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Ag and Extension

Spring flowering bulbs

It is that time of the year again when it is the last minute scramble in the garden starts to happen. I don’t really worry about too much other than bringing in the plants before frost and deciding where to plant some more spring flowering bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs can include daffodils, tulips, crocuses, hyacinths and many more. This is also the time to start thinking of those hardy lilies that you can plant in the garden including the martagons. We have a tradition in our house each spring as we walk around the farm looking for signs of spring and waiting for those tulips to ...

Stopping the spread of Emerald Ash Borer

It seems that hardly any time has gone by and I was mentioning that Emerald Ash borer was found in Steele County and Nobles County. A scant few weeks went by and now it is in New Ulm (Brown County). It may now be a good time to revisit how not to pass the insect around as well as what to look for in ash trees if you think they have it. The best tool to use is the information located on the Minnesota Department of Ag’s website which is located at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/eab. According to the MDA’s website, “EAB is an insect that attacks and kills ash trees. It is spread ...

Got a haul of apples for fall? Here’s what to do with them

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s that time of year again, when fresh apples are piled high at farmer’s markets. If you are lucky enough to live near an orchard, you can take the day and pick your own bushel of apples. But whether you are picking them at the market or off a tree, there are many great things to do with apples that don't include making a pie. Besides apple pie, some ideas you might not have thought of: • Cut apples into matchstick-size strips and add them to your favorite kale salad for a tart and crunchy addition. • Saute chunks of peeled apples in butter, season them ...

Beyond the Economics of Prevent Plant Cover Crops

The wet cool spring of 2019 left many farmers cramming to get their crops planted. Many were unable to get all the crop planted on time and continued planting even after final planting dates lowering their level of insurance coverage. Many fields were not planted at all and many acres applied to prevented planting acres. Some reports show close to 20 million acres in the United States were prevent plant acres. With 11 million prevented plant acres for corn and 4.5 million prevented plant acres for soybeans. This created a problem never experienced by many farmers, what to do with ...

Best way to divide perennials

It is time to divide and conquer in the garden. We often think that springtime is the only time to divide plants. In reality, there are some plants that will do better for you if they are divided now. A good rule of thumb is if the plant is flowering in the spring or summer, now is the time ...

Will my corn make it to maturity before a killing frost?

As of Aug. 28, the Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca reports growing degree units (GDUs) since May 1 are 5% less than normal. The Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton reports GDUs are behind as well, running 5.8% behind the long-term average as of Aug. 26. Corn has generally been at least 1 crop stage behind where we would expect it to be and cooler-than-normal conditions combined with late planting dates continue to make us question if crops will reach maturity before a killing frost. Grain corn killed by frost before reaching physiological maturity can ...