K-State Research and Extension, Horticulture Agents are hosting education webinars throughout the summer. The series will continue into June with a session the first and third Wednesday of the month. In June the topics will be Effective Irrigation, and Native Plant to Support Native Bees. The sessions are held over the Noon hour via Zoom. To register follow the link below. All of the past webinars are also available on the website to watch at your convenience.
By: Cassie Homan
If you planted lettuce this spring, it won’t be long before it’s time to harvest. Lettuce is fun to grow because it’s one of our quickest vegetables. There are a few different ways to harvest the leaves and enjoy them over the summer. Watch this video to learn how to harvest your lettuce crop.
By: Cassie Homan
If you are growing asparagus, then it is that time of year to be aware of the only insect pest o
f asparagus; the common asparagus beetle. Adult beetles are only 1/4 inch long. Adults emerge from the soil in early spring and fly to new asparagus shoots where they mate and feed. Females lay up to 30 eggs on the end of spear tips as they emerge from the soil.
Common asparagus beetles overwinter underneath plant debris, loose bark, or hollow stems of old asparagus plants. The life cycle can be completed in eight-weeks. There are two generations in Kansas. The adults and larvae feed on asparagus spears and can defoliate ferns if populations are extensive. Larvae consume leaves and tender buds near the tips, which leaves scars that eventually turn brown. Damage caused by larvae interferes with the plant’s ability to photosynthesize (manufacture food); thus, depleting food reserves for next year’s crop.
To help protect your asparagus patch from beetles: applying insecticides; handpick eggs, adults, and larvae and place into a container with soapy water; and/or remove any plant debris after the growing season to eliminate overwintering sites for adults. Insecticides should be applied as soon as common asparagus beetles are present, and again in late summer through early fall to kill adults before they overwinter. Thorough coverage of all plant parts is important in suppressing populations.
By: Cassie Homan
Healthy food choices don’t have to be boring and bland. Learn how to cook with less salt but more flavor. We will demonstrate how to add 
herbs to your favorite recipes and grow them in your garden.
Join us for a fun webinar on gardening and cooking. Horticulture Agent, Cassie Homan will share tips on growing and caring for popular herbs such as basil, cilantro, thyme and more. Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Agent, Ashley Svaty will discuss healthy cooking strategies and will provide recipes using home grown herbs.
To register for the webinar visit: https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/k-state-garden-hour-webinar-series/k_state_garden_hour.html
By: Cassie Homan
Gardening doesn’t have to be complicated. Growing flowers and veggies in containers is quick and easy. It’s a great way to get outside and brighten up your landscape. The following video will give you some great tips for container flower gardens.
By: Cassie Homan
Crabgrass preventers are another name for preemergence herbicides that prevent crabgrass seeds from developing into mature plants. Many people have a somewhat foggy idea of how they work and assume they kill the weed seed. Such is not the case. They do not kill the seed or even keep the seed from germinating but rather kill the young plant after it germinates. Therefore, they do not prevent germination but prevent emergence.
Crabgrass preventers are just that – preventers. With few exceptions they have no effect on existing crabgrass plants, so they must be applied before germination. Additionally, preventers do not last forever once applied to the soil. Microorganisms and natural processes begin to gradually break them down soon after they are applied. If some products are applied too early, they may have lost much of their strength by the time they are needed. Most crabgrass preventers are fairly ineffective after about 60 days, but there is considerable variation among products.
For most of Kansas, crabgrass typically begins to germinate around May 1 or a little later. April 15 is normally a good target date for applying preventer because it gives active ingredients time to evenly disperse in the soil before crabgrass germination starts. Even better, base timing on the bloom of ornamental plants. The Eastern Redbud tree is a good choice for this purpose. When the trees in your area approach full bloom, apply crabgrass preventer. A follow-up application will be needed about 8 weeks later unless you are using Dimension or Barricade. Products that do require a follow-up application include pendimethalin (Scotts Halts) and Team (Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control).
We recommend crabgrass preventers be applied before fertilizer so that the grass isn’t encouraged to put on too much growth too early. However, it may be difficult to find products that contain preemergents without fertilizer. Those that don’t contain fertilizer are listed below.
Barricade – Howard Johnson Crabgrass Control Plus with 0.37 Prodiamine 00-00-07
Pendimethalin – Scotts Halts
Team (Benefin + Trifluralin) – Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control
Dimension – Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed and Grass Stopper
By: Cassie Homan
The veggies that we grow in the garden fit into two groups, based on their temperature preferences – cool season and warm season crops.
Most cool season crops can be planted and will germinate when soil temperatures average 45F. These include:
Most warm season crops will not germinate and should not be planted until soil temperatures are 55F- some even 60F. These veggies are:
We typically reach the 45F level about mid to late March and the 55F level about late April.
The next step is to know what the soil temperature is. K-State Mesonet Site is a great resource to find local soil temperatures. https://mesonet.k-state.edu/
By: Cassie Homan
