County Agent
The Agriculture Building featured good displays despite our dry weather! I want to thank everyone for making the 91st Washington Parish Free Fair a BIG SUCCESS! We had a lot of fun in the Ag Building on Oct. 23, with the seed give-away. I just want to remind everyone that received flower or vegetable seeds to plant them during the appropriate time, and maybe for our next year's fair, you may exhibit some vegetables.
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A general rule is to bring plants in about a week or two prior to having the heat turned on in the home. Before bringing the plants inside, clean the plants up by removing any build-up of residue, insects, diseased foliage or broken stems. You may need to add some additional potting soil to some containers as well as adding some slow-release fertilizer, like Osmocote or a soluble fertilizer like Miracle Grow, for additional nutrients.
Add Color to Landscape
The autumnal equinox is a gentle reminder of the brilliant colors that leaves of trees and shrubs promise during the fall. Sweet gums, Chinese tallow, maples, Chinese pistachio, sassafras, bald cypress and other native and introduced trees provide wonderful fall color. Landscape shrubs and small trees, such as nandina, hydrangea, dogwood, Virginia willow and crape myrtle, also offer splashes of color to the fall landscape.
Although the dry conditions have caused some early foliage changes---due to stress on the trees and shrubs --- this foliage change that I am referring to is the result of several biochemical reactions initiated by seasonal temperature and day length changes. Basically, the formation of a separation occurs within the leaf petiole, blocking essential sugar movement into the leaf. This breaks down green pigments in the leaf, making other pigments, such as yellow, red and orange, dominant.
Bark Lice
Bark lice will spin a white, powdery silk web that can encase the entire tree. Seemingly, the web just appears over-night and will give the tree a "ghostly" Halloween affect. Bark lice are small insects that are very hard to see, unlike the web worm that is highly visible. Bark lice is nature's way of helping you keep the trees clean. They will cause NO HARM to plants. NO spray is needed for bark lice. So, Robert Jenkins of Bogalusa, these insects will help make the tree look better when the are gone, and they will disappear just as suddenly as they appeared.
Plant Veggies Now
Here are some vegetables that can be planted now. Plant: collards, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, shallots, garlic, Swiss chard, spinach, kale, mustard, carrots and endive.
Shallots: Shallots can be planted anytime during the winter.
Garlic: Plant this vegetable by using individual cloves. Seed for this crop is difficult to locate. One variety is Tahiti (elephant garlic, which is mild and large). The Italian and Creole types are smaller and stronger. Plant cloves 1-inch deep and 2 to 6-inches apart in the row. This crop will be ready to harvest next May.
Greens: Plant all your crucifers now. Mustards, turnips, collards can still be planted. Avoid planting them too thick. Try spacing mustards on rows 3-4 inches between plants. The herbicide Treflan gives good grass and weed control.
If you are interested in planting a few strawberries, give me a call. I will be getting the recommended varieties for our area. Your response is needed immediately.
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