Nebraska Extension in Morrill County

Local Interest

PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Alternatives to bluegrass

Jim Schild and Gary Stone, Extension Educators, Scotts Bluff County

The single biggest use of water in the average western Nebraska household is irrigating the Kentucky bluegrass lawn.

But there are two alternative turfs that allow homeowners to manage water more efficiently: tall fescue, a cool-season grass, and buffalograss, a warm-season grass. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Tall fescue can use more water than bluegrass, but its advantage is a deep, extensive root system, which can extend as deep as 2 ½ to 3 feet in western Nebraska soils. The effective rooting depth for Kentucky bluegrass is 6 to 8 inches.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Making decisions about fertilizing and mowing lawns

By Jim Schild and Gary Stone, Extension Educators, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Fertilizing a turf grass lawn is a lot more than just buying a bag of fertilizer and spreading it all in the spring.

There are several decisions to make. One is how much fertilizer to apply; another is when to apply it. And spring is not the best time to apply most of the year's fertilizer.

The goal of a good fertilizer program is to keep growth at a minimum while maintaining a good, thick, dense, well-colored lawn. To reach the goal, at least two-thirds of the fertilizer should be applied during the fall to thicken the turf and help the grass recover after the summer stress.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Building strong families – making time for family

Jackie Guzman, Extension Educator
Scotts Bluff County

Now that children are home from school on summer break, parents can spend the next three months just keeping them busy, or else they can seize an opportunity to build a stronger family and maybe create new traditions.

Many families have their own traditions. As long as I can remember, every December my family’s tradition has been to make tamales together – a very labor intensive process.  Regardless, we all look forward to our annual family gathering.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Cultivating cultural competence in children

        If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships-the ability of all people, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

        The first step to cultivate human relationships starts at home. Children tend to exhibit the behaviors and attitudes that they observe at home.

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4-H Speech Contest announces Grand and Reserve results

4-H Speech Contest announces Grand and Reserve results

June 4, 2023
Fifteen 4-H youth gathered for the Scotts Bluff County Speech Contest on June 1, at the UNL Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.

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Tractor safety course teaches students safety and when to say no

Tractor safety course teaches students safety and when to say no

June 4, 2023
Nebraska Extension and Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, held an annual “tractor safety” training course on June 1 at the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering.

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Older Tractors Still a Danger in Agriculture

Older Tractors Still a Danger in Agriculture

June 1, 2023
Recently a small utility tractor rollover fatality in Southeast Nebraska is a wake-up call to the dangers involved in operating older tractors, without rollover protection.

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Wheat variety trial field tours across Nebraska in June

Wheat variety trial field tours across Nebraska in June

May 25, 2023
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crop Performance Testing program will sponsor wheat variety trial field tours in six locations across Nebraska, from Perkins to Banner County, starting June 12 - 15.

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