Fertilizer

Late fall and early winter are the best times to fertilize landscapes with mixed plantings of grass and woody plants. But how much fertilizer should you apply? First, take eight to 10 soil samples from several areas of the yard. Mix the samples together and take them to the Boyle County Cooperative Extension Service office to be submitted for analyses to determine soil pH (soil acidity or alkalinity) and whether you need to apply other necessary nutrients including phosphorus and potassium.

I hear farmers saying every day that they are not going to use any fertilizer on their pasture and hay fields this year. They say fertilizer is too high to buy. I agree that the price jump on fertilizer is tough. However, I must encourage farmers to think about what happens when they don't keep the fertility level at an adequate level. Lack of fertility means less yield per acre, less quality in regard to protein, more weeds coming in, and a shorter stand life for clovers, alfalfa and orchardgrass.

Fall is an excellent time to take soil test samples. There are several reasons why I would say that now is the best time of the year to take soil samples. The main reason is that it gives you time to plan what to do about the fertility status of your soil. The second reason is that the soil is usually in good condition for sampling this time of year which is often not the case in the spring. Not only was is it often too wet for sampling, it is often too wet to get fertilizer applied, this is another benefit for sampling now as you will usually have more days in the fall to get on the fields without doing damage because less rains in the fall.

Farmers need to be in gear now to get their pasture and hay fields improved. Adding clover to our grass fields has a lot of economic benefits. I have producers tell me it is too expensive to sow clover. Well these folks forget to look past the purchase price. You need to look at the bottom line which is net returns for the dollars and labor you spend. Clover in your pasture increases the productivity to where cattle gain better, more pasture is available to take hay from and more cattle can be run per acre.

Now is the time to start improving your pasture and hay fields. A little work and money now can pay off in better livestock gains and better milk production. Clover in your pasture increases the productivity to where livestock gain or milk better, more pasture is available to take hay from and more livestock can be run per acre. Adding clovers to pasture is the cheapest and easiest way to increase your livestock profits. The easiest way to add clover to your fields is by overseeding.

Improvement of grass pastures and hay fields with Kentucky's highest yielding, highest quality forage legume ? alfalfa, will raise pasture and hay yields significantly. Attention to some key details will help producers improve the success of spring no-till seedings of alfalfa into sod. Let's consider those details. Make sure the soil fertility of the field is adequate. Without a soil pH of 6.4 to 7.0 and adequate potassium and phosphorous, alfalfa seedings will not perform well.

Now is the time to start improving your pasture and hay fields. A little work and money now can pay off in better livestock gains and better milk production. Make your plans to start overseeding clover right now. Early February is also the time to soil test and add fertilizer to your pasture and hay fields. Overseeding Clover: Clover in your pasture increases the productivity to where livestock gain or milk better, more pasture is available to take hay from and more livestock can be run per acre.

Your spring pansies will be even more spectacular if you set out plants in early fall. This gives plants time to become well established before cold winter weather. Fall planting will reward you with three seasons of colorful blooms. You should have some blooms from now until Christmas and again from late February to late March, depending on winter and spring weather. The peak show will be from about mid-April to mid- to late-spring. Summer heat causes a decrease in flower production and size as plants start to decline in mid- to late-June.

Just because summer is over doesn't mean there's no more gardening left to be done. A little prep work now will keep your lawn and garden in top shape for next spring. After the weather turns cool and stays cool, but before the first frost hits, there are several things you can do to prepare your perennials and evergreens. First, cut back plants, pull any weeds and rake leaves up. Charles Hubbard, owner of Al's Garden Center in Winchester, recommends putting lime down.

Fall is the time to think about all those flowers we associate with spring: daffodils, crocus and other easy-to-grow flowering bulbs. If you aren't growing any spring-flowering bulbs in your landscape, you are missing out on some easy-to-grow plants that provide early color to your garden. These bulbs are planted in fall because it corresponds to the end of their natural dormancy. Most of these plants begin root growth in fall, followed by a cool stratification period necessary for proper flower development and then shoot growth in late winter and early spring.

Fall is the time to think about all those flowers we associate with spring: daffodils, crocus and other easy-to-grow flowering bulbs. If you aren't growing any spring-flowering bulbs in your landscape, you are missing out on some easy-to-grow plants that provide early color to your garden. These bulbs are planted in fall because it corresponds to the end of their natural dormancy. Most of these plants begin root growth in fall, followed by a cool stratification period necessary for proper flower development and then shoot growth in late winter and early spring.

Late fall and early winter are the best times to fertilize landscapes with mixed plantings of grass and woody plants. But how much fertilizer should you apply? First, take eight to 10 soil samples from several areas of the yard. Mix the samples together and take them to the Boyle County Cooperative Extension Service office to be submitted for analyses to determine soil pH (soil acidity or alkalinity) and whether you need to apply other necessary nutrients including phosphorus and potassium.

2009 has been a good year for growing grass in Clark County. Unfortunately, it has also been a good year for growing weeds. Many home lawns and commercial turf areas, which had struggled through two dry summers, have become infested with broadleaf weeds. Left alone, many of those weeds will continue to grow until the first hard freeze. Now is actually a good time to apply a selective herbicide treatment to broadleaf weeds that are growing in lawn areas. Many perennial weeds and most winter annuals are actively growing at this time, and therefore susceptible to herbicidal control.

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Now is the time to start improving your pasture and hay fields. A little work and money now can pay off in better livestock gains and better milk production. Make your plans to start overseeding clover right now. Early February is also the time to soil test and add fertilizer to your pasture and hay fields. Overseeding Clover: Clover in your pasture increases the productivity to where livestock gain or milk better, more pasture is available to take hay from and more livestock can be run per acre.

With input costs remaining high, farmers are looking for ways to make their money go further. Testing soil from fields now can prevent over-fertilizing in the spring and potentially save money on input costs. If you look at the economics of it, including input costs and commodity prices, it looks like it's going to be very difficult for farmers to make a profit this year. To make a profit, farmers will need to use best management practices, which include using fertilizer as efficiently as possible.

Your spring pansies will be even more spectacular if you set out plants in early fall. This gives plants time to become well established before cold winter weather. Fall planting will reward you with three seasons of colorful blooms. You should have some blooms from now until Christmas and again from late February to late March, depending on winter and spring weather. The peak show will be from about mid-April to mid- to late-spring. Summer heat causes a decrease in flower production and size as plants start to decline in mid- to late-June.

In an era of climbing costs, farmers need to scrutinize every part of their operation to control expenses and maintain profitability. One expense many farmers can skip is foliar fertilizers. Foliar fertilizers are applied to the leaves of plants, and the leaves take up the nutrients and use them for plant nourishment. However, foliar fertilizer in research tests conducted on crops not exhibiting signs of nutrient deficiency have not been shown to improve yields, said Greg Schwab, soil management specialist with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

Sorry about the news being absent for about two weeks. I took a trip and became very sick, so I couldn't write the news. But I am better now. God is still a healer! The church service on Sunday, April 27 was filled with a beautiful spirit of prayer at the altar. That is where our strength lies, in prayer with the Lord. Our prayer list is full again this week with many needs. If you have a prayer need, call the church and we will be glad to pray for you and place you on our prayer list.