The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Tree watering rules of thumb Most trees will not require watering after three years, but during periods of drought, trees will need some help. Below are a few recommendations to help trees survive drought conditions. • Water trees three times a mon...

The Value of Castration for Calves Castration of bull calves prior to marketing has long been encouraged by Extension educators and the recommendation is backed by objective research from multiple perspectives. From a health perspective, calves...

Watch for Anthracnose in Lentils Anthracnose, a lentil disease caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum truncatum, has been detected in 16% of lentil seed lots tested in the Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic Lab this winter. While levels of this...

Lawn Management Information The Master Gardener program provides research based information for gardeners. Level 1 Master Gardener will take place next March. Please contact the Chouteau County Extension office at 406-622-3751 and get signed up....

Are Your Pine Needles Brown, Red or Purple? It Could be Winterburn. Information from this article comes from Dr. Peter Kolb (MSU Extension Forester). During dry and cold winters, evergreen trees growing in windbreaks or other exposed areas are...

Recropping Potential is Poor to Fair for All of Chouteau County The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers in determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 30 years, the Chouteau...

Alfalfa Seeding Q&A How important is it to have a firm seed bed? “Packing the seed bed has become a standard component of establishing perennial forages.” (Dave Wichman, 2016) What is the recommended seeding rate for dryland alfalfa? “In...

Tree and Shrub Grafting Class at Fort Benton Library The Fort Benton garden club is hosting a tree and shrub grafting class at the Fort Benton Library at 12:15 on April 19. Those who attend will learn how to make unproductive apple trees and...

Initial Private Applicator Pesticide Training in Stanford MSU Extension Judith Basin County will be offering a Private Pesticide Applicator Initial Training on April 6,2023 in Stanford. The training will take place at the Stanford City Hall located...

MSU Extension Forester will teach Shelterbelt Management near Loma Peter Kolb (Montana State University Extension Forester) will be teaching shelterbelt management on Thursday, April 13th from 3:30 p.m-5:00 p.m. at the Terry and LeRita McKeever...

Tenth annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day for 4th and 5th Graders The tenth annual Chouteau County Ag Day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on April 20, 2023. All 4th and 5th graders in Chouteau County are...

The 4-H Shooting Sports 2023 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot was held February 25th in Fort Benton with 64 members registered to shoot. Participants were mostly from the Golden Triangle Counties. Other counties participating were Flathead, Lewis...

Urban Pesticide Education Tour: April 20, Great Falls The MSU Pesticide Education Program is offering an urban pesticide training on April 20 in Great Falls to assist homeowners, gardeners, and other urban pesticide applicators in understanding the...

MSU Extension Hill County to hold a bull selection workshop in Havre A bull selection workshop is scheduled for March 1, 2023 at 5:30 pm in the 4-H Chuckwagon in Havre. MSU Extension Agent, Colleen Pegar, will walk participants through bull sale...

Many Reasons Why Deciduous Trees Should Not Be Topped Topping is the drastic removal or cutting back of large branches in mature trees. The tree is sheared like a hedge and the main branches are cut to stubs. Many homeowners top trees when they...

Top Yielding Spring Wheat Varieties for Chouteau County MSU Agricultural Research Centers have one test plot for spring wheat in Chouteau county which is managed by MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) north of Loma. A special thanks to...

MSU Extension Chouteau County Has Hay Probe and Nutrition Decision Software 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...

Grasshopper Management Q&A I hear ranchers can get assistance from the USDA in grasshopper spraying. Who do I contact? Contact Eric Norderud at 406-449-5210 or erik.d.norderud@usda.gov. Please have a breakdown of private acres and government acres be...

New informational Guide on Noxious and Invasive Weed Management A new informational guide EBO242 is now available at the Chouteau County Extension office. It is titled Revegetation Guidelines: Considering Invasive and Noxious Weeds. The guide was...

Gardeners Wishlist nformation for this article came from the 2023 Urban IPM Calendar which was created by Montana State University Integrated Pest Management. Calendars are still available at the Chouteau County Extension Office. If you still have...

Dry Matter Losses of Hay from Field to Feeding This article was written by Dennis Cash, retired MSU Extension Service forage specialist. Winter feeding is likely your single largest ranch expense. Reducing hay waste can save you money. Hay losses at...

Deer Need a Little “Tough Love” in Winter Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently sent out a warning to Montanan’s that it is illegal to feed deer under Montana law. Jim Knight, MSU Extension Wildlife Specialist (retired) explained a 2003...

MSU Extension Cropping Seminar Scheduled for January 13 in Fort Benton Montana State University Extension will host a free, annual cropping seminar on January 13 at the Ag Center located at 1205 20th Street. Three commercial or private pesticide...

Gardening tips for the Winter Season January is a time to promote healthy trees and house plants. MSU Extension has a few important recommendations for the cold winter months. • Poinsettias do best when house temperatures are consistent and placed...