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Get more hydrangea with these simple steps
HILLSBORO, Mo. – One of summer’s most showstopping bloomers is easy to transplant and propagate, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Debi Kelly. Hydrangeas burst with blooms summer and fall in colors ranging from blues and white to lavender and pinks. Bloom size varies on this low-maintenance perennial shrub, which tolerates almost any type of soil, sun or shade, although it prefers partial sun.
Missouri 4-H Foundation awards $87K in scholarships
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation is awarding scholarships totaling $87,000 to Missouri 4-H youths to help further their education.
Boost your blossoms by deadheading
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Deadheading flowers can help gardeners get more bang for the buck, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall.Removing faded and dead blooms costs nothing but time and encourages plants to put their energies into forming new blossoms instead of producing seed, says Reall. Additionally, deadheading gives the plant a tidier, more vibrant appearance.
It's time to remove fescue seed heads to reduce toxins
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri forage producers should begin removing seed heads from tall fescue grass pastures soon to reduce toxic endophytes that thwart herd health and profits, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
Know the signs of stress
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The theme of 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month is “Look Around, Look Within,” says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch.Surroundings affect mental health, says Funkenbusch, who works with MU Extension groups to promote mental health awareness in rural Missouri.
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MU Extension biosecurity trailer demonstrates Danish entry system
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A biosecurity trailer developed by University of Missouri Extension shows how poultry, swine and all livestock producers can implement a Danish entry system, a cost-effective way to reduce the transmission of pathogens when showering in and out is impractical or unavailable.
Cut hay now and cut it high for best yield, persistence
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It’s time to make the first cutting of hay in Missouri, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.Waiting too long leads to poor-quality feed for livestock next winter. For best quality, harvest hay in May before seed heads pollinate, says Roberts.
Mowing hay low may cost money, time
GALENA, Mo. – There are many reasons to avoid cutting low when mowing hay, but money is the main one, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg.
MU Extension updates custom rates for Missouri farm services
COLUMBIA, Mo. –University of Missouri Extension has published a summary of custom rates for farm services in Missouri based on a statewide online survey and solicitations by extension specialists. MU Extension asked farmers, agribusiness firms and land improvement contractors to provide rates they charged or paid in 2022 for custom services, minus the cost of materials applied.
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Flood-related resources from MU Extension
News releases, publications and more. News releases
MU tools help cattle producers with on-farm finishing budgets
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many consumers want to buy locally produced beef, and University of Missouri Extension economists can help producers deliver. Beef producers who want to finish their cattle on their farms now have access to new resources from MU Extension beef specialists to determine their finishing budgets.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri faces the largest shortage of behavioral health care providers in the U.S. Each of Missouri’s 99 rural counties is a designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, with just 3.7% of the recommended supply filled, says University of Missouri Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch.
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Time to scout for ergot
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts says now is the time to check for ergot in the seed heads of grasses. Ergot can cause severe illness in livestock, especially cattle and horses. One early sign is yellow syrup drops called honeydew in flowering seed heads. Honeydew hardens and turns into dark ergot bodies, which look like mouse droppings and are up to 10 times the size of the grain.
Show-Me MO Success podcast: Gina's Vegan a Go Go and MU Extension
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When Gina Overshiner turned her passion for vegan cooking into a food truck business, she turned to University of Missouri Extension’s Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for advice. To celebrate Small Business Month, the latest episode of “Show-Me MO Success,” MU Extension’s Business and Communities podcast, tells the story of one startup owner’s journey and the assistance she received from SBDC along…
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Magnolia flowers tantalize the senses
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Several species of ornamental magnolias grace the Missouri landscape with colorful flowers from March through mid-June.“In addition to showy, prolific blooms, magnolias’ sweet, citrusy floral fragrance permeates the air and beguiles the senses,” says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.
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MU Extension to partner on 5-state regional food business center
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri, through MU Extension, will partner with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a $25 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create the Heartland Regional Food Business Center, which will foster more vibrant, resilient food systems throughout a five-state region.
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Leave the leaves after blooms fade
COLUMBIA, Mo. – What winter-weary heart is not thawed by the arrival of sunshine-yellow daffodils and colorful tulips? Unfortunately, once their blooms fade, these harbingers of spring are often relegated to afterthoughts, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.After spring bulbs flower, their greatest work lies ahead, and they need care to ensure that they will return in full glory next year.
MU Weed Science confirms HPPD-resistant waterhemp
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There is still time to manage resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides in corn this year, but the window is shortening, according to University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley.
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Plant milo now for cost-saving cattle feeding next winter
TRUXTON, Mo. – Strip-grazing milo (grain sorghum) is a money-saving alternative winter feed plan for cattle, according to University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Rusty Lee.“Winter feed expenses are the killer of profits,” said Lee. “It’s the top reason for whether a cattle producer will make a profit or loss.”
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New weather station for Ste. Genevieve area
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. – A new weather station in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, provides the agricultural community with real-time weather information.Ste. Genevieve, nestled in the hills between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, lacked timely weather data prior to the new station going online, says Katie Kammler, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
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Show-Me MO Success podcast: Empowering women in politics, part 2
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Women make up 51% of Missouri’s population but only 22% of the state legislature. according to a 2016 report prepared for Women’s Foundation by the University of Missouri Institute of Public Policy, The latest episode of “Show-Me MO Success,” the MU Business and Communities Extension podcast, continues the conversation from the Feb. 19 podcast on closing the gender gap in civic representation.
Get Out and See 4th Annual Lawn Art With Neighbors (LAWN) Showcase in Springfield area, April 22 – May 7
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Springfield’s original public art exhibition, Lawn Art With Neighbors (LAWN), kicked off on April 22 and this year we have 20 participating addresses. In its fourth year, LAWN has also grown to include Raleigh, North Carolina with other cities nationwide also inquiring about the program. LAWN is a public art opportunity accessible to all community members and all art forms.
The cost of loving your garden too much
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sometimes, gardeners take the “if some is good, more must be better” approach, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Justin Keay.But it’s possible to shower your garden with too much love in the form of fertilizer, manure and compost. More fertilizer and organic matter won’t necessarily produce more flowers or produce, Keay says. In fact, unnecessary fertilizers and amendments can be bad for the wallet,…
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Cover crops could reduce PPL acres in wet springs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A newly released study shows that planting cover crops and reduced tillage could substantially lower the number of prevent plant (PPL) acres and subsequent federal crop insurance payments.
Seed summer annuals now for proper grazing during summer
STOCKTON, Mo. – Drought and overgrazing have left cattle pasture stands thin and possibly in need of renovation, said University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis. He urges cattle producers to use summer annuals as a tool to thicken stands or begin the renovation of cool-season perennial pastures.