FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
DAVID KEY, COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT
207 MAIN, SENECA
785-336-2184
www.oznet.ksu.edu/nemaha/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THE WEEK OF APRIL 24, 2006
EXTENSION LINE - K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
TRANSPLANTING TOMATOES
There is quite a bit of misinformation regarding the transplanting of tomato plants. One of the greatest problems in setting out tomato plants is getting one that is short, stocky, and has a healthy, green color. Avoid plants that are tall and spindly especially those that have blooms or fruit already set on the plants. Set the plants slightly deeper than the containers that they were growing in. Some believe that it is a good idea to plant tomato plants deep to allow the root to form along the stem. This is a poor idea since oxygen levels deep in the soil are less than those near the surface. Plants that are set deeply often become stressed from the sudden change in conditions. If your garden soil is fertile and soil temperatures are warm, using about a cup or two of water as you set the plant in the soil is all that is needed to encourage it to develop new roots and begin to grow quickly. In cold soil conditions, adding some soluble fertilizer to the transplant water provides nutrients that are not available in warmer soils. However, regrowth of plants in cold soil is much slower so that added nutrients are usually not the limiting factor in establishing the plants more quickly. Warmer soil is one of the most important factors in ensuring a rapid transplant establishment and healthy, productive tomato plant performance.
KEY TO CONTROLLING AQUATIC WEEDS - TREAT EARLY
Most often, aquatic weeds such as algae, pondweed, and cattails begin appearing in late spring and early summer. The best way to get a handle on those pesky plants is to treat them before they are to numerous to control. Biological, chemical, and mechanical methods can all be used to control aquatic weeds. For more information download the publication “Aquatic Weeds and Their Control” at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/crpsl2/c667.pdf If you are unable to access a computer, you can pick up this publication at the Nemaha County Extension Office.
CONTROLLING SPRING ‘CROP’ OF WINTER ANNUALS
Many crop fields are now greening up – not with crops but with winter annual weeds. Winter annual weeds are those that germinate in the fall, go dormant over the winter and resume growth in late winter or early spring, then bolt and produce seed so that the species will survive to the next year. The best time to control winter annuals is in the fall.
Rapid growth of winter annual grassy weeds starts when the soil temperature is above 40E F. Rapid growth of winter annual broadleaf weeds starts a little later in the spring, when soil temperatures reach 50-55E F. The most common winter annual broadleaf weeds in Kansas include: marestail (horseweed), field pennycress, shephardspurse, henbit, and tansy mustard. In addition, dandelion and curly dock, which are not winter annuals, are appearing. Also present in some fields are winter annual grassy weeds such as downy brome and even volunteer winter wheat.
In Kansas, producers have found that no-till is an excellent means of conserving moisture in dryland fields. Winter annuals, however, can reduce the benefits of no-till by robbing the crop of valuable soil moisture which can limit yields. In heavy stands winter annuals can make planting or seeding difficult and even result in poor crop germination when they reduce soil water levels.
Many people wonder why winter annual weeds have become more of a problem in recent years. With more growers planting Roundup Ready crops, there is less herbicide residual to control these weeds. When conventional crops were planted, the herbicide program provided residue to keep many winter annuals from germinating or growing in the fall.
In the spring, treatments should be applied as soon as temperatures are warm enough for plant growth. Several products will control winter annuals so consider which ones are likely to perform best in your situation.
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension Offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and Regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters are on the K-State campus in Manhattan.
