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Estate Planning Seminar in Fort Benton
Save the date: Monday, March 14, 2016 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm.
Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist, will be in Fort Benton to present a seminar on estate planning topics. Transferring agriculture operations to the next generation will be included. More details to follow.
Notes from Master Gardener (Level 2) Class
The Master Gardener class (Level 2) began in Fort Benton on February 18 in Fort Benton. Eight Chouteau County Gardeners learned about binomial nomenclature, soils, nutrients, and fertilizer. Below are a few notes taken from the program:
• Identifying family names of plants is important because disease risk is often within the same family.
• Flower structure often describes the genus.
• Irrigating our landscapes 1 inch a week in the spring and 2 inches per week in the summer is sufficient for most Chouteau County soils.
• Generally the ideal soil pH is 6.8.
• If you decide to add sand to the garden, the concentration of sand and clay needs to be equal. If the sand is less than 50% of the mixture, the soil will turn to concrete.
• Lowering pH is not a reasonable garden management option because of high pH levels in our water. If we bring in low pH soil from Western Montana, the pH will rapidly rise because of our high pH water.
• Adding 1” of manure compost will add about 1.5% organic matter to the garden. Manure compost is about 20% organic matter.
• Adding 1” of compost will add about 3% organic matter to your garden. Yard and kitchen compost is about 40% organic matter.
• 5-8 % organic matter is optimal for garden health.
• Seed carrots into a sandy area of the garden where they thrive and pull out of the soil nicely.
• Soil testing your garden every three years is an important tool to prevent or correct plant growth problems.
Montana State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.
