Markets & Ag
COLUMBIA, Mo. — If a little is good, a lot must be better. That’s often the approach home gardeners take when plants and flowers don’t do well, says University of Missouri Extension soil scientist Manjula Nathan. But adding more fertilizer and topsoil without testing the soil may be a waste of money. It also can…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Some gardeners take a hands-off approach to leaves in the fall. But leaves allowed to remain on lawns can pack down to form a tight mat that prevents sunlight from reaching the grass, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Leaves also trap and hold moisture, which increases the potential for…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff celebrates the creepy qualities of some insects and fungi, even after Halloween. For example, many fungi in the genus Ophiocordyceps can parasitize insects, turning them into “zombie bugs” that help the fungi reproduce. “They prey most often on beetles, ants, dragonflies and butterflies,” says Althoff. Infected…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension horticulturists are fielding questions about plants that are blooming and leafing out of season. MU Extension horticulturist Debi Kelly, who serves as the state extension Master Gardener coordinator, says she’s noticed many social media postings about spring-blooming flowers and shrubs, especially irises and lilacs, budding and blooming in…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, many species of insects will search for places to spend the winter. Depending on the insect, they will seek out a variety of locations, such as in soil, under leaf litter, under tree bark, or even in our homes. One that we…
Read Full Article Many of you have had a frost or freeze in the past few weeks, but it didn’t do much damage. All of your root-type vegetables, even some above-ground vegetables, survived. To keep them growing, water them so the roots aren’t exposed to the cold air. Draw on paper your garden plan where all your vegetables…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension state nutrient management specialist John Lory advises against fall application of anhydrous ammonia anywhere in Missouri. Fall application increases the risk for substantial losses in the period between fall and when the corn needs the nitrogen in June and July. Instead, preplant and side-dress applications to minimize potential…
Read Full Article GREEN CASTLE, Mo. — The Northeast Missouri Women in Agriculture event scheduled for Friday, Nov. 8, will offer fun and facts for women wanting to improve their gardens, forests and farms. The program will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Wildflower Grove, 1119 Front, Green Castle. The town is on Missouri Route…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — The natural process of trees shedding leaves in the fall is the most visible sign of trees preparing for winter dormancy. Shedding leaves is a tree’s way of self-preservation, reducing plant material that require resources that become scarce during the cold days and short daylight of winter. While the rainbow of colors…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — After years of record-breaking farmland prices in Missouri, is stabilization on the horizon? Data from the latest Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey hints at slower growth in Show-Me State farmland values. The annual survey provides valuable insights into farmland values, who is buying and selling, and the factors affecting farmland values now…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The safety of the U.S. pork supply is achieved through biosecurity protocols not only during National Pork Month in October but every day of the year to safeguard animal health, food safety, the environment and the economy. University of Missouri Extension’s Swine Team educates pork producers and workers on safety protocols throughout…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The average Missourian eats 63 pounds of pork each year. “If you’ve thought about supplying pork to Missouri markets but haven’t decided for sure, then Intel for Ag (www.intelforag.org) can help,” said Mallory Rahe, University of Missouri Extension state specialist and Intel for Ag contributor, in a press release. Information posted to…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The best time to apply nitrogen fertilizer to promote fall forage growth has passed, says University of Missouri Extension state nutrient management specialist John Lory. Applying now does not promote growth and may increase the risk of forages accumulating nitrate. The recommended time to apply is late summer, preferably before Aug. 15,…
Read Full Article The cooler temperatures are here to stay, and we’re not getting much rain as we get into the middle of October. But with watering, I still am getting vegetables from our garden and the community garden at the Father Buhman Center. The fall garden in raised beds will be ready in a few days. As…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — You aren’t the only one getting cozy for fall. While you are pulling out the flannels, insects are looking for a place to be snug as a bug in a rug for the winter. “Over the next few weeks, it is critical to ensure your home is properly sealed to avoid insect…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Autumn is a time for … life? This may seem perplexing, as we often link fall with plants dying, wildlife migrating and us retreating indoors. However, this is when conservationists managing prairies get excited to sow new life. Managing prairies, forests or wetlands often involves battling nonnative invasive plants via cutting, pulling,…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – Big changes are coming for private pesticide applicator training next year. University of Missouri Extension private pesticide applicator training coordinator Rusty Lee says extension specialists will hold workshops across the state after Jan. 1 to train those who apply restricted use pesticides (RUPs) on owned or rented property. New federal rules change…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The opportunity to learn livestock farming skills hands-on and be surrounded by their peers – even during difficult circumstances – had a major impact on two women’s lives. The Pearls of Production conference, hosted each year by University of Missouri Extension, is a hands-on educational program for women in livestock production. “The…
Read Full Article The fall weather is here, and we are dealing with it in many ways. Hopefully, you got much-needed rain. With the cooler temperatures, you know it is fall. I have noticed that people, when they mow, are mowing dirt, weeds and not much else. I have talked about mowing based on the height of the…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Annual geraniums (Pelargonium) are among the most popular flowering plants grown in gardens. These easy-to-grow, low-maintenance plants provide color to landscapes from May until the arrival of frost. While they are often treated as annuals, they can be successfully overwintered indoors to be enjoyed again next year. Preparing geraniums for overwintering Geraniums…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri’s grape harvest this year is, for the most part, early throughout the state. The reason for the early harvest is the low crop yield, which is mainly due to frost last spring, according to Dean Volenberg, interim director of the University of Missouri Grape and Wine Institute and viticulture program leader.…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — This fall, millions of Americans will purchase a vegetable they, unfortunately, are very unlikely to eat, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. In the United States, this colorful member of the gourd plant family is used primarily for decoration, but many people throughout the world use pumpkin as a staple…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. – Springtime favorites such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths won’t greet you next year if they’re not planted in the fall. “The bulbs of spring-blooming plants need to be in the ground now so they can go through a chilling process in the winter,” said David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for University of…
Read Full Article MILAN, Ill. — During this first week of October, many of the plants blooming in our landscape are mums, asters, goldenrods, sedums and ornamental grasses. But what if your lilac is blooming? A lilac blooming in autumn is unusual unless you have planted one of the new varieties bred to bloom once in the spring…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — Few flowers signal fall’s arrival more than the cheerful chrysanthemum, or mum, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Mums’ long-lasting blooms put on a colorful display for weeks when other flowers have called it quits for the season. Mums are one of the oldest known flowers, Trinklein said. The Chinese…
Read Full Article