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Caring for Plants Indoors

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Guest Columnist
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If you moved sensitive plants indoors recently you may be wondering, now what??? Hopefully you were able to transition your plants to the indoors, but if not, they may go through a period of shock. Symptoms may include: yellowing leaves, dieback and wilt. Some plants won’t survive the shock if it is extreme. Others will recover over time and with proper care. Here are some tips for providing the best conditions possible to get your houseplants through the winter.
Water and Fertilizer
Whether indoors or out, the amount of light decreases into fall and winter resulting in slower plant growth. This means the fertilizer and water needs will decrease. Only provide water when the soil is dry about one-inch deep. Fertilizer can be applied at ¼ the recommended rate in November and again in February. Plants in smaller containers often require water more frequently but less fertilizer because they have less soil. This varies based on species so do your homework and research individual plant needs.
 
Temperature
Temperature is another important factor for growing plants indoors. If the temperature drops below 50 degrees F, leaves of more sensitive plants may begin to yellow. Keep this in mind if you adjust the thermostat during times when nobody is home such as vacations. Avoid placing plants near heat vents where the temperature is inconsistent.
 
Humidity
Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. When the humidity is lower, plants release more water from the leaves. Many common indoor plants prefer high relative humidity. To increase the relative humidity, you can create a microclimate by grouping plants closer together. Another option is to place a shallow container below each plant and fill it with water. Elevate the container by placing some gravel in the saucer so the plant isn’t soaking directly in the water. Misting plant leaves is often recommended, but is not a practical strategy to effectively increase humidity.
 
Light
Indoor plants should receive bright, indirect light either from a window or grow lights. Avoid placing plants too close to windows that are drafty. Some indicators that your plants are not receiving enough light include:
  • Elongated internodes (space between leaf/stem unions)
  • Pale color on new leaves
  • Dieback of older leaves

Control Broadleaf Weeds in Lawns in Late October-early November

By
Guest Columnist
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The best defense against common turfgrass weeds is a dense, healthy lawn. With proper maintenance year-round, the dense lawn restricts light from reaching the soil and prevents weed seeds from germinating. Homeowners who choose the right grass species and then maintain it properly are less likely to have serious issues with weeds.
If weeds do pop up in small areas, manual removal is recommended. For taproots, such as dandelions, use a tool to help pry the deep root from the soil. In some cases, chemical removal may be warranted to keep the lawn healthy and prevent the problem from spreading.
The next step for weed control, after proper lawncare, is weed identification. If you don’t know what weed(s) you’re trying to control, you won’t be able to develop an efficient plan. This time of year, the common weeds are dandelions, henbit and chickweed. Treating the area when the weeds are small will provide the best control. For any chemicals applied, always read and follow the label carefully. Only apply chemicals on a day that is wind-free and at least 50 degrees F.
For help identifying weeds in your lawn and developing an action plan for controlling them, contact your local Extension agency.

Digital Edition 10.22.25

By
tammiehoeme
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digital edition

Digital Edition 10.22.25

Just a Little Light: Trees and Seasons

By
Dawn Phelps
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Dawn Phelps
Columnist

Autumn has made her presence known.  A beautiful maple tree over on the hill in our town is showing off colors of orange and red, and splotches of bright yellow leaves are showing up in the trees alongside the highways.  

After our first hard frost, our red blaze maple trees outside our front window will change from green to dark red.  Then the leaves will quickly fall and form a colorful red blanket on the ground under the trees.  Only a few isolated leaves will be left clinging to the parent trees.

The trees reminded me of a poem by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918).  Joyce, a writer, was a man in the New York National Guard who was sent to France during WWI.  He was killed by a sniper, and died at the age of 31, but that’s another story. 

One of my grade-school teachers required our class to memorize and recite the poem.  It is entitled “Trees,” and I still remember the words.

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Fields of soybeans have turned bright yellow, and milo crops have turned brown.  Some of the beans have been harvested, creating clouds of dust as the harvesting machines crawl across the fields.  Farmers are working hard to get their crops harvested.

The mornings are becoming chilly now with temperatures in the 40s and 50s.  I have not seen a hummingbird at our feeders in a few days, so I will soon wash our feeders for the last time this season.

It is time for the monarch butterflies to wing their way south to Mexico, and oddly enough, our neighbor’s lilacs are blooming again, as if it is springtime!  Yesterday, mature monarchs and some younger ones were feeding on the lilac blossoms, and I snapped some photos of them!

The ground under our neighbor’s walnut tree across the alley from our house is laden with a dense crop of walnuts.  And the squirrels are chasing, scurrying around, and picking up walnuts that they will plant in unusual places.  

 During the winter, the walnuts will freeze and pop open.  Next spring, tiny walnut trees will emerge in places where there is no space for walnut trees to grow.  Yes, autumn is here, and it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. 

Our changing seasons are like the seasons of our lives with spring quickly giving way to summer, summer to autumn, with winter to soon follow.  If you are older, you may feel the effects of “autumn” in your joints.

Albert Camus said, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”  Oh, how beautiful the trees are becoming! 

Since we cannot and would not want to control the seasons, we will just have to be thankful—thankful for every day we are given.  “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1.  And the trees in the autumn season are glorious!

 

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Cheney Shooting Range to Reopen Following Lead Testing

By
Guest Columnist
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State officials confirm no threat to public or wildlife; range to reopen this month

TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) today announced that the Cheney Shooting Range in Reno County will reopen later this month following an investigation assisted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) into potential lead contamination. Results from soil, groundwater, and stream surveys confirm the range is safe for public use with no threat to the public or wildlife.

“We took every necessary step to ensure there is no threat to the public or wildlife,”  said KDWP Secretary Christopher Kennedy. “I understand the delayed reopening was frustrating for some users, but given our commitment to protecting both people and wildlife, we prioritized a thorough investigation before resuming operations.

KDWP delayed the range’s reopening after the standard winter closure earlier this year, due to a range user’s concerns about lead contamination. Due to the range’s proximity to Cheney Reservoir, which supplies drinking water for Wichita, KDWP ordered independent soil and groundwater testing and conducted stream surveys along the North Fork Ninnescah River above the reservoir. The range is operated by KDWP and located on land owned by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Testing conducted by a third party in April 2025 included surface soil, subsurface soil, and groundwater sampling. Additional groundwater testing in July 2025 increased the number of sample sites between the range and the river to assess potential lead migration. Those testing results were reviewed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Key findings include:

  • Surface soil near the rifle and handgun backstops showed elevated lead levels, which is expected for an active shooting range due to bullet debris.
  • Subsurface soil samples did not indicate lead movement underground.
  • Groundwater samples showed no dissolved lead at levels of concern.
  • Stream surveys conducted in 2025 showed no significant differences in fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities compared to surveys conducted in 2002. In fact, fish numbers improved in some areas, and the Arkansas Darter, a species in need of conservation, was documented in 2025 but not in 2002.

“The investigation of the Cheney Shooting Range completed by KDWP has shown that there has been no migration of lead contamination from the backstop/impact area and lead has not impacted the shallow groundwater aquifer, which flows into the North Fork Ninnescah River,” KDHE Deputy Secretary and Director of Environment Kate Gleeson said. “The operation of the Cheney Shooting Range is in compliance with applicable regulations.”

Secretary Kennedy added, “Now that we can safely say that lead remnants at the Cheney Shooting Range are not posing a threat to the public or wildlife, I have charged our staff with reopening the range no later than October 25, 2025, so hunters can adjust their sights and scopes before the regular deer firearms season opens in December.

Previously planned renovations to the Cheney Shooting Range will begin in 2026, including upgrades to accommodate more users and sound attenuation for a safer, more pleasant experience. Reopening updates and range information will be posted here as they become available.

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The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of Kansas’s natural resources for the benefit of both current and future generations. KDWP manages 29 state parks, 177 lakes and wildlife areas, more than 300 public waterbodies, and five nature centers. Other services include management of threatened, endangered, and at-risk species, law enforcement, and wildlife habitat programs. For more information about KDWP, visit ksoutdoors.gov.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) works to protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans. KDHE’s work impacts the lives of Kansans every day through its three divisions: Public Health, Environment and Health Care Finance (Medicaid). The important tasks the agency performs range from health prevention and promotion, responding to public health emergencies, licensing hospitals and health care facilities to monitoring air and water quality and regulating landfills, as well as overseeing the state’s Medicaid program. For more information about KDHE, visit KDHE’s website.

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