The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Winter desiccation can be very hard on evergreen trees. Dry soil in winter often cannot replace the moisture trees lose to the cold dry winter air. The symptoms of winter damage and die back may not become visible until spring or summer growth...

Many Chouteau County producers are sending samples to the new agricultural testing facility in Chinook. Because of its location, producers can get test results back in a couple of days rather than a week or 10 days. Information below came from an...

A Feral swine fact sheet is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or online at: https://www.animalrangeextension.montana.edu/wildlife/documents/Squeal%20on%20Pigs%20Fact%20Sheet19.pdf. Below are a few highlights from the fact sheet. Feral...

The 2021 Montana’s Next Generation Conference will provide six powerful evening sessions covering crops, livestock, family communication, business planning, and succession planning topics. Sessions will be on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to...

This article was written by Dennis Cash, retired MSU Extension Service forage specialist. The winter feeding is likely your single largest ranch expense. Reducing hay waste can save you money. Hay losses at feeding on most ranches averages about one...

Montana State University Extension will host a free, annual cropping seminar series January 6, 2021 in Fort Benton, Denton, Havre, Chester, Shelby, Cut Bank, Conrad, Choteau, and Great Falls. Speakers will cover grasshopper control, antagonistic...

There are many “tips” to caring for a Christmas tree that propose to make it last longer or stay greener. In truth, all a tree really needs to maintain freshness is adequate water. This is easily done by using the proper tree stand and keeping...

Sampling of hay is essential to livestock management. Hay sampling is best accomplished with a hollow core probe consisting of a stainless-steel tube and a sharp cutting end. The Chouteau County Extension office has a hay probe available for check...

If we continue to have drought conditions, grasshopper pest populations will explode this spring. One insecticide available is Dimilin 2L. Below are a few facts about Dimilin 2L. • Dimilin 2L is an insecticide that interferes with molting. This...

Managing horticultural landscapes and house plants in November is important to healthy production during the growing season. Below are a few recommendations for Chouteau County gardeners. • Apply protective mulches to perennial beds. • Use a...

On behalf of the Chouteau County Extension Office, Janell and I would like to Congratulate Julia on this achievement. The Montana Symbol of Excellence (SOE ) program annually recognizes both 4-H and FFA youth and hog breeders who raise market hogs th...

Diagnosing injury to plants from herbicides can be difficult. A new guide (EB0232) from Montana State University is intended to aid in assessing and identifying potential non-target herbicide injury. Knowing when and what was applied is vital for...

A new Montguide is available online (store.msuextension.org) or at the Chouteau County Extension Office. The Montguide was written by Cheryl Moore-Gough, former MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist. Segments from the Montguide are below....

Information for this article was written by Rachel Endecott, previous MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist. Successful vaccination depends on three critical factors: an effective vaccine, a functioning immune system, and administration of the vaccine...

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), also commonly called downy brome, is a problematic weed in winter wheat and in rangeland throughout Montana. Cheatgrass typically germinates in the autumn, overwinters, and produces seed by mid-summer. The cheatgrass...

The Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery (MCSN) is already receiving orders for shelter belt plantings. Rocky Mountain Juniper is the most popular windbreak species, and is sold out quite quickly. If you are interested in ordering Rocky Mountain...

The eastern heath snail is the only snail species that climbs to the top of the vegetation to keep cool. This behavior is the main identifier for the species. If you live in other areas of the county and have discovered this species in the tops of...

The following information was prepared by Kevin Wanner (MSU Extension Entomologist). Emerging winter wheat can be particularly vulnerable to damage by grasshoppers. The larger adult stage grasshoppers are more difficult to control and can move into...

According to Laurie Kerzicnik (Montana State University Entomologist), grasshoppers continue to be an issue for several areas in Montana. Grasshopper infestations will continue to extend into the fall. High grasshopper populations this year could be...

The 2020 Chouteau County 4-H and FFA livestock carcass contest took place at Pioneer Meats in Big Timber. A total of 58 Chouteau County 4-H animals were evaluated for carcass quality by Mark King (MSU Extension Sweet Grass County). The purpose of...

Rejuvra™, active ingredient indaziflam, has received approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use on rangeland, CRP land, and natural areas, including grazed areas on these sites. Indaziflam was previously marketed as...

The 2020 MSU Pest Management Tour is a last chance opportunity for private applicators in Northcentral Montana to obtain recertification credits before the December 31, 2020 private applicator expiration date. Three credits will be offered for each...

Information for this article was taken from a Kansas State University Press Release. The entire article is located at www.ag.ksu.edu. Producers often wait several weeks after harvest before making their first herbicide application to control voluntee...

• Water trees three times a month in addition to watering your lawn. • Deep watering to a depth of 12” inches below the soil surface is recommended. Saturate the soil around the tree within the “dripline” (the outer edges of the tree’s...

4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that...