Although many gardens are still producing, it is time to get our fall vegetables planted. Believe it or not, fall is a great gardening season!

When you think about it, fall weather is much like spring – warm daytime temperatures and cool nights. Rainfall is typically more abundant in the fall than summer so less irrigation is needed and fall gardens often have fewer insect pest and disease problems. Combine all of these and you have the ingredients for a great garden! And of most importance is the taste of the produce grown.  Flavors of fall grown vegetables are often sweeter and milder in taste than those grown during hot summer weather.

Some of the best vegetables for a fall garden are lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, cabbage, turnips and carrots because of their frost-tolerance. These vegetables can be planted directly into your garden wherever space can be found – next to plants still growing in the garden like tomatoes, cucumbers and pumpkins. Plant mid-August until the first week of September.

Left over seed from spring planting can be used as long as it was stored in a cool, dry location. To speed up germination and seedling emergence, soak the seeds overnight before planting. If you are purchasing new seed, look for the shortest season cultivars that you can find to insure harvest before a killing frost. The average fall freeze date for our area is around October 24 according to the Weather Data Library on the K-State campus.

Sometimes establishing a fall garden can be difficult during the summer when soil temperatures are extremely high. One way to avoid this is to establish plants in containers or pots for transplanting into the garden later in the season when the weather begins to cool. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and collards can be grown in cooler protected areas for 2-4 weeks prior to setting in the garden. Be sure to acclimatize crops for several days before transplanting directly into the garden.

Garden soil should be prepared just like for spring. An application of fertilizer will probably be necessary for optimum plant growth. Use one pound of a complete analysis fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, applied per 100 square feet of garden area. Weeds and grasses will also grow well in a fall garden so mulching may be warranted.

If you do not have a traditional garden space, think about doing a container garden. Just about anything that will hold soil and have a drain hole in the bottom can be used.

Everyone gets geared up to plant vegetables in the spring, but the fall season offers many benefits to gardening. Few take advantage of the season, but consider giving it a try this year.

The Extension office has the “Vegetable Garden Planting Guide” publication available free of charge.  This guide offers information such as days to first harvest, days to germination, planting depth, frost resistance, and more.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Horticulture agent assigned to Southwind District.  She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This year has been a challenging year for crop production, especially corn, with above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall. Some fields will have a very limited yield, but regardless of the reduced yield, we need to be prepared to minimize yield losses that can occur during harvest operations.

Harvest inefficiency reduces overall yield and can cause future problems because of volunteer corn. Volunteer corn may have some value by increasing the soil organic matter, providing cover to reduce soil erosion, or providing potential forage for grazing livestock. However, volunteer corn may cause problems for wheat planting after corn harvest, or in a wheat-corn-fallow cropping system by using valuable soil moisture and nutrients needed to promote fall tillering in wheat. Volunteer corn can also provide a “green bridge” of vegetation for insects that can carry viral diseases in wheat.

Several factors may contribute to poor harvest efficiency in corn. Most of the kernel loss that occurs at harvest time is due to mechanical limitations with combine settings. A combine performs three major actions during the harvest operation: picking, threshing, and cleaning. Grain loss can occur at each of these stages. A detailed description of harvesting efficiency can be found in the KSRE publication “Corn Production Handbook” beginning on page 36. The Handbook is available online at https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/c560.pdf. A detailed article on reducing grain loss with proper combine settings will be in next week’s eUpdate.

Yield loss estimates are made by counting the number of kernels per square foot and dividing by 2 (Figure 3). The number of kernels per square foot is approximately twice the bushels per acre lost. To estimate the yield loss, count the number of kernels in a square foot, and divide by 2 (or multiple by 0.5). For example, a count of 20 kernels per square foot would indicate 10 bu/acre lost during harvest.

While it may be time-consuming to count kernels over a large area, it is important to get a good estimate of yield loss by counting kernels and ears from several locations in the field, and also including both header and thresher losses. Changes can then be made in the harvest operation and to the combine to improve the harvest efficiency. It is also important to check for field losses at different times of the day when harvesting and on different fields. Changes in weather conditions (moisture and temperature) or other factors may impact harvest efficiency.

While harvest efficiency will never be 100% and it is important to complete the harvest in a timely fashion, paying attention to details during harvest can increase profitability. A normal harvest loss rate to aim for is 1 to 2%. Careful attention to equipment, harvest conditions, and harvest operations can minimize yield losses at harvest time and put more corn in the bin.

There is a free mobile app from Ag PhD available to estimate harvest losses based on the kernel count per square foot. The download link is here: iOS. The app allows the user to select the crop and input the number of seed or kernels counted from an area on the ground. Harvest loss is calculated from this count.

Additional information is available in the KSRE publication “Corn Production Handbook” (https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/c560.pdf).

Lonnie Mengarelli is a K-State Research and Extension Crops and Natural Resources agent assigned to Southwind District. He may be reached at [email protected] or 620-223-3720

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Power in Daily Rituals

When you think of rituals, you might imagine spiritual ceremonies or sports superstitions. Major events like weddings or funerals also come to mind. While these are classic examples, rituals are present in your everyday life.  Research has found that rituals often reduce anxiety and in turn help performance.

We can think of rituals as routines that have special meaning.  The repetitive action of brushing your teeth day and night may be a mundane routine, but maybe there is something else in your repeated habits that you can add some emotion to.  Author, Michael Norton states that it then moves a task from just getting the job done to more how you complete it and how you feel about it.

You already have daily routines. By adopting the right mindset, you can turn some of these routines into positive rituals. These rituals can help you stay focused, motivated, and inspired, ultimately aiding you in achieving your goals.

So how do you add intention and purpose to a routine and make it into a daily ritual?

• Part of it is about noticing what you already do. Think about your morning—what do you do? When you get to work, what do you do? What special things do you and your spouse do together? What special things does your family do with your kids? These are all rituals, even if you don’t realize it. When you do them on purpose, they can mean more to you.
• Reframe what you are doing, for example my weekly trip to the grocery store doesn’t have to be a drudgery, I can think about it as fueling my family for success!
• Start small, pick one routine you want to add intention to and evolve into a ritual.

Over the past year, I’ve transformed my morning coffee routine from a groggy, half-asleep process into a cherished ritual. Now, I enjoy quiet time with coffee followed by exercise, making it a part of my day that I truly look forward to!

What will you start with?  For more information contact Tara Solomon-Smith, [email protected], or call 620-244-3826.

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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

Amanda Clasen- Community Vitality Agent

August 2024

According to the National Retail Federation, 25% of back to school shoppers started buying their student’s school supplies as early as June this year. 80% of shoppers are planning for inflation on making all supplies more expensive than past years. Finding the right deals and discounts will be most important for families when they start back to school shopping as it is estimated that most shoppers are planning to spend about 10% less than their budget last year. Below are some suggested ways to help create a manageable budget and ways to cut small cost when going back to school shopping for your student’s this upcoming school year.

Shop Local Businesses- Small, Local businesses have a smaller overhead than a large box store and are in return able to sometimes offer lower prices and be more willing to negotiate a better price to meet customer needs.

Take Stock- See what you already have and figure out expenses you can delay. For example, your child may not need a new pair of shoes right now. Last year’s colored pencils could still be usable.

Set a Spending Budget and stick to it- It’s a good idea to pad your back-to-school shopping budget to cover unanticipated expenses. For example, you may need to replenish school supplies or clothes during the school year. Don’t forget about surprise costs, such as a class field trip.

Shop the sales- Look for clearance sales on school supplies. Not all items must be purchased immediately. In addition to shopping summer sales, you might also find deals if you wait until shortly after school starts so you can stock up for less. When you’re shopping sales, keep in mind that some stores match other stores’ prices, which could cut down on time spent running around town, searching out deals.

Buy More Generic or store Brand items- Unless your child’s school insists on name brands, parents’ money-saving plans include buying less expensive brands, including generic or store brands. However, if you’re shopping from a school list, check with the teacher before buying a less expensive brand. If your school expects students to have a specific type of organizer or calculator, don’t wait until the last minute. You may pay more or have fewer choices.

Buy in Bulk- You may find per-item costs lower if you buy in bulk versus individual items. Work with other families or neighbors to buy a batch of pens, notebooks, and other supplies, then distribute the purchase.

Back to school shopping comes once a year and it’s a guarantee that you will buy some sort of supplies for school. To get ahead of the game for next school year start saving now. Divide the total cost you spent this year by 12 and put away that amount every month. You can create a physical or digital savings envelope or even open a separate savings account and set up automatic monthly transfers.

For more resources to help shop locally, please contact your local chamber or Amanda Clasen, Community Vitality Agent, at [email protected] or at any Southwind Extension office. 4

I enjoy spending time in my yard and tending to my flower beds like I’m sure many of you do too. But the thing I don’t enjoy is insect pests, weeds and occasionally the plant diseases that come along as well.

Many times, at the first sight of a pest or weed, we get excited and search the cabinet for some type of chemical control. But there are other options available such as “holistic” pest management.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Practice sanitation. Lots of insects and plant diseases love trash. It’s their home. Get rid of garden debris – burn, bury or compost it.

2. Control weeds. Weeds compete with and weaken “desirable” plants, making them more susceptible to pest attacks. Some weeds can also be welcoming mats, serving as alternative hosts for various pests.

3. Practice diversity. Remember what happened when the nation planted so many American elms for shade in the early 20^th century? Don’t plant just one species. Rotate crops in your vegetable garden and flower beds to prevent buildup of pest populations and carryover of disease organisms.

4. Encourage beneficial insects such as lady beetles, praying mantis, garden spiders and honeybees. Create homes and/or food sources for them with flowering plants and mulches. Also, be careful when using insecticides to avoid bringing unnecessary harm to your garden’s good guys.

5. Modify the environment. Many pests need a suitable habitat to do their dirty deeds. But, sometimes minor changes in gardening practices can have a significant impact on that. One example is providing adequate space between plants. Another is removing all the dead plant material at the end of the season.

6. Avoid wimpy plants. A host of today’s plant varieties are bred to resist pest attacks. Some are naturally resistant or almost immune to problems.

7. Practice alternative controls. Go ahead and pick off that big, hungry, ugly tomato hornworm. If you can’t destroy it, put it in the garbage can. Then see what a blast of water does to little bugs. Try “sweeping” fall webworms out of your trees.

8. Be pro-active. Go after pests when they are small enough to control easily, before they’ve caused serious crop injury or have spread to other plants.

9. Do what you know you should do. Identify the pest before you buy a pesticide. Find out whether it’s really a problem. Only buy a pesticide that is labeled for your culprit.  Follow the label’s directions.

10. Keep harvests timely. Get the goodies before the pests do. Don’t go through all the work of nurturing a garden only to forfeit the crop when it’s ripe for picking.

If you are having any horticulture issues, please feel free to contact me at one of the Southwind District offices.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Horticulture agent assigned to Southwind District.  She may be reached at [email protected] or by calling 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

• The heat is on, I know we have all felt it! Now is a great time to remember the importance of getting a lot of fluids during this active, warm time of year. Here are answers to a few questions about health and adequate hydration, according K-State Research and Extension Fact Sheet, Liquid Assets: The Value of Fluids to Your Health.
• Q: Is hydration the only benefit of water?
• A: Hydration is very important for your body, however, it is surprising just how much of the body water affects! Water is the most abundant compound in our body.  It assists with weight loss, blood transportation, organ and joint health, digestion, brain health, temperature control….and the list goes on!
• Q: Is Water My Only Choice?
• A: Of course, there are numerous products to choose from, but there is a difference between better and best beverage choices. Water remains the best drink for keeping people hydrated because it is the easiest to absorb.
• Other fluids can come from foods and beverages with high water content and provide some nourishment. Examples include milk, 100% fruit juice (limit), fruits, and vegetables. Watch out for beverages such as sports drinks, carbonated beverages, and fruit drinks, which include large doses of sugar calories.
• Need some flavor? Add fruit or vegetables such as lime, watermelon, or cucumber to your water. You can also mix some beverages, try ½ cup of fruit juice with ½ cup club soda or ½ cup unsweetened tea with ½ cup of light lemonade.
• Q: How much fluid do I need?
• A: A simple question with no easy answer. It does depend on many factors including health, how active you are, and where you live.  The Institute of Medicine has determined adequate intake of fluid for men is roughly 3 liters (about 100 ounces or 13 cups), and 2.2 liters (about 73 ounces or 9 cups) for women.  For most people, water and other beverages provide 80 percent of this amount and food provides the remaining 20 percent.
• Q: What are the signs of dehydration?
• A: The signs and results escalate the more dehydrated you become. Some common signs include thirst, dry mouth and skin, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, flushed skin, and headache.
• You know it is Fair time with heat and community activity! Join us for a local fair of your choice and remember to bring your water!
• Allen County July 25^th-July 29^th
• Bourbon County July 15^th -July 19^th
• Neosho County July 25^th-July 29^th
• Woodson County July 17^th-July 22^nd

For more information contact Tara Solomon-Smith, [email protected], or call 620-244-3826.

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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

July…for most of the country means it’s time for the county fair. For many, this is the best time of year.

The county fair is more than just a carnival or night time events. It is an exhibition of talents from all ages with exhibits ranging in a variety of sizes and categories. Most exhibits have taken an entire 4-H year to complete and some a lot less, but all of the exhibits have a special story and add value to the county fair.

As any 4-H’er can tell you, there is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears involved with preparing for the county fair. The animals you see were raised by youth not just because of the county fair, but to help the youth learn invaluable life lessons to become responsible, caring individuals. The same goes for any of the indoor exhibits from cooking to sewing to photography to woodworking and so on! The opportunities are endless.

I would like to encourage you to take a minute and attend a county fair near you. Explore all of the great accomplishments within the indoor exhibits and the barns full of animals. Visit with a 4-H’er about their project and see the excitement they display.

In the coming weeks, there will be three fairs held within the Southwind Extension District. The first is Bourbon County Fair – July 13th-19th, Woodson County Fair – July 16th-22nd, Neosho County Fair – July 22nd-26th, and Allen County Fair – August 22nd-25th. We hope to see you at the county fair!

If you would like more information on how to be involved either to enter exhibits or be a volunteer, please contact your local Extension Office. Contact information can be found on our website at www.southwind.ksu.edu. For more information about being in 4-H, contact Jennifer Terrell, 4-H Youth Development Agent at [email protected] or 620-223-3720.

One of the signs of a healthy and vital community is recognizing the need to recruit new members into the leadership role when the time comes. The most successful recruitment efforts are conducted by the people already in leadership positions. Leadership of program and communities often change over a course of time, but what does that change look like and how do you “recruit” the new leadership to help continue to drive the mission of your group?  Without great leadership to organize and provide others with the way to act, a likelihood of real change is very slim.

When you think of recruiting new leadership for a role, ask the question, “Who isn’t at the table that should be?” What groups or individuals should be involved in order to have a truly representative community organization, event or project? Making sure a group is inclusive is the best way to build in cooperation from the beginning. Also think about looking for skill assets that someone can bring to the conversation instead of names. One of the problems caused by relying on the same people for the same tasks over and over again is that those people will eventually tire of making the same contribution. A simple way to identify new people to recruit is to focus on the skills needed for the task and not the person.

While the effort to bring new people into the leadership arena is important, it’s also important to recognize that even the smallest and most limited volunteer contribution can be part of the leadership activities of a community. What is important, is seeing how each contribution fits into the whole picture, and by never discounting any effort, no matter how small, the door to increased involvement remains open. Recruiting new leaders by asking for help becomes most effective when a task is very clearly defined. This means describing the skills needed, describing the task in terms of what the expectations are as well the time commitment required. Finally, defining the task should also cover some ideas about how this role fits into the whole scheme of community improvement.

If you currently serve in a leadership role, it is important to know how to better yourself to continue to be a great leader in your community. Look at how you understand your community and the engagement in your community. Your job as a leader is to know what lies at the heart of the community that you serve, make informed decisions and foster a clear and maintained vision of major issues affecting your community. Leading with empathy and instilling compassion for community members allows for the community to see themselves as leaders.

Lead by being adaptable and open-mined helps you meet community needs and evolve with the times. Of course, effective communication and collaboration with community members and other stakeholders are crucial to this endeavor. The best leaders are one-of-a-kind individuals who remain relevant with large groups of people. Another powerful driver of confidence and self-assurance is self-reflection. Without substantial self-reflection, you cannot gain a true understanding of yourself, your leadership characteristics, or your ability to affect others. To put it a different way, you can’t influence others if you don’t understand them, and you cannot understand others if you don’t understand yourself.

For More information, contact Community Vitality Agent, Amanda Clasen at [email protected] or at 620-244-3826.

Now that the gardens are planted and things are growing, gardeners should be on the look-out for insect pests.

If you are having difficulty with insect, the first thing you need to do is determine exactly what insect pest you are dealing with. To figure this out, start by looking at the type of damage being caused to the plant.

Most pests that feed on vegetable plants have either chewing or sucking mouthparts which each produce different types of feeding damage. For example, insect pests with chewing mouthparts feed on leaves, stems, flowers, fruits and roots. They physically remove plant tissue while feeding. This type of pest will often leave physical evidence of their feeding as well – such as the tomato horn worm.

Insect pests with sucking mouthparts feed on plant juices causing stunting, wilting, leaf distortion and leaf yellowing. An example of this is aphids. They also leave behind physical evidence in the form of honeydew – a clear, sticky substance on plant surfaces.

Scouting plants for insects is an important part of gardening and should be done often. I know many gardeners browse through their plants every day and that is great! It is important to find insect pests as soon as possible. Inspect the top of the leaves as well as the underside of the leaves. The underside is where most insect pests will be found.

Once pests are found, again it is very important to get them correctly identified. Caterpillars, beetles and bugs can be removed from plants quickly and easily by handpicking and then placing them into a container of soapy water. Aphids and mites can actually be dislodged off of plants with a forceful spray of water.

Pesticides can also be used and those labeled for vegetable gardens work in one of two ways – they either kill insects on contact or act as stomach poisons. But again, you need to know what insect you are targeting before application of chemical control. Many times, at the first sight of a pest, gardeners get excited and search the cabinet for some type of product to use. This is not the best approach to take! Beneficial insects can be killed using this tactic.

Speaking of beneficial insects, they actually prey on other insects and mites. Examples include parasitic wasps, ladybird beetles and green lacewings. Beneficial insects can even be encouraged to remain in a garden area by planting specific plants to attract them. The plants need to be placed in or around the perimeter of the garden. Examples of plants include dill, fennel, coneflower, yarrow and garlic chives.

If gardeners do not want to used pesticides, there are other practices to keep insect pressure down in the garden. Healthy plants are less likely to be attacked by insects. Plants that receive too much or too little water are more susceptible to insect pests. The same is true for fertilizer use – too much or too little will cause problems. Keep weeds down too as weedy areas are just a good place for aphids, mites and leafhoppers to congregate.

As you scout for insects in the garden, if you come across one that you cannot identify, the Extension office can help! Insects can be brought into one of our four office locations or pictures can be e-mailed. Remember, it is very important to know what pest you are targeting before pesticides are used.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Horticulture agent assigned to Southwind District.  She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.