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Wheat plot plantedBy David G. Hallauer Meadowlark District Extension agent, crops and soils/horticulture Kansas The Meadowlark Extension District Wheat Variety Plot was planted Oct. 9 west of Sabetha. Doug and Leonard Edelman and the Sabetha Farmers Co-op are plot cooperators. Thirteen varieties, including new varieties Everest, Jackpot, and Winterhawk are included in the plot, along with a Jumpstart seed treatment comparison. For plot details and location, contact your District Extension Office. Call "Kansas One Call" before digging Already this fall, our KSU Horticulture specialists have heard of two different people hitting gas lines while digging trees. And while you should never have to dig deep enough to hit a gas line while planting a tree, it's never bad practice, whenever digging for anything, to call for utility location. Before you dig again where utility lines may be located, contact Kansas One Call at 811. Wrap new trees to prevent winter damage While fall is a good time for tree planting, fall planting can also open trees up to winter damage. Young trees have yet to develop thick bark needed for winter protection, and some trees (ash, maple, and fruit trees come to mind) stay fairly smooth and thin-barked as they grow, leaving them open to winter damage as well. Winter damage typically occurs in two fashions. Freeze-thaw cycles cause sunscald and bark cracks for starters. We can also see damage from foraging rabbits. If damage occurs, not all is lost. Many will recover, particularly with a little TLC when under stress. Prevention is a pretty good option, as well. Prevention comes in the way of tree wraps, and now through November is an excellent time to apply that wrap. Apply from ground level up to the start of the first branches. This wrap (a two foot tall cylinder of one inch wire mesh, plastic tree wrap, etc.) should help prevent rabbits from going after the tender tissue on newly planted trees early in the winter. The plastic wrap may also keep the tree from warming on the south or southwest side during late winter, when a loss of dormancy results in loss of cold hardiness.
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