Planting, growing and harvesting onions
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Although onions may make you weep, the world would be a sadder place without the flavor and aroma they bring to our meals.
Using cold frames and hotbeds for a longer growing season
COLUMBIA, Mo. – February played a dirty trick when winter storms dumped a lot of snow on the ground. Green-thumb enthusiasts hoping for an early start on their gardens had to wait for a thaw.
New varieties can add spark to flower beds
COLUMBIA, Mo. –Petunias and calibrachoas are colorful garden favorites, but they have a reputation for not tolerating heat very well.
MU weather stations provide real-time data across the state
MONROE CITY, Mo. –Monroe City boasts the newest of the state’s automated real-time weather stations operated by University of Missouri Extension’s Commercial Agriculture Program, said Pat Guinan, MU Extension assistant professor of climatology.
Planting wonderful sweet peas
MARBLE HILL, Mo. – Most people don’t think about planting flowers until May, but don't wait until then if you want to grow sweet peas, notes a University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
Snow can present challenges for livestock
NEW LONDON, Mo.– Spring is here, but parts of Missouri still aren’t through with winter weather.A University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist notes that snow makes it harder for animals to find available forage, and cold weather increases their nutrient needs.“They are going to need to be able to consume higher-quality forage to make up for the less available forage they can find,” said Daniel Mallory.
Edamame: An easy crop to introduce to your vegetable garden
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Once available to U.S. consumers mainly in Japanese restaurants, edamame is showing up at farmers markets, salad bars and grocery store freezer aisles.
Getting ready to grow
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Winter is the time when Mother Nature slumbers. Spring is when plants, trees and gardens begin to wake up.
In-between crops
COLUMBIA, Mo. — They have intriguing names such as hairy vetch, pearl millet and birdsfoot trefoil. Collectively known as cover crops or green manure, they've been used for years to increase soil productivity by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into soil, making it available for cash crops such as corn and saving farmers money on input costs.
Get ready for cool-season vegetables
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. Cool-season vegetables let the well-organized gardener enjoy harvest bounty in the spring and again in the fall.
Start your engines: Mowing season begins
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Winter is finally releasing its grip, so lawns will be greening up and growing. It will soon be time for one of the most basic homeowner rituals: mowing the lawn.Getting ready for lawn-mowing season means more than just filling the mower with fuel and starting it up. To keep your lawn in good shape, your mower needs to be ready and you need to get a head start on controlling weeds.
Top 10 tips for long-living trees
NEVADA, Mo. —Trees, like people, have a life span. They live, they flourish, they die.
Watch for farm equipment on roads during planting season
SHELBINA, Mo. – It was like any other day in the 40-plus years that Kent Blades had been farming. A lifelong Monroe County farmer, Blades was driving from one part of the farm to another when a semi-truck passed him and struck his John Deere open-station 5520 tractor as he was making a left turn. Blades counts himself lucky to have survived, though the accident left him with severe brain trauma, multiple broken bones and…
'Flag the Technology' aids herbicide application
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There is a simple, inexpensive way to reduce errors in herbicide applications and limit off-target chemical drift, says a University of Missouri Extension weed management specialist.Kevin Bradley supports the “Flag the Technology” program by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Pasture growth needs warm sunshine, good management, MU specialist says
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cool spring weather delays grass growth this year, forcing cow herd owners to feed hay long past winter.Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri forage specialist, hears two frequent complaints: The grass is not growing. And there are more weeds than usual.The first is due to a cool spring. The second is due to a hot, dry summer last year.
Clay soil: A mixed blessing, but easily corrected
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – You dig your first spadeful of soil in your new garden and discover you have a shovel full of clay.
Cows' looks alone can fool beef herd owners
RUSSELLVILLE, Mo. – Better genetics puts high-quality beef on the consumer’s plate. Also, better genetics brings more profits back to the producer’s pocketbook.“Today we have the ability to make quality product and get paid for it,” Mike Kasten told 70 beef producers in the meeting hall of St. Michael’s Church in Russellville, Mo.
Beginning gardening
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It could be the memory of shelling peas with your grandmother or a desire for fragrant flowers. It could be as simple as wanting to shave a bit off your food bill. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to plant your first-ever garden.
To raise quality, make hay before seeds set
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Don’t delay making hay,” says Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri Extension.It might not seem like haymaking time, or haymaking weather, but early harvest results in more quality forage through the season, says the state forage specialist.Producers needing to build reserves of baled hay depleted by hard winter should harvest early and often.May is a better hay month than June and far better than July.
MU website tracks risk of nitrogen loss
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Grain producers can track rainfall and risk of nitrogen loss during spring on a website from a University of Missouri plant scientist.“Nitrogen Watch 2013” identifies “danger areas” that are on track to have widespread problems with nitrogen loss.
Thousand cankers disease threatens Missouri walnut trees
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s black walnut trees could be in trouble if thousand cankers disease (TCD) moves in from bordering Tennessee.TCD is a serious threat to one of the state’s most valuable hardwood species, says Hank Stelzer, University of Missouri Extension state forestry specialist.
Wait for fall to reseed cool-season grass
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you’re thinking of reseeding your lawn now that warm weather has arrived, think again.“If you look at the calendar, we’re in May. Any grass seedling will have to fight against weeds, disease and insects,” said Brad Fresenburg, a University of Missouri Extension turfgrass specialist. “The new grass seedlings will suffer and very likely not be successful.”
Plant shopping: Where to start?
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Are you overwhelmed when you go the plant nursery?
Extra moisture can extend grass growth into summer slump, says MU specialist
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain makes grass grow. That’s good for grazing livestock, but makes haying difficult.Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist, sees unusual potential for cattle producers.Those who made a first cutting of hay can get a strong second cutting and have possible regrowth to extend the grazing season into the summer.