Coming Events
May 26, Patchwork Pillow 4-H Workshop, 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
May 27, Beading Workshop, 10:00 a.m., 4-H Building, York
May 27, Play with Polymer Clay Workshop, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
May 28, Striped Pillow Workshop, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
May 30, Lamb & Goat Workshop, 10:00 a.m., York Fairgrounds, York
June 2, Quilts of Valor Service Project, 8:30 a.m., 4-H Building, York
June 3, Quilt as You Go Workshop, 9:00 a.m., 4-H Building, York
June 3, Chalk Board Pillow Workshop, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
June 4, Emergency Preparedness (Disaster Kits) Workshop, 4-H Building, York
June 5, Pallet Planters Workshop, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
June 8, Sewing FUNdamentals Workshop, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building
June 9, Sewing Fun: Perfect Pillow Cases, 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. 4-H Building, York
June 10, Fashion Fabric, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
4-H Workshops Planned
Now that school is out we’ve got several 4-H workshops planned for May and June. Check out several them in our list of coming events. We several other workshop planed thru June and in July and we’ll add them to the list of coming events. Check out the complete list at: http://york.unl.edu/county4h. Click on the 4-H tab and then scroll down to see a description of the workshops and registration forms.
Speaking of 4-H, it’s not too late to join in the fun and learning. If you’re interested and want more information, stop by and visit with Stephanie, Susan, Gerald, Liz, Katie or me. Steph and Susan our at the front door, Gerald is our 4-H Assistant, Elizabeth is our summer help working in the Home Economics area for the summer, Katie is an Extension Intern in our office this summer and I’m an Extension Educator working primarily in agriculture.
Enrollment is easy to do and it’s on-line at: https://www.4honline.com/. Instructions for completing the enrollment can be found at: http://york.unl.edu/county4h. You can also see the list of all the 4-H projects we offer. We’re looking for more young people and volunteers to lead the program.
Cropping Update
Not a lot of progress happened other than several small rainfall events. I had about 1.5†this past week in the gauge at the Extension office. Our soil temperatures have averaged 59.7° F compared to our normal of 61.4° F for the past week. Looks like they’re predicting more rain on Tuesday/Wednesday. We’ll have to wait and see?
I put out my ETgages last week so next week I’ll start reporting the crop water use base on the ETgages and stage of growth. The early corn is in the 3-4 leaf stage at this time.
If you have not done it yet, now is the time to gather up your Watermark sensors and check them out. Place them in a bucket of water for 24 hours or longer and read them again. We want them to read 10 kPa or less. If they read higher, it’s probably a good idea to replace them.
As I mentioned before, the NRD will cost share half on this equipment! Check out their link at: http://www.upperbigblue.org/PDFs/dept_water/forms/Irrigation_Scheduling_Order_Form_2015.pdf. Links to other NRD are available at this week’s issue of CropWatch http://cropwatch.unl.edu.
For more information, give me a call at 402-362-5508 or email me at gary.zoubek@unl.edu. I would be glad to assist you with using this equipment.
Hopefully things will clear up and producers will be able to get out in those fields again. I know they’ll have a lot of catching up to do. Good luck and be safe.
Lawn and Garden Update
Well, we’ve received about 1.45†again this week in five or six rains. Making it a little difficult keeping up with mowing. I’ve already received a couple calls about mushrooms growing in the turf and what to do about them. We have a NebGuide called “Mushrooms, Fairy Rings, and other Nuisance Fungi in the Landscape†that’s available on line at: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1914/build/g1914.pdf.It goes into detail about various types of mushrooms.
Mushrooms are the fruiting structure of a fungus and can be many different shapes and sizes. Some mushrooms and puffballs are edible, but others can be very toxic. Our NebGuide indicates that mushrooms and puffballs are in the fungi kingdom because they have no chlorophyll, which is used in plants to produce their own food. They also have no roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or seeds like plants do. Because mushrooms and puffballs cannot produce their own food, they must obtain it from the substrate upon which they are living. Typical food sources found in the landscape are soil, wood, other plant tissues, and wastes, including dung, leaves, and other organic matter.
The wet weather we’ve been having results in great conditions for them to grow. In the past we’ve had some products recommended to control these pest, but we really don’t have anything labeled at this time. When mushrooms appear on the lawn, break them off or mow over them. If you have pets or children who might be tempted to taste mushrooms, gather the broken pieces and dispose of them. In most cases, when weather dries and the fungus has finished breaking down the buried organic matter, the fungus (and accompanying mushrooms) will disappear.
June Forage and Pasture Management Session Planned
One final reminder about the June Forage and Pasture Management Session planned for Monday, June 1, at the ARDC near Mead. Registration and meal at 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., program beginning at 12:15 p.m. and ending at approximately 3:30 p.m. Cost is $10 by May 28, or $15 at the door (make checks available to University of Nebraska-Lincoln).  Lunch and hand-outs provided.
Dr. Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist will discuss establishing pastures into previous crop ground, as well as advantages and considerations of rotational grazing. Dr. Daren Redfearn, Nebraska Extension Integrated Forage Specialist, will discuss monitoring pasture conditions – tools you can use.
To register or obtain more information, contact: Lindsay Chichester, Saunders County, 402-624-8030.
