November Articles

Put your landscape plants to bed before winter

November 28, 2001

Before some real winter weather descends, there's still time to help trees, shrubs and perennial plants develop dormancy, a trait they will need to tolerate the bitter temperatures that are sure to come. In Missouri, we often go from mild fall temperatures to single digits in just a few days. Plants that are not well on their way to dormancy can be severely damaged.

A mild autumn in many parts of the state has delayed the process. Most of the trees and shrubs seem to be dropping their leaves pretty well. Although, they are not completely dormant yet, it would be good if there were some weather in the 20s and teens before that first Canadian Clipper comes down and hammers us.

Sudden and dramatic drops in temperature are the greatest danger. A time like this was the Halloween Freeze of 1991, when leaves on the trees were still green. That night, it got into the teens. A few days later, it was below zero. This also evidently happened on Armistice Day - now Veterans Day -- in 1940. One of the stories was that you could stand in the orchards and hear the tree trunks pop. That is the ultimate example of the sort of thing we would like to avoid.

Also to be avoided are certain practices, like pruning and heavy fertilization in fall. Those practices promote plant growth and retard the development of dormancy. Resist the temptation to make your perennial beds perfectly tidy. Often, plants with the tops left intact over the winter show less injury than those cut back the previous fall.

Winter moisture extremes can cause as much damage in the landscape as temperature extremes. Foliage of evergreens exposed to cold, dry winter winds often turns brown due to excessive moisture loss. So you may need to water evergreens before they go into the winter. In some cases, it is helpful to construct a temporary windscreen using burlap or weed barrier fabric to the north and west of plants like rhododendrons and hollies to prevent drying (wind burn) injury.

Mulching should be delayed until the soil surface starts to freeze. Once the soil begins to freeze, it is important to mulch small, recently planted plants to avoid frost heaving and damage to buds near the soil surface.

Perennials may suffer from excessive moisture over the winter and spring. Do what you can to promote drainage and avoid mulching too deeply right around the crowns of the plants. The type of mulch recommended is one that does not pack down -- like pine needles, pine bark or shredded oak leaves -- at a depth of 2 or 3 inches. With mulching perennials less is more. It seems that the old mulch is left and a fresh layer is commonly added to the top. This may cause problems not only during the fall and winter but in the spring and summer.

The source of information for this article is Chris Starbuck, University of Missouri Associate Professor of Horticulture, (573) 882-9630 and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist, (573) 642-0755.

The Bootheel Irrigation Conference will be December 5, 2001 at the Delta Centers’ Rone Hall. It will be broadcast to the Mexico TCRC from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon). So anyone unable to attend at the Delta Center can participate locally. Joe Parcell, UMC Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics will make his presentation from the Mexico TCRC. The Mexico Regional TCRC (Telecommunication Community Resource Center) is located at 2900 Doreli Lane in South Mexico. Call for more information at (573) 581-4874.

The Master Tree Farmer II program will be held in Linn, MO during February and March 2002. The program will be a satellite downlink from Clemson University every Tuesday evening for 7 weeks. A fee will be charged to cover the MTF Manual, binder and other printed materials. Contact the MU Extension Centers Callaway County at (573) 642-0755 or Osage County at (573) 897-3648.

Controlling Winter Annual Weeds in Wheat

November 21, 2001

Winter annual weed management is increasingly importance not only in corn and soybean production, but in winter wheat production. Lower use of residual herbicides in soybean and the recent warm, mild winters have given us more henbit, chickweed, field pennycress, shepherdspurse, speedwell, purple deadnettle, and others. As a result, there is more interest in managing these weeds in next season’s corn and soybean fields, but also in fields already planted to wheat. Using fall-applied herbicides can be a good practice to reduce weed infestations that may interfere with stand establishment and tillering. Also, weeds are smaller in the fall vs. the spring, so lower rates can be used and it is less likely to have a long wet spell, which could stop late winter/spring treatments.

It is important to consider the rotational intervals and crop growth stages when planning herbicide applications. This is particularly important when using fall-applied herbicides in wheat. Many of the postemergence herbicides must be applied at a certain time for better crop safety to avoid yield losses. When applications are made before or after these growth stages, crop injury and yield losses are likely.

Here is a list of fall herbicides that can be used after wheat has emerged to control winter weeds: Bronate 4L (field pennycress, henbit and wild mustard), Buctril (field pennycress, henbit, shepherdspurse and wild mustard), Harmony Extra 75 DF plus a non ionic surfactant or Harmony GT 75 DF plus a non ionic surfactant (wild garlic, shepherdspurse, wild mustard, henbit and field pennycress), Peak 5 WG plus a non ionic surfactant or crop oil concentrate (garlic, pennycress, chickweed, prickly lettuce, shepherdspurse and wild mustard), and Sencor 75 DF (cheat, downy brome and shepherdspurse). Read and follow the most recent label for proper rates, timing, and planting restrictions. Examples of recent labels are available at the CDMS website for more specific instructions on weed sizes; use rates and other application precautions (www.cdms.net). Contact the Extension Center for assistance on this information.

It is important to remember that 2,4-D and Banvel/Clarity herbicides, while very effective on broadleaf weeds, cannot be used in the fall on wheat. Fall applications will cause crop injury and yield loss. They can be used in the spring after winter dormancy and wheat is fully tillered. Wheat has developed more tolerance to these herbicides at that time.

The source of information for this article is Bill Johnson, Extension Agronomy Assistant Professor of Weed Science at the University of Missouri – Columbia 573-882-2001 and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist at the Callaway County MU Extension Center 573-642-0755. Other information is available on the herbicides used to control winter annual in soybeans and corn.

The 2001 Missouri Crop Performance reports on soybean, corn and grain sorghum are in. They can be picked up at the Callaway County MU Extension Center. These reports can be downloaded from AgEBB (Agricultural Electronic Bulletin Board) at: <http://agebb.missouri.edu/cropperf/index.htm>.

Do not send this table to the newspaper. This table is to be included in the web page.

Lots of Winter Programs

November 14, 2001

Vegetable Crops Management and Marketing Workshops

Producing and Marketing Vegetables for Restaurants and Wholesale Buyers: St. Joseph, MO, November 15th; Ramada Inn, contact Keith Hawxby 816-279-1691; and Sikeston, MO, December 4th 1:30-5:30 PM (After the Value Added Conference), Contact Van Ayers 573-379-5431.

Bootheel Vegetable Irrigation Meeting at the Delta Research Center; December 4th 5:30-8:30PM, contact Joe Henggeler or Tim Baker 573-888-4722.

Great Plains Vegetable Conference and Trade Show at. Joseph, MO, January 11-12, 2002 contact Keith Hawxby 816-279-1691;

Missouri Arkansas Watermelon Meeting in Kennett, MO, Friday, January 25, 2002, Contact Tim Baker at 573-884-4722

Missouri Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference at Springfield, MO, February 18-20, Gaylord Moore, 417-862-9284.

You may also contact Lewis W. Jett, Assistant Professor & State Vegetable Crops Specialist Department of Horticulture, 1-87 Agriculture Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, 573-884-3287 (Office/Laboratory), 573-882-1469  (Fax), or JettL@Missouri.edu about any of these programs.

MU free tax workshop for small-business owners

The University of Missouri Small Business Development Center will offer a Small- and Home-Based Business Tax Workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 29, at Boone Electric Cooperative, 1413 Rangeline, Columbia, MO 65202.

The free seminar, co-sponsored by the St. Louis District Office of the Internal Revenue Service and the Missouri Department of Revenue, is intended for small- or home-based business owners and managers. They will learn about various state and federal taxes they are required to pay and how to avoid costly fines. This workshop will not be offered again until May 23, 2002. Participants can pre-register by calling (573) 882-7096. Seating is limited.

The MU SBDC, a business resource and support center, is a cooperative effort of the MU College of Business, University Extension, and the Missouri Small Business Development Centers. The source for information on this workshop is Frank Seibert Extension Instructor at the MU Small Business Development Center (573) 882-7096.

Master Tree Farmer II for 2002

The Master Tree Farmer (MTF) 2002 Program is the sequel (advanced) course following the Master Tree Farmer 2001 Program that was satellite downlinked last February in Morgan County. The 2002 MTF program will not be held at that location. 

This Program will be offered via satellite from Clemson University.  This program contains more in-depth information about how to implement a plan for the stewardship of your forest resources to meet diverse objectives. The course will be held each Tuesday evening beginning February 5, 2002, and run through March 19, 2002 from 6 to 9 pm.

There will be a $45.00 fee per participant charged to cover expenses. The Master Tree Farm Manual alone is $30.00 plus the cost of speaker notes, binders and refreshments.

To receive the certificate for completion of the Program each participant must attend at least 6 out of the 7 sessions. Missed sessions can be made up by watching the tapes from those sessions.

The topics that will be covered are: managing the forest site, forest stand prescriptions, controlling unwanted vegetation, forest Pest Management on Pine and Hardwood forest sites, introduction to Best Management Practices, forest Measurements, and wildlife management for deer and turkey.

Last year both the Missouri Department of Conservation provided specialists from the Private Lands Division and foresters from their Forestry Division to serve as resource personnel for each of the sessions.  We had outstanding attendance from them and also from the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association. 

The source of information on this program is John Dwyer, Associate Professor of Forestry and Acting Extension Forester, 573-882-3537, and Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist 573-642-0755.

The 78^th annual Callaway County Soils & Crops Conference

The 78^th annual Callaway County Soils & Crops Conference will be held on Thursday, January 24, 2002 at the Callaway Extension Center located in the Callaway County Courthouse Annex 1/4 mile west of Highway 54 off State Highway F, on County Road 302, just off Airport Drive (County Road 304).

Registration for the conference will begin at 9:00 a.m. with coffee and doughnuts and a meal provided by Farm Credit Service, local agricultural chemical company representatives, and the banks of Callaway County. Timely information on field crop and livestock forage production will highlight the morning and early afternoon program.

Information on these programs and others are available at the Callaway County MU Extension Center and from Jim Jarman, Agronomy Specialist 573-642-0755.

Black walnut husks - no threat to forage production

November 7, 2001

It seemed that the black walnut husks were the last thing anyone wanted. Walnuts were bought after the husks were removed. Millions of pounds of black walnuts are harvested each year leaving large piles of husks. These husk piles can cause environmental problems if the allelopathic agents soak out into ponds and streams. Typically, these large piles of waste husks were left at the walnut buying/ hulling stations or were hauled off and dumped. Now, there is a proper way and an advantage to properly dispose of this waste.

A couple of months ago a question on the proper disposal of walnut husks was passed among the Extension Agronomists of Missouri. The answer came as a research paper on spreading walnut husks on pastures. As with many research papers the useful information is hard to get to. After sorting through six pages of tables and scientific terms there was a short and important finding. Having never been asked about disposal of walnut husks before, I threw away the information. Hindsight always being 20-20, I got just that question two weeks ago. So, I had to ask for that research paper again.

The research said, “husks from black walnut hulling stations can be safely applied to orchardgrass and red clover. Negative growth responses from the application of husks to other forage species is not expected, although these species have not been tested.”

Black walnut husks and hulls do contain allelopathic agents (substances that can hinder plant growth). These agents act like a natural herbicide around walnut trees. Fortunately, the study found these degrade rapidly when exposed to air.

Gene Garrett, director of the Center for Agroforestry, oversaw the graduate students who performed the research.. The research demonstrated that if those hulls are spread on the land, there are no environmental problems. At the same time there is a benefit from increased forage growth.

Initial trials used orchardgrass with three levels of walnut husk applications: at zero, 15 and 30 tons per acre. The results suggested that allelopathic activity was not a major factor when husks are spread as recommended.

A second study with red clover determined how long it takes such substances to break down. Fresh green husks were peeled from nuts and squeezed to remove the juice. This would be like the worst possible case where all the husk toxins were rinsed out immediately after spreading fresh husks – which is unlikely to happen.

Nearly all the red clover seedlings treated immediately with fresh husk juice died quickly. However, many seedlings treated with two hours old juice survived. This suggested that the allelopathic agents rapidly broke down when exposed to air. Seedlings that were treated with four-hour-old juice showed few problems, and treatments after 12 hours may have resulted in some increased growth.

Later field trials were held at the MU Horticultural and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin, Mo. Red clover with 15 tons of walnut husks per acre yielded better than the red clover with no husks. Red clover treated with 30 tons of walnut husks per acre yielded even better. The best results for orchardgrass were observed at 15 tons-per-acre.

Clearly this research indicated that black walnut husks are not a serious threat when applied to pastureland. While application rates up to 30 tons per acre were tested, the optimum application rate would appear to be between 15 and 30 tons per acre. Further good news for the person asking about walnut husk applications is that composting, although it could be done, is not necessary.

Source for this article is Gene Garrett, director of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (573) 882-3647.

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	Jim Jarman, jarmanj@missouri.edu Agronomy Specialist, (573) 642-0755 Site maintained by: Jen Pauley, pauleyj@missouri.edu Last update: 04/27/06