Local Interest

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County

 When it comes to watering during dry winters, three factors will determine if and when water should be applied to trees and shrubs.

 1. Is the ground frozen? If soil temperature is below freezing, then water uptake by tree roots will not occur.  Push the shaft of a screwdriver into the soil to help determine if the ground is frozen. If the screwdriver pushes in easily, then soil isn’t frozen and the first requirement for winter watering has been met. Read on for other factors to consider.

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County

Garden Update
Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County

 Late Fall Watering

 Now is the time to provide a last deep soaking of the soil prior to ground freeze. This ensures tree and shrub roots can take in the water necessary to stay hydrated, helping them to overwinter better and to arrive to spring in good condition. If you’re unsure about the dryness of you soil, the screwdriver test is the simplest way to determine moisture levels. Dry soils will resist your efforts to push the screwdriver into the soil, while a moist soil will be easily penetrated by a screwdriver. 

 In order of importance, these are the plants most in need of late fall watering: 

Enrollment is open for the 2022 Dodge County 4-H Program Year!

Youth ages 8 to 18 years old as of January 1 of the current calendar year are welcome to enroll in the 4-H Program. Youth 5 to 7 as of January 1 of the current calendar year may enroll as a Clover Kid in the 4-H Program. In Dodge County there is a $10 fee when enrolling for the program year. 

4-H Enrollment is completed online. Both youth members and adult volunteers will need to complete their online enrollment, annually. 

In order to participate in 4-H contests and events, you must be enrolled online by June 15, 2022. 

4-H Youth and Volunteer Enrollment - https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County 

People in the business of trees have been strong advocates for proper mulching, steering people away from the ill-advised practice of mulch volcanos around trees.  Real inroads have been made, though the practice continues, evidenced by new tree plantings with the mulch overkill. When these practices are perpetrated, the assumption this is a good practice is validated and then repeated at residences and other landscapes.

Local Resources

Local Events

Follow Us on Facebook



Nebraska Extension in Dodge County

Local Events

Search Local & National Extension Resources

Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources News

Latest from ianrnews.unl.edu

Poll: Rural Nebraskans are increasingly pessimistic about present, future

September 18, 2023

Twenty-seven percent of respondents to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll indicated they are worse off than they were five years ago, up from 21% last year and 11% in 2021.

Read more

Jansen discusses farmland valuations with RFD-TV

September 18, 2023

In Nebraska, ag land values are up about 14 percent over last year, mirroring a nationwide rise in ag real estate prices. Click through to watch Jim Jansen, an agricultural systems economist with Nebraska Extension, talk with RFD-TV about the impact of valuations.

Read more

Nebraska Pulse Crops Conference scheduled at two locations

September 14, 2023
The 2023 Nebraska Pulse Crops Conference will focus on field peas, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and other pulses.

Read more

Registration Now Open for 2023 Latino Small Business Conference

September 12, 2023
The Latino Small Business Conference is set to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit and empower Latino business owners across Nebraska during its second annual run, beginning Sept. 16. The conference, held entirely in Spanish, will take place over four weekends in four cities, from Omaha to Scottsbluff.

Read more