ duced without written permission. News media quoting the newsletter should credit NC State Extension. extensiongardener.ncsu.edu The Henderson County Extension Teaching Garden is filled with thrilling plants that thrive in our area. While some of them can be difficult to find for sale, they are worth the search. Our garden features many conifers, including certain pines, cypresses, and hemlocks, as well as de¬ ciduous trees such as Japanese maples. There are a wide variety of conifers, including dwarf conifers, gold-needled and blue-needled conifers, and conifers with different forms, such as pyramidal, upright, and columnar. Some of my favorite conifers are 'Gold Conda' cypress, which is a terrific gold-leaf Leyland cypress; "Gold Thread' Sawara cypress; 'Gold Dawn’ dawn redwood, a gold leaf deciduous conifer; ‘Golden Carpet’, a creeping juniper; 'Nana1 dwarf balsam fir; 'Nidiformis' bird's nest spruce; 'Mugo' Japanese black pine; 'Galuca Pendula' weeping blue atlas cedar; and 'Pendula' weeping dwarf Norway spruce. I really like conifers, but I have to say that my fa¬ vorite type of tree is the group called "Japanese maples." These Asian relatives of our native maples exhibit traits that have been selected for by Japanese gardeners and horticulturists for thousands of years. These are the most refined and most delicate of all the maple family. There are two types of Japanese maples: the palmatum group and the dissectum group. The palmatum group has leaves reminiscent of our native maples, whereas the dissectum or cutleaf Specialty coniters come in different shapes and colors that offer year-round interest. ©Steve Pettis Japanese maples add a refined and delicate quality to the landscape. ©Steve Pettis group has finely serrated, deeply lobed leaves. This delicate leaf structure is colored in shades of either green or red and is the most attractive feature of the cutleaf Japanese maples. Japanese maples in general are rounded trees with smooth bark and undulating branches. The cutleaf varieties are all very small, ranging from 3 feet to 9 feet high. Their small size makes them excellent specimen trees near patios, homes, and driveways. The tree can be used as an accent and even as a potted plant. Japanese maples have specific site require¬ ments, as do conifers. These trees prefer dappled shade, although I have seen them in full sun. Japanese maples in full sun tend to be stressed and pick up summer leaf spot diseases readily. Cutleaf Japanese maples require evenly moist, well-drained soil conditions for best performance. These trees should be protected from winds and winter cold by planting them near structures, large trees, or among a planting of other small trees and shrubs. Some of my favorite Japanese maples are the big red-leafed 'Bloodgood' cultivar; the dwarf weeping 'Garnet'; the green-leafed 'Sango Kaku’ that fades to yellow in the fall; the aptly named 'Glowing Embers' with leaves that fade from green to purple, fluorescent orange, or yellow; and the coral-barked 'Japanese Sunrise'. Come by the teaching garden to see how these plants perform in the landscape, and select the ones that are just right for your yard. — Steve Pettis