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'A Tale of Two Inputs' crops meeting to look at weed control, soil fertilityBy David G. Hallauer Meadowlark District Extension Agent, crops and soils/horticulture Kansas I doubt Charles Dickens had 'A Tale of Two Inputs' in mind when he wrote A Tale of Two Cities. Still, the title is very appropriate for this year's Meadowlark Extension District/Atchison County crops meeting Dec. 17 at the Nortonville Knights of Columbus Hall. Registration is at 9:45 a.m. The program starts promptly at 10. Input costs have added another level of variability to input cost management the last couple of years. Chemical costs have jumped considerably this fall and while some fertilizer products have actually come down a little, their price volatility is unrivaled in recent memory. At the same time, there is as much need for these inputs today as there ever has been, making their management all the more important. Three KSU Extension Specialists will highlight our input discussion. Weed control will dominate the morning session. Dallas Peterson and Curtis Thompson, Extension Weed Management specialists will cover Glyphosate Resistance, Alternative Weed Management, and Corn Weed Control. An interactive discussion will allow for your input about production practices as well. After lunch, Dr. Dave Mengel will lead our discussion of Fertilizer Management in Volatile Times. Find out how to best manage your fertilizer dollar to get the end results that make for positive bottom lines. Dr. Mengel will share what KSU research is suggesting you do to get the most out of your inputs. Morning refreshments are sponsored by Frontier Farm Credit Service. Lunch is available via a Nutrient Management Grant in Atchison and Jefferson Counties. If you RSVP by Dec. 15, lunch is free. At the door, lunch will be $10. Contact the Meadowlark Extension District Office at 785-863-2212 or e-mail dhallaue@ksu.edu to RSVP for A Tale of Two Inputs. Don't forget to water landscape plants Though our trees and shrubs don't lose as much moisture during the winter, they still may lose enough that winter watering is needed. Evergreen plants are especially sensitive. Plan to water once a month if it is a dry, warm winter. When doing so, water deeply (about 12 inches) so that the majority of the root zone is moistened. Check the depth by pushing a wooden dowel or metal rod into the soil. Ashes in the Garden As fire places get more use this time of year, the question of applying wood ashes to the garden or landscape as a convenient means of discarding them may be in the back of your mind. Ashes contain significant amounts of potash, little phosphate and no nitrogen. With our soils predominantly high in potash, we don't need additional. Further, wood ashes will raise the pH of our soils. If your pH is low, that may be fine, but many garden soils are on the high side anyway, making increased pH more of a problem than a solution. Before giving further consideration to the use of wood ashes, pull a soil test to see if they'll do more harm than good. Without a soil test, plan to dispose of them elsewhere. 12/15/08 Date: 12/9/08 Advertisement
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