Precipitation is a must for many lawn and garden tasks. It helps moisturize a dry lawn, gets plants growing fast, is necessary to activate many fertilizers and come winter, provides insulation for dormant plants. But when it comes to applying herbicides like RM43, rain and snow won’t do the application any favors. Dry Weather is Essential […]
The key to a great-looking lawn year-round is making sure to do your due diligence every season. That means focusing on fertilizer, weed elimination and general lawn upkeep winter, spring, summer and fall.
A relatively minor problem or need generally have a minimal economic impact. However, collectively, small problems or needs can make a substantial difference.
Harsh, biting temperatures can not only do a number on bare skin, like hands and noses, but they can also do a number on your plants. Freezing temperatures can scald plants, freeze roots, damage foliage and even kill them outright. Usually, Mother Nature can prep plants for winter with fall rains and heavy blankets of snow. But you can’t always count on Mother Nature […]
As the weather turns crisp, you may think your landscaping duties are a distant memory. In actuality, cooler temperatures are the ideal time to get your lawn prepped for winter. Hot, dry, summer weather can seriously stress your grass and for months it has fought to survive; now is the time for it to take a […]
Farmers across the southern United States depend on winter grazing to provide a healthy diet for livestock until spring. Why? Winter pastures help stretch stockpiles of hay, saving farmers money and time by allowing cattle, sheep, horses and goats to graze far beyond the normal growing season. So now that you’re on board with putting in a winter pasture, how do you ensure your […]
Year after year meteorologists and farmers predict the upcoming winter will be worse than the last – and it turns out to be accurate most of the time! But no matter if the winter or extremely harsh or mild, it always poses a risk to your livestock. The best way to prepare for the worst […]
What you get out of your livestock pasture is directly related to what you put into it, or rather what seed you choose to grow in it.
The best fall food plots, the ones that draw in the most wildlife, are usually located in an out-of-the-way spot that has never seen any type of landscaping. One of the biggest tasks when planting a food plot is clearing the area of existing brush, vines, grass and weeds. The second being getting your forage […]
A food plot is a must-have for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. Planted in the spring or fall, these areas full of grasses and seeds like forage oats, clover, rape and chicory, that attract wild game like deer and turkeys. Plots can range in size from as small as a garden to as big as an […]
Water and gardening go hand-in-hand. Water is necessary to produce lush, green lawns and big, beautiful blooms. When it comes to herbicide and insecticide applications, water can be both friend or foe as some products require water to activate and others need dry conditions to be effective.
Every year it’s the same thing – you tell yourself, your spouse and your neighbor that you’re going to get your lawn in tip-top condition – but you end up with a subpar showpiece. Drought, weeds and insects can quickly turn a healthy and vibrant lawn into one in need of resuscitation. Here are five […]
The hot, dry weather that engulfs the U.S. every summer can be downright brutal on your lawn; making it look un-kept and just plain haggard. But, you don’t have to fight the heat – use Mayberry Grass Seed instead.
Flooding of pastures or hayfields occurs with regularity in some or many areas in most years, especially in fields located near creeks or rivers. Obviously, there are limits to the amount of flooding a forage stand can tolerate. Therefore, it is common for questions regarding this topic to arise. In particular, this often occurs when […]
Livestock producers spend a lot of time taking care of their animals, but the idea of giving the animals a job to do usually doesn’t come to mind. I am referring to the “trampling” or “walk in” approach to establishing clover. I first observed this technique during a trip to New Zealand in 1988, in […]
More and more people are discovering the joys of having a real evergreen in their home during the Christmas holidays.
We’re sure you’ve heard and read about other seed companies touting their seeds as “pre-inoculated” or “coated.” Inoculants, strains of naturally-occurring soil bacterial that improve nitrogen availability to a plant as it grows, can be beneficial; however, more and more of these “coatings” advertised by seed companies are really just corn starch or talc with […]
Annual ryegrass is often planted on the dormant pastures of warm-season forages, especially bahiagrass and bermudagrass. However, other warm-season forage crops including dallisgrass, crabgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, and sericea lespedeza can also be overseeded. The dependability and value of this practice has been thoroughly verified by university research, and thousands of livestock producers have benefitted from […]
Fields selected for overseeding should not be excessively wet or subject to flooding. A soil test should be taken from each field, and any needed lime should be applied several months before planting. Most winter annuals are best suited to a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Any legume seed planted should be inoculated with […]
Harvest season is a grueling time of year for farmers and their families. Here’s how to reap the benefits while giving stress the shaft.
Interest in growing clovers as companion species to forage grasses has increased in recent years. Reasons include that in many situations they can extend the growing season and/or increase total forage yield of pastures.
During a recent review of forage crop planting recommendations, it occurred to me that such guidelines have a lot in common with driving directions. If we decide to take a trip to a place we have never (or rarely) been before and don’t have a map or GPS unit, we will need some help.
Whether you are entrenched in the agricultural industry or simply like its ability to put food on your table, droughts can have a significant impact on your everyday life.
Every year a few hay producers have part or even all of their hay destroyed by fire. There is no way to totally eliminate the possibility of a hay fire, but several precautions can be taken that are helpful in reducing the likelihood of such an event.
Every gardener will tell you that, when it comes to growing and maintaining your yard and garden, the gardening tools you use are just as important as the seeds, shrubs, and trees you plant. While you could fill your garage or shed with a variety of implements, these five basic garden tools help everyone’s thumbs […]
Poultry and beef are in competition in the grocery store, but on individual farms they are often quite compatible enterprises. One reason for this pertains to the litter generated in broiler production houses. Broiler litter (normally a combination of sawdust, wood shavings, or peanut hulls, plus poultry manure, feathers, and wasted feed), builds upon the […]
There’s something about a Sunday drive that seems to be genetically programmed into farmers. We take the long way home from church, from family breakfasts, or from a ball game just to see how our piece of the world is doing. My grandfather did it. My father did it. And now I find myself doing […]
If you’re like most homeowners, you take a fair bit of pride in your lawn and outdoor areas. And what’s not to love? Long days, beautiful lawns, comfortable chairs, a cozy fire pit—so many ways to enjoy the great outdoors this time of year. Until the mosquitoes move in.
As soon as the world sheds its dull gray for green, we at Ragan & Massey start looking ahead to a prolific crop of farm-fresh goodness. But mostly strawberries. Especially jams. Because strawberry jams are the best.
Most livestock producers understand the desirability of having forage legumes such as clovers and vetches present in pastures. As compared to grasses and non-leguminous forbs, biological nitrogen fixation and improved forage quality provided by legumes are major attributes. In addition, in some cases legumes can extend the growing season and increase forage yield. These are […]
Weeds have a horrible reputation around these parts. Johnson grass, water hemp, pigweed, and so many others creep into fields, destroying yields, clogging harvesters, and sending pollen counts soaring. Modern herbicides and herbicide-resistant crops have changed how we combat weeds.
Ready to get a jump on weed and pest control? Keep these five things in order to spray safely.
We often tout the foraging benefits of UF-Riata, a purebred diploid bahiagrass that is giving bermuda a run for its money. While it is true that UF-Riata is most commonly sown as a pasture grass, its deep root structure makes it ideal for another purpose: erosion control.
Each year, many cattlemen and other livestock producers purchase cool-season forage seed they intend to use in autumn plantings. For various reasons, some of this seed doesn’t get planted (the most common reason being dry weather at planting time, which happens fairly regularly in autumn in the Southeast). So when you have holdover seed, what […]
In recent years, increases in the cost of fertilizer nutrients have caused cattlemen and other livestock producers to create and discover economical ways to provide nutrients for production of forage. Since it appears that fertilizer costs are not likely to decrease significantly in the foreseeable future, these methods are more important than ever when it […]
In “Weather to Make Your Production Decisions,” we’ll discuss how the weather has a direct impact on your success, and offer our thoughts on how you can minimize its negative impact.
Overseeding your pasture with winter ryegrass is a cost- and time-effective way to ensure that your animals are supplied with nourishment in the early spring.
No matter the size of your operation, effective herbicides and pesticide application can be vital to your success. Whether you’re in the sweltering southeast or the moderate northwest, you have to consider the elements when deciding when to spray. Get wet! The moisture from a heavy overnight dew provides plants with additional moisture, allowing them […]
