here are not very many gardening activities happening locally at this time of the year, it is too cold to work outside! The phone doesn’t ring much for me at the Extension offices either for the same reason. However, it still surprises me when someone calls for gardening information with the wintery weather happening outside. For example, I got a call from a client who wanted to know how to kill squash bugs – in January, really! Well, I gave this client the information requested (via e-mail), but one thing is for certain, this person is not going to let squash bugs get a jump on him and ruin his pumpkin crop this year! I expect the phone to start ringing more for me shortly, spring is just around the corner and I know cabin fevers are beginning to heat up!
Program Planning and Events: Barbara Ames, Jeri Geren and I met at the Independence Office on January 5 to plan some possible program events for this spring; perhaps a series of lessons similar to what we did last year with the “Grow your Own Salsa” program. We have kicked around a few ideas and have settled on doing a couple of program events in early May. On Sunday, January 29, I had a speaking engagement at the Miner’s Museum in Franklin, Kansas regarding basic home vegetable gardening. Another area event that I’ll be helping with is the Farmer’s Market Regional Workshop which will be held in Chanute, Kansas on Saturday, February 10.
Training event: Our annual entomology/plant pathology update was held in Emporia, Kansas on January 19. Jeri, Josh and I rode with Dale Helwig (Cherokee County Extension agent) to the event which began at 9:00 a.m. and lasted until 4:00 p.m. Plant disease issues were discussed in the morning session. Doug Jardine discussed various agronomic diseases (field corn, soybeans, etc.), and Judy O’Mara and graduate assistant, Chandler Day, presented a lesson on diagnosing tomato diseases. The afternoon updates were presented by Raymond Cloyd (horticulture entomologist) and Jeff Whitworth (integrated pest management of row crops). Frannie Miller talked about the upcoming training events for private pesticide applicators covering the new regulations for weed control in Dicamba-ready soybeans.
Other activities: I was on the KOAM TV Wildcat Wednesday show on January 10, the first show for 2018. I talked about the winter care of houseplants with host Michael Hayslip. I was also on the Wednesday morning live KGGF 690 AM radio shows (4 for the month) discussing current horticultural topics.
Jacob Weber
Horticulture
T
ICE MELTERS
INDOOR PLANT PROB. DIAGNOSTICS
INDOOR LIGHTING
FRUIT TREE
PRUNING