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Horticultural Tips for August I hope our Chouteau County gardeners have had a productive year growing vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs. Below are a few tips for the month of August. • Renovate strawberries by mowing a minimum of every three years. Some people mow their strawberries every year following fruit production. Be sure to set the mower high enough to mow the leaves. Mowing to low may damage the crowns and kill the plant. • Topdress strawberries after harvest with a complete fertilizer like 16-16-16. • Pinch the tops of indet...
Harvest and Storage Rules of Thumb on Pulse Crops • Pre-harvest: A desiccant will not speed maturity but it may be used as a harvest aid to terminate the crop, and to burn down immature weeds which can cause seed staining. Desiccants should be used only after pods have matured, seeds have changed color, and the seeds have detached themselves inside the pods. The pods will rattle upon shaking. Threshing can begin when seed reaches 18% moisture. However, lower moisture percentages are necessary for long term storage or for processors to accept t...
Field days coming up near Loma and Turner MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and MSU Extension will be hosting two field days near Loma and Turner Montana on Wednesday, July 19. The Loma field day will begin at 9:00 a.m. north of Loma near the Terry Mckeever farm at 2088 Houston road. The Turner field day will begin at 5:00 p.m. near the Max Cederberg farm located north of Turner at 32755 Turner Road. A barbeque hosted by CHS Big Sky will follow the Turner field day. Dr. Jessica Rupp (MSU Extension Plant Pathologist) will educate...
Mulching is a must for lawn and garden landscapes during the hot summer The single most serious problem with ornamental plants in Northern Plains region is not a disease, insect or mite problem; it is environmental stress. Stress affects plant material in direct and indirect ways. It can cause damage directly and weaken the plants to the point where they are vulnerable to insect and disease attack. Stress is a problem in the Plains region because we, in our landscaping efforts, are attempting to grow “alien” species (non-native for the mos...
Blue Green Algae Poisoning in Livestock The following overview of blue green algae poisoning in livestock was written by Rachel Endecott (MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist). Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are photosynthetic bacteria that live and grow in aquatic environments. Many species exist: some species are harmless, while others can affect the nervous system and liver function of livestock. Large blooms of cyanobacteria can occur when conditions are favorable, leading to elevated concentrations in water sources. When livestock or oth...
Highwood Bench Low pH Soil Field Day MSU Central Agricultural Research Center (CARC) and MSU Extension will be hosting a field day on the Highwood Bench on Wednesday, June 28, at 10:00 a.m. The field day will take place approximately one mile east of the Long farm on 1221 Shonkin Road. The field day will begin with a tour of the CARC cereal variety plots, which have been seeded in low pH soil to determine tolerance to soil acidity. Dr. Jamie Sherman (MSU Barley Breeder) will share research based information on barley varieties for Southern...
Pulse Production Management after Seeding • Peas use water down to 3 feet (Wichman, 2005). • Nodulation begins 2-3 weeks after plant emergence (Jones, 2017). • Nodules are active 3-4 weeks after plant emergence (Jones, 2017). • Active nodules are pink to red inside. Inactive nodules are white inside (Jones, 2017). • Amount of nitrogen fixation depends on species. Green and yellow peas fix more nitrogen than chick pea. Chick peas fix more nitrogen than lentils (Jones, 2017). • If you notice yellow lower leaves (N deficiency) dig and look for ros...
Tree watering rules of thumb • 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 branches) to disperse water down toward the roots. • For evergreens, water 3’-5’ beyond the dripline on all sides of the tree. • The objective is to water slowly, dispersing the flow of water to get the water deep down to the trees roots. Watering for short periods of time onl...
After visiting with Mary Burrows (MSU Disease Diagnostician), we are estimating that stripe rust will begin injuring cereal grains this week. Below are a few notes I have compiled on biology and management of the stripe rust fungus. • Fungal spores attack wheat consuming the nutrients synthesized by the host plant. • Spread by green bridge and wind dispersal. Community disease like WSMV with multiple infection cycles. • Spores on the ground are dead because they need living plant tissue to survive. Spores will over-winter on volunteer plants. W...
Lawn Management Information The Master Gardener program provides research based information for gardeners. Below are a few notes taken from the turf management portion of the program. • Rough bluegrass is probably the best grass in Montana for shady areas. • Kentucky bluegrass is the best grass for open sunny areas with well-drained soil. • Annual ryegrass can be used as a cover crop following vegetable production. • The standard lawn mix is 60% Kentucky bluegrass, 30% creeping red fescue and 10% annual ryegrass. • Zoysiagrass does not grow...
Alfalfa Weevil Information for this article was compiled by Dr. Kevin Wanner (MSU Extension Entomologist) and Dr. Emily Glunk (MSU Extension Forage Specialist). Alfalfa weevil is the key insect pest of alfalfa, causing variable levels of economic damage across Montana each growing season. The female weevils lay eggs in alfalfa stems Larvae hatch and crawl up to the developing terminal buds where they chew small “pin” holes in the leaves. The larvae develop through four instar stages. The larger 3rd and 4th instar larvae feed openly on unfurled...
Knees Area Field Day Scheduled for June 7th The MSU Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center (WTARC) and MSU Extension are hosting a field day in the Knees area on June 7th at 9:00 a.m. The event will begin approximately ½ mile north of J & A Farms. J & A Farms is located at 2226 Knees Church Road. Dr. Jamie Sherman (MSU Barley Breeder) will share research based information on barley varieties for the Knees area. Dr. Luther Talbert (MSU Spring Wheat Breeder) will speak about successful spring wheat varieties for the Knees area. John...
Grass Establishment Notes for Ranchers Below is a list of questions and answers I have compiled from specialists on seeding techniques for grasses. For further information about forage establishment, please contact the Chouteau County Extension at 622-3751 or stop in for a visit. We are located in the green building next to the Courthouse. Should I include a nurse crop in with the seed mix? “I usually don’t like to put a nurse crop in. I think it is too much competition when the plants are trying to get going, and we have seen it have a neg...
New Montguide for Gardeners is available at the Extension Office A new Montguide (MT201612AG) is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or on-line at orderpubs@montana.edu. The Montguide is titled “How to Prevent Non-Target Injury of Broadleaf Crops and Vegetables by Residual Herbicides”. The Montguide was written by Katrina Mendrey at Ravalli County Extension and Noelle Orloff (Associate Extension Weed Specialist). Segments of the Montguide are included in this article. In 2016 the Schutter Diagnostic Lab received 17 vegetable sam...
Chouteau County is in Excellent Condition for Soil Moisture The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers with determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 24 years, the Chouteau County Extension Office continues to compile data for determining recropping potential and providing the state drought committee with soil moisture information. Testing for soil moisture took place in Chouteau County on March 23th for locations south of the Missouri River and March 24th for locations...
Fifth Annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day The fifth annual Chouteau County Ag day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on April 19, 2017. All 4th and 5th graders in Chouteau County are invited to attend. Home school kids who are interested in participating should contact the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3751. Participants will learn the importance of Montana’s number one industry; agriculture, and why agriculture is important to their health, home and community. For thousands of years, c...
April Horticulture Reminders Below is a list of reminders from the Montana Gardener’s book of days (EB 165), and other writings by Bob Gough, former MSU Extension Horticultural Specialist. • Prune fruit trees, berry bushes, ornamental trees and summer flowering shrubs before bud swell. Always prune to a branch, because a stub will decay and affect the longevity of the tree. • Graft fruit trees just as the first buds on the tree begin to swell. • Apply dormant oil sprays to fruit trees and other plants when the temperature is expected to rema...
Night Feeding or Daytime Calving Information for this article was taken from the February issue of the Cow Sense Chronicle written by Rachel Endecott, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist. We’ve all experienced that middle-of-the-night calving incident that sure would have been easier to manage if it had happened in the daylight. Some ranchers use an evening feeding strategy to shift more cows to calve during the day. A case study comparing two sets of calving data with different feeding times illustrates this phenomenon well (Jaeger, et al. 2...
Soil Acidity and Soil Health Workshop in Fort Benton The Chouteau County Conservation District and MSU Extension are teaming up for a soil acidity and soil health workshop at the Community Recreation Center in Fort Benton on March 22, 2017. The Community Center is located at 911 16th Street. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m. Most agricultural soils in Montana have near-neutral to basic conditions with surface soil pH 6.5 to 8. However, some areas of Montana have developed acidic soil layers near...
On February 21, the MSU Extension Chouteau County office will be moved to the green steel building located next to the Chouteau County Courthouse. The original Extension office located in the Courthouse basement will be filled by Judge Susan Spencer from Chouteau County Justice of the Peace. Winter Tree Watering Winter watering is next to useless when the soil is frozen or soil temperatures are below 40 to 45 F. Plants can’t absorb much water in winter, and they need less of it. It is better to water in spring, when the buds really begin to s...
Winter Bull Management Protection from inclement weather is a critical factor in winter herd bull management because of the very real concern of frostbite of the scrotum. While mild frostbite generally has a good recovery rate, severe frostbite can leave a bull infertile. Scarring from frostbite can hinder a bull’s ability to raise and lower the testicles for proper temperature regulation. This regulation depends on coordination of three structures: the tunica dartos muscle in the walls of the scrotum, which relaxes when hot and contracts w...
ation and the US Dry Pea and Lentil Council MSU Extension will be hosting a Pulse Production workshop Wednesday, February 15, 2017, in both Conrad and Fort Benton. With decreased commodity prices in cereal grains, there is additional interest in raising pulse crops. However, many production and marketing challenges exist, which this workshop will address for beginning producers. The workshop will cover production, marketing, insurance, disease management, and common mistakes with chemicals and inoculants and conclude with a producer panel. The...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Fort Benton (please pre-register) MSU Extension level 1 Master Gardener classes may take place in Fort Benton in February pending pre-registration numbers. We only have four signed up at this time. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. If fifteen people pre-register, we will have the class, which traditionally begins the third week in February. Please contact the MSU Chouteau County Extension office at 622-3751 to pre-register. The Level 1 Master Gardener course requires 16...
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 end. The Chouteau County Extension office has a hay probe available for check out. One core should be sampled from at least 20 bales from a lot of hay. A lot of hay is defined as hay harvested from a field of uniform maturity within a 48 hour period. Generally a lot should not exceed 200 tons. Poor...
MSU Extension will be hosting a Pulse Production workshop Wednesday, February 15, 2017, in both Conrad and Fort Benton. With decreased commodity prices in cereal grains, there is additional interest in raising pulse crops. However, many production and marketing challenges exist, which this workshop will address for beginning producers. The workshop will cover production, marketing, insurance, disease management, and common mistakes with chemicals and inoculants and conclude with a producer panel. Both locations will begin with registration at...