As farmers wrap up harvesting corn and soybeans across the Eastern Corn Belt, the work is just getting started on many farms, with fertilizer, herbicide and tillage applications planned in the waning weeks of productivity for 2011.
"As we finish harvesting soybeans, farmers have started putting on phosphorus and potassium, mostly during the past two weeks," said Harold Watters, an Ohio State University Extension educator with Extension's Agronomic Crops Team. "Custom applicators were ready to go into the field for a long time, and we are glad to finally see them moving." <Read More>
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Cut Back Perennials Now or Later
Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Gardeners often ask, "When is the best time to cut back the dead tops of herbaceous perennials (stems die back to the ground each year)?" "Should we cut them in fall as the tops fade?" "Or wait until spring just before new growth begins?" The answers depend, in part, on the specific plant and whether disease or insect pests are a factor.
For most healthy plants, leaving plant tops over winter is fine and, in many respects, preferable. Many species retain dried seed heads and foliage that may have aesthetic value. Ornamental grasses are at their best in fall and winter.
And, if you don't cut back the tops, your native wildlife will thank you! Seed heads, fruits, stems and foliage provide food and shelter. Although late-season bloomers, such as brown-eyed Susans and coneflowers, may have turned brown, birds still feed on the seed. Many butterflies overwinter on plant debris.
Allowing plant tops to remain over winter can also help collect leaves and snow for insulation and moisture. For some marginally hardy perennials, like garden mums, waiting until early spring to cut back the dead tops can actually improve a plant's chances of survival.
And, of course, leaving the tops in place will remind you where the plants are, in case you're thinking of adding more plants or rearranging the elements of the garden before spring growth begins.
On the other hand, plants with disease or insect pest troubles should be pruned back in fall to reduce the chances of carryover to the following season. Sanitation is one of the best investments gardeners can make in reducing problems for next season. Peonies and Rudbeckia with blackened foliage should definitely be cut back in fall. The same is true for bee balm and phlox, which are routinely plagued by powdery mildew. Removing iris and asparagus foliage in the fall reduces overwintering sites for the iris borer and asparagus beetles, respectively.
Badly damaged or infested foliage can and should be removed as soon as possible. Otherwise, wait until after several hard frosts have killed back the tops. Cut back the tops to about two inches above the soil. Hand pruners and hedge clippers work fine, if you have just a few plants to cut back. But for larger plantings and large clumps of ornamental grasses, a power hedge trimmer works well.
Gardeners often ask, "When is the best time to cut back the dead tops of herbaceous perennials (stems die back to the ground each year)?" "Should we cut them in fall as the tops fade?" "Or wait until spring just before new growth begins?" The answers depend, in part, on the specific plant and whether disease or insect pests are a factor.
For most healthy plants, leaving plant tops over winter is fine and, in many respects, preferable. Many species retain dried seed heads and foliage that may have aesthetic value. Ornamental grasses are at their best in fall and winter.
And, if you don't cut back the tops, your native wildlife will thank you! Seed heads, fruits, stems and foliage provide food and shelter. Although late-season bloomers, such as brown-eyed Susans and coneflowers, may have turned brown, birds still feed on the seed. Many butterflies overwinter on plant debris.
Allowing plant tops to remain over winter can also help collect leaves and snow for insulation and moisture. For some marginally hardy perennials, like garden mums, waiting until early spring to cut back the dead tops can actually improve a plant's chances of survival.
And, of course, leaving the tops in place will remind you where the plants are, in case you're thinking of adding more plants or rearranging the elements of the garden before spring growth begins.
On the other hand, plants with disease or insect pest troubles should be pruned back in fall to reduce the chances of carryover to the following season. Sanitation is one of the best investments gardeners can make in reducing problems for next season. Peonies and Rudbeckia with blackened foliage should definitely be cut back in fall. The same is true for bee balm and phlox, which are routinely plagued by powdery mildew. Removing iris and asparagus foliage in the fall reduces overwintering sites for the iris borer and asparagus beetles, respectively.
Badly damaged or infested foliage can and should be removed as soon as possible. Otherwise, wait until after several hard frosts have killed back the tops. Cut back the tops to about two inches above the soil. Hand pruners and hedge clippers work fine, if you have just a few plants to cut back. But for larger plantings and large clumps of ornamental grasses, a power hedge trimmer works well.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Soil Testing for Lawns
Nicholas Held, Extension Educator, Spencer County
By this time of year, most lawns have seen their last mowing and last fertilization of the season and, with the exception of raking a few remaining leaves, there aren’t too many lawn tasks left to finish. One task that can still be done is soil testing. Testing the soil in the fall will allow plenty of time to get the results back and plan any fertilizer applications or other soil amendments before spring.
Periodic testing of soil will help determine what the soil needs to nourish healthy turf and fertilizer applications should not be made without periodic soil testing. Soil scientists recommend testing the soil in your lawn every 3 to 5 years. Soil testing bags and forms are available at Extension Offices throughout Indiana.
The following are some tips on soil testing and some explanations of soil testing terms:
Taking a Soil Sample
· Contact your county Cooperative
· Using a small shovel or soil probe, sample to a 3-inch depth.
· Take approximately 10 to 15 samples per lawn and remove thatch and live plant material.
· Combine the samples to make one composite sample. Do not mix soils of different texture and color, from areas differing sharply in elevation, or from disturbed sites and undisturbed sites.
· Air dry the sample before sending.
The Soil Test Report
After processing your soil sample, the soil test lab will send you a soil test report. The following are usually included in the report:
After processing your soil sample, the soil test lab will send you a soil test report. The following are usually included in the report:
Soil pH - A soil pH indicates whether the soil is acidic, alkaline, or neutral. The concentration of soil nutrients will vary depending on the soil pH. A soil pH below 6.0 indicates an acidic soil and a lime application may be recommended. DO NOT APPLY LIME UNLESS IT IS RECOMMENDED. Most Indiana
If the soil pH ranges from 6.0 to 7.5, it is unnecessary to adjust the pH. This is the optimum pH range for turfgrass growth. For a pH above 7.5 (rarely a problem in this area), there is no practical or economically feasible soil amendment for a lawn. To compensate for a high pH, increase the annual nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium applications by 25 percent.
Phosphorus (P) - The soil test results represent the amount of phosphorus available to the plants from the soil. Phosphorus deficiencies are rarely observed in established turf in Indiana
Potassium (K) - The soil test results represent the amount of potassium that is available to the turfgrass plant. Potassium deficiencies are rare in turf in Indiana
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) - This number represents a measure of your soil's capacity to hold nutrients; the higher the CEC, the more fertile the soil. It is used by the soil test laboratories in making certain nutrient recommendations for your lawn. The cation exchange number of an established lawn will not change significantly with time. In addition, it cannot be adjusted by adding fertilizer or chemicals.
Nitrogen - There is no reliable soil test for nitrogen. Therefore, other factors should be considered in planning a nitrogen program. The nitrogen program is the key to a successful turfgrass fertility program. For more information on nitrogen applications, see Purdue Extension Publication AY-22, Fertilizing Established Lawns.
Corn and Soybean Prices Continue to Struggle
Corn prices have traded in a sideways pattern since mid-October, but are currently in the lower end of the recent range. Soybean prices have trended lower over the past month, with January futures now back near the early October lows.
Corn prices received little support from last week’s USDA Crop Production report containing a lower forecast for the size of the U.S. crop. The U.S. average corn yield is projected at an 8 year low of 146.7 bushels, 1.4 bushels below the October forecast. The potentially positive price impact of that reduction was muted by USDA’s judgment that feed and residual use of corn will only reach 4.6 billion bushels during the current marketing year, 100 million below the October forecast. The forecast is 192 million bushels below the surprisingly small estimate for the previous marketing year. <Read More>
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