Extension Update by Gary Zoubeck [September 24, 2015]

Coming Events

Sept. 28, 29, Oct. 5 & 6, Firearm Hunter Education, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York

Sept 28, NaturePalooza, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m., Harden Hall 33^rd & Holdrege, Lincoln

Sept. 29, Extension Board Exec. Meeting, 8:00 p.m. Extension Office, York

Hunter Education Classes Planned In York

This will be my final reminder the Hunter Safety Education Training planned to begin September 28. These classes will be conducted in the 4-H Building here in York located at 2400 Nebraska Avenue. Classes will be held 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. on September 28, 29, Oct. 5 & 6.   

These classes are designed for youth 12 years old and above. Ten hours of training is required. To register go to huntsafenebraska.org and click on the appropriate link. For more information call Dan Barrett at 402-366-4380.

Cropping Update

Hopefully you received a little rain this past week and not too much of the hail and winds.  We received .6” of rain at the Extension Office along with some of that hard stuff. We sure don’t need any more of that. 

If you had damage from hail and wind and want some harvesting tips, they’ve posted Marion Calmer’s suggestions for harvesting down corn on CropWatch at http://cropwatch.unl.edu. It’s the tips that Marion Calmer’s shared with farmers in the Reynold’s area at the UNL hail/wind damage meeting last week. 

Last week I mentioned about being ready for soybean harvest. The winds have sure dried things down. I’ve seen several farmers out in the field and reports are that soybean yields are generally looking good.

As you are harvesting those beans if you have areas that are not yielding as you would expect, note the areas and plan to soil test for soybean cyst nematode in those lower-yielding areas or in areas where you also observed sudden death syndrome. Stop by the Extension Office for sample bags.    

Good luck with harvest and be safe.

Yard & Garden

Fall is a great time of year to consider aerating your lawn to help reduce thatch buildup and improve water infiltration. It’s also an important time of year to fertilize and to control troublesome weeds. This week they posted an excellent TurfiNfo story about tips to control troublesome lawn weeds this fall. Check it out at: http://turf.unl.edu/.

NaturePalooza Planned

Finally, a reminder that the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is hosting our NaturePalooza event again! This event will be held Tuesday September 29 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources NaturePalooza! This family fun event is from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the lawn at Hardin Hall, East Campus.

You’ll see wildlife up close, browse the exhibits, cast for bass, call for turkeys, sing and dance with the String Beans, dare to venture down to the snake pit and bone yard, learn to make your yard a wildlife habitat, and sample Lincoln’s hottest food trend: food truck cuisine! Free prizes and gifts too!

Check it out at: http://snr.unl.edu/event/naturepalooza2015/index.asp