Trees are a huge asset to the landscape. Did you know that according to research, just three properly placed trees can save between $100 and $250 per year in energy costs? Whether you have just planted new trees or have large majestic trees, they can become the targets of disease, insects and human error that can slow their growth and even kill them. This article will cover several tree troubles to be on the lookout for in the next few weeks.

First, I want to address mulching. Unfortunately, as I drive around our communities, I continue to see what is known as the “mulch volcano.” This is the practice of piling mulch high up the trunk of a tree and sloping it down towards the ground – like the shape of a volcano!

When mulch is applied in this manner, it is very detrimental to the tree. It confuses the tree to thinking that the soil level has changed. This will cause the tree to start growing roots into the mulch and can even start to cause decay in the trunk. Mulch applied too deeply can actually prevent moisture from reaching the soil and suffocate the roots – causing the tree to die.

If you are guilty of the mulch volcano, it can easily be fixed by dragging the mulch away from the trunk and reshaping the pile. Mulch should be kept 3-6 inches away from the trunk and should be spread out away from the tree in each direction at least 3 feet – more if you can. As for mulch thickness, 3 to 4 inches is all that is needed.

The pine trees in our area have taken a beating and it is really showing. Have you noticed how most of the pines are exhibiting an abnormal amount of browning to the needles? The trees have been hit by a double whammy – Dothistroma needle blight and two years of excessive moisture! There isn’t anything we can do about the amount of rainfall, but we can try to tackle the needle blight.

Dothistroma needle blight is a common and serious disease of pines. This needle blight is characterized by the heavy loss of older, inner needles, plus the appearance of small black fruiting structures on needles in the spring. Copper-containing fungicides can be used for control. However, many of the trees in our area may have already been lost.

Finally, bagworm season is nearing. They are a yearly pest in our area and can cause considerable damage. Eastern red cedar and junipers are the most commonly affected species, although bagworms can attack arborvitae, spruce, pine and some broadleaf trees and shrubs. Last year was a bad year!

Bagworm larvae will begin emerging any time now. Hatching does not happen overnight. Instead, hatching can continue for 4 to 5 weeks. When hatched, they will be very small and rather difficult to see. As they consume plant material, the larvae will become larger and larger and so will the new bags.

Many times, homeowners don’t begin worrying about bagworms until they are large and easy to see! At that point, chemical controls are a waste of time and money. Chemical control is most effective when larvae are in their early developmental stages. There are a number of insecticides that are effective against bagworms this time of year.

Trees are an investment! Don’t let disease or insect damage take hold. The Extension office is available to help you with any tree issues you may be facing. For assistance, please contact me at one of our Southwind Extension District office locations.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural 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.

The COVID-19 situation has affected many families. From layoffs and closures to limited schedules, farm markets and potential furloughs, financial strain is a real issue.

A sudden drop in income, no matter the reason, can result in panic and stress when the bills keep coming. Proactively figuring out what you have and developing a plan can help buffer those feelings and take control of your financial position.

K-State Research and Extension recently published “When Your Income Drops”, a series of five fact sheets to help you find your way when your finances have changed.

The first in the series is Don’t Panic — Take Control. It provides basic ‘to do’ tips to minimize financial hardship.

The second one, Making Ends Meet, addresses the five “C’s” to keep in mind when income changes or becomes uncertain. These include control as much of the situation as you can. Claim benefits you qualify for. Communicate with family members and develop a plan together. Don’t ignore, confer with creditors and any company you have financial obligations with. Be prepared to change your lifestyle, at least temporarily, to maintain basic essentials.

Coping with Stress outlines recognizing stress, management tips, and knowing when and where to get help. In Kansas, professional help is available from numerous community agencies and protective services.

Community and Family Resources includes sources of supply, support and aid in Kansas including Unemployment Insurance, Kansas Works, and Legal Services. The fact sheet also includes Kansas organizations that focus on situations specific to farmers including Kansas Ag Stress Resources and the Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services. United Way supports 211, a free and confidential service that helps people across North America find the local resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sharpening Survival Skills focuses on developing a plan, substitutions, conserving, utilizing your talents and times, cooperating to stretch resources, and accessing community resources such as parks, museums, and libraries.

A sudden loss of income can be traumatic, but being proactive by taking stock of where you are financially, investigating potential resources and creating a spending plan can help buffer the shock.

The full series can be downloaded at https://www.southwind.k-state.edu/covid_19_resources/your_money/money%20index.html

For more information, please contact Joy Miller at [email protected] or by calling 620-223-3720. Follow us on Facebook @southwindextensiondistrict.

Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director

This is not the article I would have predicted to write a few months ago, and certainly not my usual educational column. However, like many others, COVID-19 has me feeling off-balance as I navigate my work and family responsibilities while following orders and staying at home.

Let me start with the most popular question we receive – Will there by a County Fair in July? Currently, K-State Research & Extension will not organize or participate in any face-to-face events or activities through July 4, 2020 due to the pandemic.

Unfortunately, that means we will not host our annual 4-H Day Camp, area judging contests or attend Rock Springs 4-H Camp in June.

However, after hearing the Governor’s plan last week we are feeling more optimistic we will be able to have traditional County Fairs as scheduled!

We are hoping for the best, but also planning for the worst as we research online platforms that will allow us to host educational showcase events for our 4-H youth to share their projects and receive feedback from judges.

Whether we are allowed to have our county fairs in person or remotely, the Southwind Extension District Agents are already working with our County Fair Boards to be sure the county fair will go on because we know how important they are to our kids and communities.

In January, I really began to notice how Extension needed to shift our programming efforts from entirely face-to-face to exploring remote and virtual alternatives to reach more diverse audiences.

That was never more obvious than when COVID-19 forced us into a remote environment.

For the past 7 weeks, your Extension Agents, 4-H Program Assistant and Office Professionals have relocated their work spaces to homes, pastures, porches and crop fields, and have proven we can educate in a virtual environment – something we didn’t even know we could do!

All eight Extension Agents and the 4-H Program Assistant have put themselves out there for the world to watch us offer advice and explain why research-based information is important to your lives and livelihood.

Personally speaking, my first live was as uncomfortable as my very first 4-H project talk, but then I saw the positive feedback and expanded audience that I was able to connect with and understood the value of an authentic video.

Meal planning, family & financial management tips, and fun family activities from home have all been shared through Facebook live, YouTube and on our Instagram page.

We submitted a public request to complete an online state-wide Extension needs assessment survey and you all responded with 20% of the state wide results coming from Allen, Neosho, Bourbon and Woodson Counties – thank you! It is obvious you value K-State Research & Extension and we will not disappoint you with our efforts.

You might be surprised to know that many of our traditional Extension services are still accessible to you.

Horticulture consultations, soil testing, and pond management assistance continue to be priorities for us, and we are only a phone call away on our usual office numbers that are now being forwarded to Office Professionals.

4-H youth have been able to continue monthly meetings through Zoom coordination and some have found creative ways to help with project meetings remotely.

This pandemic has been hard on all of us, and everyone has had a different reaction to the day by day changes and announcements that come from state government, local officials or employers.

As we navigate the coming weeks of reopening, the Southwind Extension District will make every effort to be the trusted, go-to resource for research-based information you have come to expect in Southeast Kansas. For more information, you can reach us at www.southwind.ksu.edu.

Are you turning 65 in the coming months? Or want to understand Medicare benefits? Free, educational programs to learn about Medicare options are being offered. Senior Health Insurance Counselors for Kansas (SHICK) counselors, Joy Miller and Tara Solomon-Smith with K-State Research and Extension and Melanie Smith with Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging will present, via Zoom, two part series about Medicare eligibility, enrollment periods, how parts A,B,C and D work, Medigap and advantage plans. First session, will be Tuesday, May 12^th @ 5:30 and second session, Thursday, May 14^th @ 5:30. You may register at the following link: https://bit.ly/New2Medicare . Last day to register is Monday, May 11^th.

I’m not the best one to start talking about technology. Believe me, I am learning with everyone new ways to communicate and reach others at a distance through technology. Covid-19 has forced us to learn new communication strategies.

Some of our older adults may have felt some sort of isolation prior to the social distancing recommendations we have received lately. Living in rural areas can contribute to isolation. Others of us may enjoy that extra space. However, when family, friends, and neighbors pass on or move away, those feelings of isolation can be amplified for those feeling left behind.

Let’s look at some ways that we might use the time we have with this stay-at-home order to keep connected and strengthen distance relationships.

Start using or learn new technology. If we have a smartphone, a computer, or an iPad, we might already have access to some video technology, such as Skype, Zoom, or Facetime. A live video conversation is the next best thing to being there in person. If you’re like me, you may need the assistance of someone from a younger generation to talk you through the steps of doing the process, but after a time or two of doing it, you’ll get the hang of it. It can be very rewarding to connect through a video conversation.

If technology isn’t your thing, then pick up the phone and catch up the old-fashioned way. A quick text or email are great ways to stay in touch between conversations.

Engage Family and Friends. Encourage members of your social group, faith group, or volunteer group to support each other or reach out to those who are socially isolated. Just a quick check-in with them can mean a lot. Involve kids by having them create artwork that can be shared with grandparents, older neighbors, or other isolated individuals you may know. You never know how important it may be to someone to know that they were thought of that day.

If you want to step it up a notch, consider hosting a digital dinner with family or friends. Everyone joins online from their respective homes and eats together with family discussions. Some of our best discussions take place over the dinner table.

If you don’t relish the idea of watching each other eat, try playing games over video or read books to young ones. To encourage staying active, create an online exercise group where all meet at the same time by a video process. Research shows we are more accountable to our exercise program when we exercise as a group rather than individually.

Quality relationships that have developed with close family, friends, and neighbors help provide ongoing joy, excitement, support, and purpose. Maintaining meaningful relationships take a conscious effort. While we may not be able to carry on some of those relationships in person, now, more than ever, it’s important to follow through in sustaining those connections.

Whatever you do, check in on the well-being of family and neighbors who are more isolated at this time. Hopefully, they are sticking close to home as directed. A check-in call or running a quick errand for them could be what it takes to lift spirits right now.

For more information on overcoming feelings of isolation, contact the Yates Center Southwind Extension District Office at 620-625-8620.

Just like many of you, I’m having difficulty wrapping my mind around how quickly our lives have changed in a very short period of time. Seeing the panic and chaos that’s happening around us can be concerning. Now more than ever, it might be the time for folks to think about becoming more self-sufficient and grow some of their own food.

I have been in contact with a couple of our local suppliers and have seen social media posts that they are stocked with garden seed and supplies. Like many other local retailers, I know they are willing to work with you if you do not feel comfortable going inside the business. Just give them a call and arrange for outside pick-up.

If you are reading this and thinking to yourself that you have never grown anything in your life and just don’t think it’s possible, let me assure you that it is possible. Even for the most novice! You might be thinking that you don’t have space for a garden, or maybe you don’t have a tiller or other equipment. Don’t let that stop you because almost all vegetables can be grown in containers.

The containers don’t have to be anything fancy. Literally, anything that can hold soil and have drain holes drilled in the bottom can be used. Containers that are 16 to 24 inches in diameter work well. Containers less that 12 inches are probably too small – except for lettuces. The most important component of growing vegetables in a container is getting the right potting media. Potting mixes are ideal (instead of soil from your yard). The components are lightweight and hold water and oxygen much better. Make certain that you don’t forget to drill some drainage holes into the bottom of the container.

Fertilizer should be added at planting time and mixed into the soil. If you want to go the organic route, mix blood meal or bone meal into the soil before planting. If you use a synthetic fertilizer, add a slow-release type when preparing the container.

Another benefit to growing vegetables in containers – you don’t have to fight the weather quite as much. Right now, traditional garden soils are way too wet to even think about planting. But with the container system, you can keep them dry inside a garage until you are ready to plant.

Early spring is the ideal time to plant cool season vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, radish, onions, carrots and potatoes. All can be easily grown in containers, even potatoes!

Gardening is a great stress reliever. It also allows for good social distancing. If you have kids at home, gardening is the perfect activity to get them outside to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine, all while learning at the same time!

Here’s where I come in. I have lots of resource material to help you. In addition, I’m always available by phone, e-mail or social media to answer your questions. Don’t be afraid to ask! In Extension, we say there are no “dumb” questions! I am here to help you in any way that I can. The Extension mission continues. We are committed to being innovative to connect you with research-based resources and education. We appreciate your patience as we all navigate the challenges associated with this time. 

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural 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.

Kansas wildlife is a large part of our state ranging from buffalo to birds to fish to deer and more. In this project youth will learn about wildlife behavior, habitat requirements, how wildlife species fit into nature’s scheme, how they are managed, and how they relate to humans.

To learn more about the 4-H wildlife project there is 4-H Curriculum that can be purchased. Here is a breakdown of what youth can learn at ages and stages:

Ages 7-8:

• Characteristics of reptiles and amphibians

• What is habitat

• Unique features of birds

Ages 9-11:

• Characteristics of reptiles and amphibians

• What is habitat

• Unique features of birds

Ages 12-14:

• Characteristics of mammals, carnivores and omnivores

• Significance of wetlands

• Protective coloring of wildlife

Ages 15-18:

• How wildlife adapt to urban environments

• Effect of humans on wildlife habitat

• Learn about the prairie as an ecosystem

In addition to the curriculum, youth are also encouraged to reach out to professionals within the wildlife industry to learn more. Each year, youth are able to demonstrate their hard work locally at the county fair and depending on age and placing, the Kansas State Fair.

The wildlife project is a great opportunity for youth to learn important life skills. For more information about this project, contact Jennifer K. Terrell, 4-H Youth Development for K-State Research and Extension – Southwind District at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension Southwind District

Family Consumer Science News Column

Joy Miller

620-223-3720 or [email protected]

K-State launches a program to help teens and tweens who take care of younger children. 

With the closing of schools and preschools due to coronavirus, parents may be in sudden need of someone to assist with care for young children.  Teens and tweens may be asked to help look after younger siblings or take of children for a neighbor or friend as parents continue to work. 

K-State Research and Extension agents across the state predicted that youth may become responsible for others, creating the program “Suddenly in Charge”.  This program includes tools and resources for those who are new to taking care of others, those who have been doing it for years, and parents who want to be prepared. 

Suddenly in Charge has four sections: Safety, Activities, Food & Recipes, and For Adults.  The Safety resources currently has two tools available for use.  The first is a Home Safety checklist with a variety of categories to review –security, emergency, first aid, general home safety, watching young children, and items to discuss.  The other tool is a Babysitter Information sheet which includes information you need to know if you had to call 911, who to contact in case of an emergency, and personal information pertaining to the children.  The sheet also includes a space for notes about snacks and meals, screen–time, nap and bedtime routine, rules, and anything else that is important.    

The Suddenly in Charge program is available at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/families/suddenly-in-charge/.  Information is also available in Spanish at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/families/spanish.html.  Other information available on the website includes guides for caring for young children, Developmental Milestone publications, or Building Baby’s Brain publications.   

A reminder K-State Research and Extension also has a COVID-19 Extension page to help you navigate through this challenging situation. Resources included on this page are Agriculture, Business, Children’s Education, Family, Finances, Foods Safety and Nutrition, Health, Safety, Wellness, and recommended links about COVID-19 at https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/about-us/covid-19-extension.html.   

Follow us on Facebook @southwindextensiondistrict, visit southwind.ksu.edu, or contact us with your questions at 620-223-3720.  

As temperatures begin to warm up, this spring, you may begin to notice an increase in insect populations. Now is a good time to consider what fly control measures you may want to put into practice for your cow herd.

Flies are irritating to cattle, and cause loses in performance and weight gain. Fortunately for farmers and ranchers, there are a variety of options for fly control. You can select from pour on insect control measures, foggers, ear tags, and insecticides in livestock feed. It is easy to find an option that will work well in your own farming or ranching operation.

Foggers are a good way to regularly get close to your cattle, and get them accustomed to human interaction. Pour on insect control works well if you also need to control lice. Ear tags and feed products are popular options. These choices are popular on many farms and ranches, but there are some considerations to be made when choosing either of these two options.

With ear tags, it’s very important to choose a tag with a different active ingredient, each year. Continually using the same ear tags will quickly cause resistance in localized fly populations. When working cattle during the fall, it is very important to remove the the old fly control ear tags, and dispose of them in a closed container. Leaving old tags laying around, or in your cow’s ears, may also cause long term resistance issues.

With feed through insecticides (products mixed directly in feed or mineral mixes), you need to be able to begin feeding before flies become a problem. Also, you need to be able to feed these products consistently throughout the season. Inconsistent feeding patterns, or using feed through products after the occurrence of high fly populations, will decrease their effectiveness.

This summer, K-State Research and Extension will begin year three of a research project to determine if all-natural spice products included in livestock mineral have effective fly control properties. This ongoing project is taking place at the Kansas State University Bressner Pasture, located in the Southwind Extension District near Yates Center, Kansas. These proprietal spice mixes often include things like garlic, cloves or cinnamon. It will be exciting to see if these mineral products can be successfully included into a farmer or ranchers fly control tool box!