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The ice storm aftermathBy David G. Hallauer Meadowlark District Extension Agent, crops, soils, horticulture Kansas With all the knowledge we have--the sum of experiences all of us have as a whole--why does the power of nature still amaze us? Maybe it's like snowflakes--no two experiences are the same--and we, therefore, can't fully plan for anything that our weather may throw at us. By this time, you have likely had a chance for some damage assessment from the mid month ice storm. In some cases, it's more than a little overwhelming and, in some cases, very disheartening. Hopefully, there's a silver lining to all of this. So what positives can come of the immense amount of damage some of our trees and other landscape plants have experienced? For starters, now is an excellent time to learn more about safety--chainsaw operation safety, electrical safety and even safe landscaping. It's easy to want to rush in and get things done--and, in most cases, we have. Still, it's a good time, as well, to take a step back and determine where we have some deficiencies in safety that could be best addressed sooner than later--for the safety of your family, home and landscape. Second, the cleanup time after the storm is a great time to evaluate your landscape. Are those silver maples really the trees I want that close to the house? If the answer is no, you might as well get rid of them now, rather than let the next storm lay them on your porch roof. Start your landscape plan now. There may be trees that you are removing that will allow you to put in that new water garden or rose bed in just the right spot. Planning ahead now will allow you to research ideas, research plants and do advance planning and preparation to have things in place sooner than later. Third, use this opportunity to learn about pruning, whether it be maintenance, corrective, or preventative pruning practices. Even less than ideal landscape trees can be a fit, if they are pruned and cared for correctly. Getting the correct branch angle, doing yearly maintenance, and pruning appropriately around structures and electrical lines can go a long ways towards making storm damage much less severe. And finally, be sure and ponder what could have been. People prepared as they could. Communities came together to find solutions to problems. And people we didn't know, and likely never will, left their family and lives and showed up from all over to help. This storm wasn't in any way, shape or form what I envisioned in a December. But I did learn a lot and saw a lot of good. For that, I am thankful. Each year at this time, the promise of the new year looms large. It's a chance to reflect and make plans for bigger and better, in the coming year. Soon, you'll be seeing more and more program announcements in this space. We're planning some interesting offerings in 2008 and we hope you'll be able to attend. And don't forget--we still have a ton of great educational material on hand here in the office. The Crop Performance tests for corn, soybean and grain sorghum are now available. If your windbreak needs some shoring up after the recent storm, the Conservation Tree Planting program is now taking orders. And if you want to get ahead on that garden or landscape project, check out the multitude of publications on more topics than I can list here. Stop in and see what we have to offer. We'd also invite you to check us out on our new (and improving) web page at www.oznet.ksu.edu/meadowlark/ . Here, you can find general information on the district and our staff, as well as specific information on a varied range of topics. As always, there are links to the K-State Research & Extension site for even more information. We hope to see you in 2008. 1/7/08 Date: 1/3/08
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