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1. Selecting a Tractor for an Acreage
By Mark Hanna, ISU Extension Ag Engineer, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Jobs on an acreage often require mechanical as well as physical power. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for acreage owners to be in the market for a small, utility tractor. Before starting the process, determine what tasks (e.g. mowing, snow removal, light tillage, feeding livestock) the tractor will be used for and some idea on the size of the tasks. If jobs are primarily mowing and some snow removal, a lawn and garden tractor may be adequate for areas up to four or five acres.
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William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Bugwood.org |
Depending on tractor size, your budget, and the local market, new or used tractors may be considered. If evaluating a new tractor, in addition to comparing features, be sure to consider service and warranty work after the sale. If evaluating a used tractor, start with a visual once-over. Inspect for evidence of coolant or oil leaks and condition of the fluids. Has the frame been repaired? If desired, are 3-point hitch and remote hydraulics present? Are previous service records available? Operate the tractor if possible and check operation of transmission, clutch, gauges, and lights. Because of potential rollover hazards, avoid the purchase of an older tractor without a Roll-Over-Protective-Structure (ROPS).
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2. Choose Proper Diet for Optimal Horse Health
By Monte Stauffer, UNL Extension Educator
Choosing the correct diet for a horse can go a long way for its nourishment. It is important to feed horses based on age and weight.
Many horses don't need to be fed any grain, but a colt will. Owners should feed younger horses more grain because they are growing and developing muscles and bones.
Depending on the type of hay that a horse eats, there are a couple different grain mixes horse owners can use. If feeding with alfalfa hay, use a mix lower in calcium and higher in phosphorus. If owners are using a grass hay, which has a naturally lower amount of calcium, the grain can contain similar amounts of phosphorus and calcium.
Besides grain there are other important factors in horse feed. Using a grass hay will provide drier food and less chance of mold, but it sacrifices protein, vitamins and minerals. Using alfalfa hay will provide more minerals than grass hay but it also runs the risk of becoming moldy because it is harder to properly prepare and takes longer to dry out.
Regardless of what hay a horse owner uses, it is most important to have enough food for a horse. Otherwise horses will chew on things to keep their teeth busy. To get the most nutrition from the forage, search for hay that has a lot of leaves and little stem.
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3. Plan Access to Winter Hay
By Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
You probably already heard that some folks are forecasting lots of snow this winter. Let's prepare for this heavy snow, whether you believe the prediction or not.
As I think back about some of the long, cold, and snowy periods we all have experienced in years past, I began to realize how lucky we have been the past few winters. Sure, we've had some cold and snowy weather. But it rarely lasted terribly long.
But what if it does last a long time this winter? Will you be ready? Will you have adequate feed supplies for your livestock on hand? Will you have easy access to all your hay supplies during a blizzard? And will you be able to get it to your animals?
While driving across the state, I see many hay stacks and round bales stored next to trees or in low spots or along fence lines that might get drifted in during a blizzard. In some cases, the access road to this hay might get drifted in. And in a lot of sites, when the snow eventually melts during winter or next spring, it might be too muddy to get to the hay.
I also wonder how well the hay is organized. Is good hay separated from poor hay? Has it even been tested so you know what hay should be fed to cows needing only a maintenance diet and what hay should be saved for animals needing extra protein and energy? And then, can you get to either one whenever you want? Also, has the millet and cane hay been tested for nitrates? Nitrate poisoning occurs most frequently when high nitrate hay is fed to hungry animals right after a snow storm.
Don't neglect planning for bad weather in placing your hay yards. Then if storms do occur, you'll be ready.
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4. Small Scale Poultry Housing
By Phillip Clauer, Virginia Cooperative Extension Poultry Extension Specialist
Small scale poultry coops seem to be built in almost every possible shape and size. Those building a new coop often ask for plans for the perfect chicken coop. However, few plans for small poultry houses are available. Many existing buildings can easily be adapted to accommodate poultry. Poultry housing can be as crude or elaborate as you wish to build as long as you provide the following:
Learn More . . .
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5. Several Programs Available To Help Alleviate Costs for Small Wind Turbines
By John Hay, UNL Extension Educator
There is a lot of interest in renewable energy. One way Nebraskans can invest in renewable energy is with a small wind turbine.
A small wind turbine is a smaller system based upon a specific energy load, such as a farm, house, or center pivot. These are different than large wind turbines which are usually built in groups, are owned by a utility or community, and are meant to put all their electricity out to the grid.
Small wind turbines can be an excellent source of energy and electricity. They can provide access to electricity in areas that are remote and scarce. They are one way to become involved in the ever-growing green movement.
Costs of small wind turbines vary. The cost of the system depends on the size of the turbine and height and type of tower and can vary from $1,000 to over $50,000 per system. Size and height of turbines will also influence the amount of energy produced.
A tall tower for a small turbine making it higher than obstacles such as buildings and trees will greatly improve the energy output over a short tower or one placed close to obstacles.
However, the cost of these systems can be reduced. Recently several national and state programs have become available, such as a 30 percent federal tax credit and Nebraska’s net metering bill. For farms and rural businesses, there is the USDA Rural Development Grant.
For more information about turbines, their uses, costs and grants for system production visit BioFuels and Alternative Energy- Small Wind.
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6. Mountain Pine Beetle Spreading in Panhandle
From Nebraska Invasive Species News, http://snr.unl.edu/invasives/news.htm
The mountain pine beetle, a small insect that has killed millions of acres of pine trees in the western U.S. and portions of Canada, has shown up on trees in several western Nebraska communities.
Forest health experts with the Nebraska Forest Service said mountain pine beetle attacks have been reported in Scottsbluff, Gering, Minatare, Kimball, and areas of the Wildcat Hills.
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Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org |
Nebraska's first mountain pine beetle infestation was confirmed near Harrisburg this summer.
Mountain Pine Beetle, Colorado State University Extension
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7. Overwintering Geraniums
By Richard Jauron, Department of Horticulture Iowa State University
Geraniums are popular bedding plants, blooming freely from May to frost. However, the first hard frost doesn't have to be the end for your geraniums. They can be overwintered by potting up individual plants, by taking cuttings, or by hanging the plants upside down in a cool, dry place.
Potted Plants. Prune the geraniums back to 1/2 to 1/3 of their original height. Then carefully dig each plant and place in a 6-to 8-inch pot. After potting, water thoroughly and place the plants in a bright, sunny window. Geraniums prefer cool indoor temperatures. Daytime temperatures near 65 F and night temperatures around 55 F are ideal. (Geraniums become spindly when grown in poor light and warm temperatures.) During their stay indoors, water the plants thoroughly when the soil is dry to the touch. Occasionally pinch or prune the geraniums to maintain stocky, well-branched plants.
Cuttings. Using a sharp knife, take 3- to 4-inch cuttings from terminal shoots. Pinch off the lower leaves then dip the base of the cuttings in a rooting hormone. Stick the cuttings in a rooting medium of vermiculite, coarse sand, or a mixture of coarse sand and sphagnum moss. Clay or plastic pots with drainage holes in the bottom are suitable containers. Insert the cuttings into the medium just far enough to be self-supporting. After all the cuttings are inserted, water the cuttings and medium thoroughly. To prevent wilting, place a clear plastic bag over the cuttings and container. Then place the cuttings in bright but not direct sunlight. Rooting should occur in 6 to 8 weeks. Plant the rooted cuttings in 3- or 4-inch pots containing a well-drained potting soil. Care of the rooted cuttings is the same as for the potted plants.
Dormant Plants. Dig the geraniums and carefully shake all the soil from the roots. Then hang the plants upside down in a cool (45-50 F), dry place. During the winter months, periodically take the plants down and soak the roots in water for 1 to 2 hours. Most of the leaves will fall off during the winter. However, the stems should remain firm or solid. Cut back the geraniums to 1/3 their original height and pot indoors in late winter or plant outdoors in May. This method of overwintering requires proper storage conditions.
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8. Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
By Laurie Hodges, Extension Horticulturist, Durward A. Smith, Extension Horticulture Crops Processing Specialist
Harvesting fruits and vegetables from your garden at the proper stage of maturity is only the first step to fresh table quality. Proper harvesting and post-harvest handling methods, as well as proper storage of fruits and vegetables not immediately eaten, will help maintain the flavor, texture and nutritive value of the produce.
Proper storage means controlling both the temperature and relative humidity of the storage area. All fruits and vegetables do not have the same requirements. The publication below will help you select the best storage conditions for home-grown and purchased produce.
Learn More . . .
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9. Final Chore- Fall Garden Cleanup
By Don Janssen, UNL Extension Educator
When the final harvest is made, one more gardening chore remains in the current growing season: a fall garden cleanup. The aim is to reduce the carryover of disease and insect problems.
The first step is to remove all diseased plant materials. Dispose of them and the bacteria, fungi and other plant disease-causing organisms in or on them by burning or bagging them for trash pickup. Healthy plant materials can be tilled into the soil, where they will add organic matter and, as they decompose, return nutrients to the soil. Lawn clippings and fallen leaves can be tilled in too. Compost only healthy plant materials if you opt to compost them instead. A winter in the compost pile may not destroy plant disease organisms, and using the compost will reintroduce them to the garden.
Some plant diseases - particularly Fusarium and Verticillium wilts - overwinter in the soil from year to year. Fall tillage doesn't affect them. Buy disease-resistant varieties whenever possible and plant related plants or those susceptible to the same diseases in blocks so you can move them around the garden each year. This last strategy is called crop rotation.
It's easier to rotate crops if you make a sketch of the garden layout each year and put it away where you can find it the next year. Then use the sketch as a guide to planting next year’s garden.
Removing or tilling under plant debris will also help control such pesky insects as cucumber beetles, squash bugs and European corn borers. Debris left on the surface will provide them a cozy place to spend the winter in the garden, where they'll be on hand to attack next year's crops.
Another benefit of working the soil in the fall is the possibility of getting an earlier start next spring. The soil is often dry enough to work on and plant in before it's dry enough to plow or till. So, if you prepare the seedbed in the fall, you may be able to plant onions, peas, greens, radishes and other early crops earlier than you would if you had to wait for the soil to get dry enough to till.
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10. Why Leaves Change Color
By Dr. Robert Bardon, Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University
Every year at this time we revel in the beauty of the trees, knowing well that it is only a fleeting pleasure. Before long the leaves will flutter away from their summer home and become a part of the rich carpet that covers the forest floor. Many people suppose that Jack Frost is responsible for the color change, but we now know that change in coloring is the result of chemical processes which take place in the tree as the season changes from summer to winter.
All during spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the trees' growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing the pigment chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment leaves also contain yellow or orange carotenoids which, for example, give the carrot its familiar color. Most of the year these yellowish colors are masked by the greater amount of green coloring. But in the fall, partly because of changes in the period of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellowish colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
At the same time other chemical changes may occur and cause the formation of additional pigments that vary from yellow to red to blue. Some of them give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of leaves of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs. Others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange or fiery red and yellow. The autumn foliage of some trees, such as quaking aspen, birch, and hickory, shows only yellow colors. Many oaks and others are mostly brownish, while beech turns golden bronze. These colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll and other pigments in the leaf during the fall season.
Fall weather conditions favoring formation of brilliant red autumn color are warm sunny days followed by cool, nights with temperatures below 45 degrees F. Much sugar is made in the leaves during the daytime, but cool nights prevent movement of, sugar from the leaves. From the sugars trapped in the leaves the red pigment called anthocyanin is formed.
The degree of color may vary from tree to tree. For example, leaves directly exposed to the sun may turn red, while those on the shady side of the same tree or on other trees in the shade may be yellow. The foliage of some tree species just turns dull brown from death and decay and never shows bright colors.
Also, the colors on the same tree may vary from year to year, depending upon the combination of weather conditions. The most vivid colors appear after a warm dry summer and early autumn rains which prevent early leaf fall. Long periods of wet weather in late fall produces a rather drab coloration. Droughts favor anthocyanin formation principally due to the indirect effects of soil water deficiency upon the metabolism of the plants. Drought conditions also favor red pigment formation due to the reduction of nitrate absorption.
As the fall colors appear, other changes are taking place. At the base of the leafstalk where it is attached to the twig, a special layer of cells develops and gradually severs the tissues that support, the leaf. At the same time Nature heals the break, so that after the leaf is finally blown off by the wind or has fallen from its own weight, the place where it grew on the twig is marked by a leaf scar.
Through fallen leaves, Nature has provided for a fertile forest floor. Fallen leaves contain relatively large amounts of valuable elements, particularly calcium and potassium, which were originally a part of the soil. Decomposition of the leaves enriches the top layers of the soil by returning part of the elements borrowed by the tree and at the same time provides for more water-absorbing humus.
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11. Frequently Asked Questions For October
By John Fech, UNL Extension Educator
Q. When should I cover my roses?
A. Wait for the plant to give you the cue. When most of the leaves have yellowed and fallen, cut it back. Wait to apply a thick winter mulch until after ground temperatures have dropped into the 40s.
Q. Should I water my lawn in the winter?
A. Yes. In fall and winter, water whenever conditions have been dry (less than 1" of rain per week for several weeks) and the ground is not frozen. This will keep the grass crowns alive.
Q. What are those beautiful red plants along the highway?
A. Most likely, they are sumac. Fragrant and staghorn sumac have a wonderful fall red color and are frequently spotted on roadsides.
Q. What can I do with all these leaves on my yard?
A. Rake them up and compost them!
Q. How short should my lawn be mowed going into the winter?
A. Fairly short. Bluegrass should be 1.5-1.75 inches, tall fescue 2.5 inches. Or alternatively, mow turfgrasses at a consistent height all season long to maximize rooting and stress tolerance; Kentucky bluegrass 2.5-3.5 inches and tall fescue 3-3.5 inches
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12. Mulching Theory and Techniques
By Don Janssen - Extension Educator
When temperatures drop and the cold wind blows, we throw an extra blanket on the bed to keep us warm. If we think we're doing the same thing when we apply a winter mulch to garden and landscape plants, we may be doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
In most cases, the aim of winter mulch is not to keep the ground from freezing but to keep it from alternately freezing and thawing. This can injure plant roots and push plants and bulbs right up out of the soil. The exceptions are roses and strawberries.
In roses, the aim of winterizing -- covering the plants with mulch or rose cones -- is to protect the graft union from freezing and thawing. The graft union is the place where the named variety, the flowering part, was grafted onto the rootstock. If that part isn't protected, the top part may be killed.
Though strawberries are vulnerable to frost heaving, they need a winter mulch to protect the flower buds that will become next year's fruit crop. Mulching protects the flower buds against temperatures below 15 degrees F, which can damage or kill them.
Mulch strawberries after plants stop growing. Applying mulch before growth stops may smother the crowns. You need to apply mulch before temperatures drop below 20 degrees F, however.
As the name suggests, one of the best mulches for strawberries is straw. Other possibilities are chopped cornstalks, hay, corn cobs and bark chips. Grass clippings and leaves are not recommended because they tend to form thick, smothering mats. Each bale of straw should cover an area about 10 by 10 feet to a depth of 3 to 5 inches.
For perennial and bulb beds, chopped leaves and compost are good because they insulate the beds but plants can push up through them in the spring. Bark chips are often used around trees and shrubs.
A properly mulched tree has mulch over the root zone but not lapping up against the trunk. Mulch piled around the trunk could provide cover for mice and enable them to gnaw on the bark and girdle the plant.
Strawberry plants need to be uncovered as soon as they begin growing in the spring. Rake the mulch between the rows where it will be handy in case a freeze or frost warning makes it necessary to re-cover plants. After the danger of frost is past, it can be spread between rows for a summer mulch to help control weeds and slow the loss of moisture from the soil.
Mulches in flower beds and around landscape plants reduce the need to water and keep lawn equipment at a distance. Injured bark on woody plants can give insects and disease organisms a place to invade.
Mulching to retain soil moisture is especially important around newly planted ornamentals, which tend to have limited root systems for the first year or two after planting. This makes them more susceptible to drought stress than established plants.
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13. Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs
By John Fech, UNL Extension Educator
For color in the spring, you've got to plant in fall.
Unfortunately, a common scenario we see all too often is novice gardeners drive around town in April noticing landscapes and green with envy because of all the flowering spring bulbs. Of course, by then it's too late to plant!
You must plant bulbs now to have beautiful flowers in spring.
Daffodils, tulips, crocus, and hyacinths are the most common bulbs planted for spring color. Soil preparation is a key to success. Bulbs must have good soil drainage, so heavy clay soils should be amended with organic matter or compost. Work the organic matter in to a depth of 12-18 inches. Follow up with a bit of commercial bulb fertilizer before putting the bulbs in their planting holes. In most cases, both are needed to provide maximum results .
Usually bulbs should be planted 2-3 times their height, or follow the general guidelines below.
Tulips - 6 to 8 inches deep
Daffodils - 6 to 8 inches deep
Hyacinths - 4-6 inches deep
Crocus - 2-3 inches deep
Mass the bulbs in large, randomly arranged groupings, 10-25 or so, in one area to create a desirable result. A few plants here and there, or plants lined up in rows, just don't cut it. For an interesting effect, try a foreground planting of grape hyacinth. It's vivid purple hue will dazzle visitors as they make their way to your front door.
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14. Winter Desiccation Injury
From University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension
Each spring many homeowners find dead, reddish-brown foliage on their evergreen plants including pine, spruce, fir, juniper, arborvitae and yew. The extent of the symptoms can vary from brown needle tips on one side of the plant, to one or two branches, to the whole tree. Injury is found on the outer portion of the branches and is often most severe on the side of the tree facing the wind or a source of radiated heat, such as a south or west-facing brick wall or street.
Learn More . . .
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15. Control Rabbit Damage to Landscape Plants
By Eldon Everhart, ISU Extension Commercial Horticulture Field Specialist
Rabbits can girdle trunks and branches of fruit trees and landscape plants. Apple, pear, crabapple, and serviceberry plants are frequent targets. Small trees or shrubs with smooth, thin bark are the most vulnerable. Following are some effective control procedures.
Guards
Use a cylinder of one-quarter mesh hardware cloth (wire mesh) around the base of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs. Set the guard 1 to 2 inches away from the trunk and 2 to 3 inches in the ground. Extend the wire up at least 18 inches above the ground. In areas where snowdrifts develop, you will need to extend the wire guards up higher. You can protect small shrubs, roses, and raspberries with chicken wire fencing.
Trapping
Capture rabbits alive in commercial or homemade wire or wood box traps. Peanut butter, oatmeal, or small slices of apples, carrots, cabbage, and other fresh green vegetables make the best bait. Check traps daily to replenish bait or remove the catch. Move traps if they fail to make a catch within a week. Hunting may be another option.
Repellents
Apply a commercially available repellent. When you apply one in the fall, it may need to be reapplied later in the winter. Thiram is an active ingredient that repels both rabbits and mice. Commercial repellents that contain Thiram or other active ingredients are available at garden centers and farm supply stores.
Manipulation of habitat
An often overlooked form of natural control is manipulation of the rabbit’s habitat. Remove brush or stone piles, weed patches, junk, and other debris where rabbits live and hide. Encouraging the rabbit’s natural enemies may also help. Hawks, owls, snakes, dogs, and cats can be effective predators on young rabbits.
These safeguards will help reduce rabbit damage. However, when snowdrifts are deep, rabbits can eat the tips of branches and even girdle limbs. It is very important to reduce rabbit populations in early or midwinter. Leaving pruned branches on the ground also reduces damage to living trees because rabbits are more apt to chew the branches and leave the trees alone.
If these methods are ineffective, then commercial rodent baits containing poisoned grain are available. However, baits may be hazardous to humans, pets, and beneficial wildlife. Injury or death may result if other animals eat the bait directly or consume rodents killed by the bait.
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16. Don’t Let Trees Become Rodent Food
By Dennis M. Adams, Nebraska Forest Service
Rodent damage to newly planted trees and shrubs can be disastrous. At this time of year, rabbits and mice begin to look for something new to chew on. All too often it’s the small trees you have nurtured through summer and fall.
Close and frequent inspections are recommended during late fall and winter. This is especially important if the trees are only one or two years old. Generally after two years, a tree’s bark is thick and tough, and rodents look for something more tender.
Debarking, girdling or even clipping off the tops of seedlings is evidence of rodent damage.
If an evergreen is cut off below its lowest branch, the tree will not recover. The only thing left to do is replant next spring. Broadleaf trees and shrubs have some chance to recover. They will usually send up a new shoot in the spring, but the tree will probably be deformed and a year’s growth lost.
There are many treatments to minimize rodent damage. Constructing a physical barrier around the seedling is the most effective, but it can be expensive and time consuming. The use of repellents or the “old shotgun” may be partially successful.
Probably the most economically effective technique to reduce rodent damage is to maintain a “clean” tree planting. A plantation or windbreak choked with weeds and grass provides excellent winter cover for rodents.
To minimize rodent damage this winter, mow or clean cultivate the tree planting this fall. A few hours’ work may save your tree planting from being rodent food.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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17. From Recipe to Reality Seminar, October 3
The Food Processing Center is offering a one-day seminar for all individuals interested in exploring the idea of starting a food manufacturing business. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Registration deadline: December 19.
Additional program dates for 2009 in Lincoln, NE - October 3.
Contact Jill Gifford at (402) 472-2819 or jgifford1@unl.edu for an information packet. For more information and to register for the program, visit the UNL Food Processing's Food Entrepreneur web site.
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18. I2E Club Inventors, Investors & Entrepreneurs, October 13
Every 2nd Tuesday of the month the UNL Kimmel Education and Research Center hosts the I2E Club. October's speaker is Robert Hemmingsen, Hemmingsen Funeral Home.
The Sponsor of the night-- Auburn Economic Development and Tri-Valley Bank.
Bob Hemmingsen was born and raised in Auburn and he is the third generation of his family to be in the business there.. He earned his Nebraska Funeral Director license in February 1997 and opened Hemmingsen Funeral Home in April 1998. Bob will share his story of transitioning from the family clothing business to a whole new career while growing the business for the next generation.
Schedule:
5:30PM Networking Social
6:00PM Program
7:00PM "Inspiration & Motivation"
Location: UNL Kimmel Education and Research Center 5985 G Road, Nebraska City, NE
Fee: $10 per evening or $45 for a year’s membership
Contact: Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild
Phone: (402) 873-3166
Email: creimers2@unl.edu
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19. Wine School VII, October 23-24
This two day workshop will have intensive coverage of the art and technology of producing quality grape wines along with training on the testing associated with wine making. Mr. Vaughn Hammond, Extension Technologist with the University of Nebraska- Lincoln Kimmel Education and Research Center, and Alan Dillard, owner/winemaker at Limestone Creek Winery in the Shawnee Hills area of Southern Illinois, will demonstrate and assist with hands-on instruction of tests and equipment most used in the wine industry. Sponsored by Five Rivers RC&D.
Registration & fee information
For more information please contact:
Tammy Timms
Five Rivers RC&D
PO Box 626
Tecumseh, NE 68450
(402) 335-3347
tammy.timms@ne.usda.gov
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20. Understanding and Appreciating Fine Wines, October 30
Join us for a wine tasting event and applied wine evaluation learning experience on October 30, at Lincoln's Downtown Holiday Inn. Watch for more details at the UNL Viticulture Program web site coming later this summer. Or call (402) 472-8747 for more information.
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21. "Trick or Treat": Fall Grape Growers Workshop, October 31
The Treat: Vineyard floor management and weed management will be the featured topics for the Fall Workshop to be held a the Downtown Lincoln Holiday Inn on Saturday, October 31, 2009.
Tricks of the trade will be presented by experts on weed management and vineyard floor management, such as
- How do you control hose pesky goblins (weeds) that steal water and nutrients?
- What are the pros and cons of clean cultivation versus cover crops for row middles?
Watch for more details at the UNL Viticulture Program web site coming later this summer. Or call (402) 472-8747 for more information.
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22. High Country Gardens Nurseryman Speaks to Nebraska Gardeners, November 7
Nebraska gardeners are more than a little careful about where they get their advice but they trust recommendations from High Country Gardens, a mail order nursery specializing in plants that meet Nebraska’s tough-as-nails requirements for hardy, water thrifty, ornamental and environmentally friendly plants.
Horticulturist David Salman is the featured speaker of the 2009 Joseph & Dorothy Young Memorial Lectures in Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) on Thursday, November 5 at 7 p.m. at the UNL City Campus Union auditorium. He will be speaking on “The Water Thrifty Garden: Enjoying colorful native and adapted perennials in your Nebraska landscape.” A professional nurseryman, greenhouse grower and gardener for his entire career, Salman also writes his High Country Gardens catalog and selects the plants offered by the catalog. As part of his professional focus, he also seeks out, breeds and evaluates garden worthy plants, specializing in native species from the U.S. and northern Mexico as well as cold hardy, xeric species from western Asia and South Africa.
Salman was part of a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum gardening series 11 years ago and is eager to return. He has lived in New Mexico for most of his life, where the challenges are similar to those in Nebraska. Because of that, Salman said, he has “come to love plants with an untamed spirit, plants strong enough to survive harsh climates, short growing seasons and unpredictable precipitation.”
The High Country Gardens catalog reveals Salman’s other affinities: plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds; environmentally-friendly landscapes; water harvesting and other practices that make the most of every resource available; and strong colors that won’t fade in the heat and exposure of long, hard summers.
The Joseph & Dorothy Young Memorial Lectures in Horticulture honors the late Dr. Joseph Young, a horticulturist who served the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a teacher, researcher and administrator. The lecture series is hosted by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and made possible by a generous gift from the Young family.
Date: November 5
Time: On-site registration from
6-6:45, Program 7 p.m.
Location:
UNL City Campus Union auditorium
Cost: $12 and $10 to NSA members; free to students with ID
For more information or to pre-register before October 29, call (402) 472-2971
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is both a non-profit horticultural organization and a program of the Nebraska Forest Service, part of University of Nebraska's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. NSA achieves its mission of "sustainable landscapes for healthy homes and communities" through initiatives in education, community landscapes and the environment. For more information about Salman’s visit, call (402) 472-2971 or go to arboretum.unl.edu.
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23. Advanced Wine School, November 13 & 14
The two-day workshop will intensively cover the art of fining tannins and inactivated yeast, lab demonstrations and a bus trip.
Presentations:
Elli Butz, Lallemand, Vintage Winery Consultants - Instruction on Wine Fining Agents and Techniques
Michael Jones, Scott Laboratories, California - Tannins and Inactivated Yeast
Date: November 13 & 14
Time:
8:30 AM-4:00 PM both days
Location:
University of Nebraska Kimmel Research & Extension Center
Cost: $450.00 per person, commercial vintners only. Price includes class materials, Friday lunch and dinner, bus trip, wine tasting and refreshments, and Saturday lunch
For more information please contact:
Tammy Timms
Five Rivers RC&D
PO Box 626
Tecumseh, NE 68450
(402) 335-3347
tammy.timms@ne.usda.gov
Registration and fee information
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