Rowan Genealogical Society
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16 join the Rowan Genealogical Society as member Susan Davis details 1,000 years of Coffin Family history. Learn how it is possible to uncover 1,000 years of family history. Free, open to the public. Rowan Public Library, 201 W. Innes St.

Southern Piedmont Woodturners
CONCORD — Enjoy an evening with Mike Mahoney on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Mike will be doing a remote demonstration from his workshop in California.
SPW meets the third Tuesday at the Clearwater Artist Studios 223 Crowell Drive, NW at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour starting at 5:30 p.m.

 

Kneeling Gardeners
Submitted
The Kneeling Gardeners held their monthly meeting at Trinity United Methodist Church in Kannapolis on Sept. 24 with speaker Wendy Tate, Master Gardener and owner/operator of EarthArt Landscape Construction in Midland. A native of Virginia, Wendy attended college in West Virginia and graduate school at Duke University. Under the guidance of a local landscape designed, she worked and learned from the ground up how to design and install landscapes, including stone walls, patios, and pathways. In 2000 she went through Master Gardener training in Cabarrus County and is currently President of Master Gardeners Association, a NC Certified Plant Professional and NC Licensed Landscape Contractor. Her program topic was “Are My Plants Sick?” How to identify whether plants are diseased or damaged, or do they have nutritional/watering issues. Master gardeners answer the phone at the extension office and are available to help with plant questions. Take a picture of the plant in question or snip a branch and take it to them to assess the problem. The power point presentation brought diseased plants to life. What makes a garden interesting are plants that differ. Variations of color, shape, leaf, bloom. The Chinese privet variety has green leaves with white edges. After the plant reaches a certain age, the leaves turn all green. A virus causes white edges. Symptoms of disease may be yellow leaves, sparse foliage, browning or spotting and small leaf size. For some plants such as aucuba the yellow spots are normal. The zebra plant is striped, and we have a variety of variegated hostas. The spots and stripes are natural occurring variances in leaves and natural to the plant. Abnormal yellowing is called Chlorosis brought on by a nutrient deficiency or virus. This can result from partial failure to develop chlorophyll, caused by a natural deficiency or the activities of a pathogen. Gardenias with yellow leaves indicate an iron deficiency. For best results, do a soil test to find out your deficiency. Kits are free from the extension office until November. If your plant has defoliation it may be caused by pests, cold damage or transplant shock. If a plant is vacant up about 6 feet and have a green top knot it may be from deer. If the problem is over pruning, it is from a human. Transplant shock results in the plant dropping leaves. Wait to see if the plant will refoliate before tossing it away. A dead tree for instant, will not drop leaves. Burning or spotting is normal in some plants such as the Giant Lizard Plant. It has leaves the size of a tractor seat, requires shade and dies back in the winter. Viruses can cause brown edges or spots. Shown to us was a Mosaic Virus so we could see that it did not have healthy spots. Bacteria, fungi, and nematodes are oftentimes in the soil. Pictures of downy mildew and cedar apple rust were especially fascinating. These go back and forth between the two similar fungi forms on cedar trees. It is orange and slimy but must have an apple tree close by. Nematodes are worms that live in soil. They can help to regulate the soil but if you develop a root knot nematode it can be fatal. Boxwoods are especially susceptible. Watering issues can be harmful. Overwatering causes moldy flowers and new and old leaves fall off. Soil PH affects availability of plant nutrients. Acid or Alkaline? 6.2 – 7.3 neutral. Gardenias like acid soil where lilacs do not. Very few plants are extreme end of spectrum for heavy acid or heavy alkaline. With all the new plants being developed, read the tag before you purchase. The secret to be a Master Gardener is you do not have to know the answer but know how to look it up. Wonderful program. If you are interested in gardening, join us Oct. 22 when Tim Downing from KCS will be our speaker.