Local Interest

By Jeanne Yeoman, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener

When to Plant – Temperature
It is tempting to start planting when warm weather first arrives but planting too early can be a mistake. Consider the type of plant, the last average frost date, which can be as late as May 31 and the current soil temperature. You can use an inexpensive soil thermometer or check the soil temp at cropwatch.unl.edu/soiltemperature. The soil temperature should be 60 degrees or more for warm-weather plants like tomatoes, peppers, basil and most flowering plants.

By Kristin Wiebe, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener

Wise Watering

Before rushing out to plant the garden – take time to consider water in the garden. Know which plants require moist soil and those that prefer drier conditions. Plant accordingly and know the spaces in your yard. Water early in the morning allowing leaves to dry and reduce diseases. Water the base of plants and use drip irrigation when possible. Always choose to water infrequently and deeply to promote deeper, healthy roots.

Pollinators

More than 700 elementary students from western Nebraska got a hands-on education recently about Nebraska agriculture during 2022 Agsplosion events that were held in 5 different locations in the Panhandle.

The young learners spent the day rotating through eight stations about a variety of agriculture commodities that were presented by Nebraska Extension educators and assistants. The students learned about the livestock and crops that are raised and grown in the Panhandle as well as across the state. Some of what the students learned include:

Swine: The basics of the swine life cycle and production, and how pigs are raised to produce safe, quality meat for consumers.

Spring planning preparations for fall food preservation

Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and green beans – these vegetables are family favorites, and somehow they taste better when they come from your own garden. They are delicious and nutritious either straight out of the garden or picked and preserved for later.

Rising food costs have prompted more people to start home gardens with plans to preserve abundant harvests. Careful planning in the spring will help in preparing to preserve food in the fall.

Since school will be out soon and the kids will be home for the summer, families are concerned how they are going to stretch the family’s money. Creating a budget and following it can be helpful!

The word “budgeting” often gets a negative first reaction, but in fact, this process and the resulting budget are quite beneficial. A budget is a financial plan for spending, a tool families can develop to help them use their money more effectively.

By John Thomas; Crops Extension Educator, Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan, and Sioux Counties
Karen DeBoer; Crops Extension Educator, Kimball, Banner, and Cheyenne Counties
John Smith; Retired Machinery Systems Engineer, PREC, Scottsbluff

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