Local Interest
This summer has been hot, hot, hot! Lincoln had 54, 90+ F days from May through August 31st. In unwatered portions of the landscape many are seeing cracked soil - a good indication conditions are dry.
Turn Autumn Leaves in Compost
Soon leaves will begin to turn red, yellow or brown and fall from our trees. Plant waste from flower beds, vegetable gardens and container plants will also accumulate. Why not take advantage of these great organic materials, instead of sweeping them into bags and hauling them off to the landfill? You can easily turn them into nutrient-rich compost.
Salsas are a great addition to the home canners arsenal. Unfortunately, improperly canned salsas have been implicated in more than one outbreak of botulism poisoning. Those outbreaks have been tied to cooks making up their own recipes or unsafe changes in tested recipes. With over fifty lab tested recipes, from reputable sources to choose from, most canners should be able to find a recipe that fits their tastes. If not, consider eating fresh or freezing your salsa for up to one year.
Harvesting and Curing Onions
Knowing when your onions are ready for harvest and how to prepare them for storage are important steps toward having a successful crop.
A common practice passed down among generations of gardeners is that bending over the onion leaves, while they are still green and growing, will prevent the leaves from growing so much and “send more energy to the bulbs” ultimately resulting in larger onions. It’s also thought this practice will make the onions mature faster. Unfortunately, neither is true; this practice only succeeds in reducing bulb growth since the leaves, which manufacture carbohydrates stored in the bulbs and increase bulb size, are killed. Don’t do that!
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The “Engaging Agriculture” articles are written weekly by and for Engagement Zone 1 Nebraska Extension Educators, who cover the 11 counties in the Panhandle.