^The ANSON BIZ-ZINE
WADESBORO, ANSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, U.S.A.

      Think February is too early to start a spring garden? It isn’t! Have you ever tried growing cabbage, carrots, onions, peas, Irish potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, or turnips? Consider planting these tasty veggies in a sunny location, maybe even in that annual flowerbed that’s lying empty at the front porch. Turn it into an edible garden this year! Think of how fun it will be to step onto the porch into your very own, very local, grocery. Because you will notice it at least twice a day, you will also remember more often to weed, water, or fertilize.
     One advantage over summer crops is that there are few diseases and insect pests this time of year. Just make sure the site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and with a little tending, you expect a harvest in 1-3 months depending on the crop. Cool season crops prefer the winter months, so consider seeding them late summer for harvest in October and November as well. Flowerbeds are also a perfect place to grow fresh culinary herbs to add to flavor and garnish meals.

     Tall fescue lawns are also growing well this time of year. Tall fescue, as the name implies, prefers a taller growing height than our warm season turfs. Mow fescue to 3 inches. It should be mowed before the grass gets taller than 5 inches. It is not necessary to harvest grass clippings. Grass clippings are 75-85% water and a good source of nutrients. When left on the lawn after mowing they quickly decompose and release nutrients. Through grasscycling, you can supply up to 25% of the lawn’s yearly fertilizer needs, which means saving money and time.
     In February fertilize with 1 pound of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet. In absence of soil test results, use a complete (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio. Aimee Marshall is the horticulture agent for the Anson Cooperative Extension Service. To obtain vegetable gardening publications or ask question, she can be reached at 704-694-2415, or aimee_marshall@ncsu.edu.

Aimee Marshall
Assistant Horticulture and Forestry Agent