Nebraska Extension in Morrill County

Local Interest

Panhandle 2022 Spring Freeze

By Laurie Stepanek, NFS Forest Health Specialist

When freeze warnings are posted, gardeners carefully cover susceptible garden vegetables and flowers with blankets, sheets, buckets, and garbage cans. But larger shrubs and trees must fend for themselves. The freeze this past weekend left many woody plants across the panhandle with brown, drooping leaves and shoots.

“The first few weeks of May were unusually warm, which pushed a lot of new growth on our trees,” said Chrissy Land, Western Community Forester with the Nebraska Forest Service. “This new growth is very susceptible to freeze. I noticed damage on a wide range of trees: oak, ginkgo, Kentucky coffeetree, honeylocust, catalpa, redbud, and ash.”

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Master Gardener tips for the Panhandle – Week of May 30, 2022

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.

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Master Gardener tips for the Panhandle – Week of May 23, 2022

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

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Agsplosion Brings Agriculture to Local Students

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.

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Plan ahead to preserve garden harvest

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.

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UNL for Families: Budgeting Basics

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.

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Nebraska’s Natural Resource Districts honor Paul C. Hay and Randy Pryor with Water Conservation Award

Nebraska’s Natural Resource Districts honor Paul C. Hay and Randy Pryor with Water Conservation Award

October 4, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. —Nebraska’s Natural Resource Districts have awarded the Outstanding Water Conservation of the Year Award to Paul C. Hay (posthumous), Emeritus Extension Educator, alongside Randy Pryor, also an Emeritus Extension Educator. The two long-time educators were nominated by the Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District (NRD) for their nearly 40 years of service to agricultural sustainability in Southeast Nebraska.

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4-H service project will update courthouse garden in 2025

4-H service project will update courthouse garden in 2025

October 4, 2024
The Scotts Bluff County Court House garden in Gering will be undergoing an update in the spring of 2025. Spearheading the update will be the Nebraska Master Gardeners of Scotts Bluff County with funds from A Watchable Wildlife Grant, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, or Keno Funds.

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Nebraska Soil Health School: An Accomplishment of Goals Through Collaboration

Nebraska Soil Health School: An Accomplishment of Goals Through Collaboration

October 4, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. —The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) team led by Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor and extension specialist at UNL’s Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC), accomplished another successful series of Nebraska Soil Health Schools hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and UNL.

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70th Annual Nebraska State Range Judging Contest Held in Chase County

70th Annual Nebraska State Range Judging Contest Held in Chase County

September 27, 2024

IMPERIAL, Neb. — Chase County hosted the 70th Annual Nebraska State Range Judging Contest, marking a milestone for one of the state’s longest-running educational contests. Organized by the Nebraska Range Judging Committee and local partners from the NRD, NRCS, and Nebraska Extension, six area contests culminated in a state contest aimed at promoting range management and conservation practices among Nebraska’s youth.

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