New Lawn Publication Available

Just about every homeowner cherishes a lawn. Many hours of labor and dollars are spent each year making sure the grass is properly manicured, watered, fertilized and free of nasty weeds. When the grass starts to grow in the spring, I can’t wait until the first mowing just to smell the scent of freshly cut grass but by summer’s end I have thoughts of covering it with scoria and ornamental rocks. To add plant life, I think yucca and big sagebrush would put a special touch and smell to the yard’s landscape, thus eliminating the time to mow a lawn and even more time just to keep the mower in operation. I keep promising myself to make the big change next year but by spring time the snow and winter have again recycled my attitude in search of that smell of freshly cut grass.

So, if you are caught in the same trap of having a nice lawn around your home I have some good news. The NDSU Extension Service has recently released a new publication “Home Lawn Problems and Solutions for North Dakota”. It contains much information and plenty of pictures regarding weeds, diseases and insects. Besides identifying the problem, the publication suggests both chemical and non-chemical control measures.

What I like best about this new 32-page publication are the colored pictures. They make problem identification much easier than the old black and white material.

Besides being good, the publication is available through this office (701-577-4595) free of charge.

Seed Testing Advised

Wet growing season conditions favored the growth of crop diseases. Several of the diseases are carried through the seed, especially for crops such as field pea, chickpea and lentil.

The North Dakota State Seed Department Diagnostic Lab is able to test for many of these pathogens in seed. When submitting a sample to the Seed Department it is extremely important to provide all the required information. When submitting common seed or certified samples the Department urges the use of its manila envelopes which we have available in the Williams County Extension Office.

Fees for many of the testing services provided by the Department will increase Oct. 1. For a complete list of testing services and fees, go to the Department’s web page http://www.nd.gov/seed.

If you are looking for certified seed of a specific crop and variety, the Department has established a computer directory of growers whose fields were inspected this past summer. Those on this list likely will have either Foundation, Registered or Certified Seed available. The list of field inspections is much shorter than normal. The Department reports inspecting 30% fewer acres than normal. This points to a tight supply of certified seed available for the 2012 planting season. So, if you are in need of seed, start identifying the source this fall.

The Department does publish a book listing all growers who had fields pass inspection. The publication is usually available in November.