County Extension

By Tom Woods

Master Gardener

With a little planning, you can harvest fresh vegetables from your own backyard most of the year. Vegetables can be grown outside in southeast North Carolina from late winter through late fall. If you are willing to invest in a low-cost cold frame or unheated tunnel house, harvesting through the winter is easily possible. The key to growing a productive vegetable garden in all seasons is knowing what to plant when.

The gardener’s calendar

Getting down and dirty in a garden can help you grow nutrient-rich produce for your family and help everyone grow a healthier body at the same time. Add the stress-reducing benefits of fresh air and sunshine and you’ve got a win-win with fun, fitness and great tasting produce from one activity.

Forget the groundhog. There’s one sure sign spring is on the way popping up in yards all over eastern North Carolina: mole tunnels. Though moles tunnel actively all year, the tunnels they make in spring and fall are usually more obvious because they are closer to the soil surface. Unfortunately, there is no easy, fast solution to rid a yard of moles. Instead, effective mole control relies on patience, persistence and a little knowledge about their habits and behaviors.

The ways of moles