1712 Claflin, 2021 Throckmorton Plant Science Center
Manhattan, KS 66506 (785) 532-6173

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HNR Website access: https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/horticulture-resource-center/horticulture-newsletter/

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hort Newsletter Fall-Winter Schedule
For the months of November through February, the Hort Newsletter will switch to monthly distribution. You can expect a summary of the month’s gardening topics the first Monday of each month during this time.

The 74th Annual Kansas Turf & Landscape Conference is December 4 & 5 (Wednesday & Thursday) at the Hilton Garden Inn, Manhattan. The conference is an excellent way to learn about turf and landscape management, visit with old friends, network with new ones, and see all the latest products and supplies from local and national vendors. The conference has been approved for commercial pesticide recertification hours:
1 Core hour
3A – 7 hours
3B – 7hours
GCSAA education points and International Society of Arboriculture CEUs will also be available by attending the conference. For more information, visit:
https://www.kansasturfgrassfoundation.com/

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Extend the Life of Garden Tools

Protect your tools with proper maintenance including end of the season clean-up.

GARDEN TO-DO
Check soil temperature at our Weather Data Library. Spring flowering bulbs can be planted as long as the soil temperature stays above 40 degrees F.

VEGETABLES
Cool-Season Vegetable Hardiness
Don’t be fooled by the term “cool-season”. Not all cool-season crops will tolerate the winter in Kansas without protection. Semi-hardy crops such as Chinese cabbage, collard, mustard and radishes, can survive light frosts. However, when temperatures drop into the 20s, they will start to show signs of damage.

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and other hardy vegetables will survive temperatures into the low 20s before showing damage.

Row covers can be used to protect your cool-season garden. Learn more about season extension from the Kansas Garden Guide.

FLOWERS
Perennial Garden Clean-Up
If you’re feeling the urge to tidy up the perennial garden keep a few things in mind. Ornamental grasses and some herbaceous perennials can be left intact to provide seasonal interest. Dried foliage brings texture and color to the otherwise barren landscape while also insulating the plant crown. Wildlife can benefit from seed heads left to develop on the plant.

If your plants had disease/pest issues during the growing season that plant material should be removed and disposed of to prevent spreading. Dried ornamental grasses near structures can present a fire hazard so removing the above ground growth is recommended in this scenario.

TREES
Fall Color on Trees
Many gardeners are aware leaves are responsible for making food for plants through the process of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll in the leaves captures energy from the sun resulting in their green pigment. Chlorophyll production slows down this time of year because the amount of daylight decreases. With this change in chlorophyll, the green leaf color of trees begins to fade allowing other pigments to be visible.

If tree leaves are turning orange/yellow, that indicates the presence of xanthophylls and carotenes. Tannins produce brown colors and anthocyanins create red/purple colors. These pigments are present year-round but are only noticed when the green from the chlorophyll fades. This is the reason for fall color in trees.

Fall color varies by tree species as well as environmental conditions. Certain oaks and maples put on a brilliant display with a variety of colors, but some species only show one color before leaf drop. The level of pigmentation is different among each species. Fall leaf color can be cut short by frost and freezes, but even the summer weather has a role with the fall display. If you notice the same trees looking different this fall than last, it is likely an environmental factor that is at work.

MISCELLANEOUS
Caring for Plants Indoors
If you moved sensitive plants indoors recently to save them from the sudden temperature drop 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. It is expected that plants intended for a tropical location, or just a warmer USDA zone, will not perform their best indoors. Here are some tips for providing the best conditions possible to get them 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.

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 or next to heat vents. Some indicators that your plants are not receiving enough light include:
Elongated internodes (space between leaf/stem unions)
Pale foliage color on new leaves
Dieback of older leaves
QUESTION of the WEEK
Too Many Acorns
My lawn is being littered with acorns and I cannot keep up with gathering them. Is there a way to prevent my tree from dropping so many acorns?

Similar versions of this question come through for various tree species related to the mess they make. Our first point is to pay careful attention to the details of plant growth and fruiting habits during the selection phase of landscaping. Choose trees and place them appropriately in the landscape to avoid these issues.

In theory, there are products that can make acorns abort before they enlarge, but the timing is critical and very difficult to achieve with consistency. The efficacy of these products will also vary from one species to another since the fruiting habit differs. The investment of these types of products is not usually worthwhile.

Rest assured, cleaning up all the acorns in the lawn and landscape is not a required task since squirrels and other animals will usually do the job for you. There are tools available to assist with gathering acorns such as a garden rake and lawn vacuum. The approach each gardener takes will vary.

Contributors:
Cynthia Domenghini, Instructor and Horticulture Extension Specialist
Kansas State University Extension Specialists
Kansas Garden Guide

Division of Horticulture
1712 Claflin, 2021 Throckmorton
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-6173

For questions or further information, contact your local extension agency.
This newsletter is also available on the World Wide Web at:
http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html

The web version includes color images that illustrate subjects discussed. To subscribe to this newsletter electronically, send an e-mail message to [email protected] listing your e-mail address in the message.
Brand names appearing in this newsletter are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.
K-State Research and Extension is committed to making its services, activities and programs accessible to all participants. If you have special requirements due to a physical, vision or hearing disability, or a dietary restriction please contact Extension Horticulture at (785) 532-6173.

Cynthia Domenghini, Ph.D.
Instructor; Horticulture Extension Specialist
Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources
Kansas State University
1712 Claflin Rd.
Manhattan, KS 66503
785-340-3013
[email protected]

State’s largest youth development program reports 5,586 volunteers in the past year

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Shawnee County woman who helped a youngster overcome allergies to be able to show sheep and goats, and a Harvey County woman who says she’s inspired by the joy she sees in youngsters’ faces when they win awards for their projects, have received recognition from the Kansas 4-H Youth Development program as outstanding volunteers.

Kate Langworthy of Topeka is the 2024 Kansas 4-H Volunteer of the Year, while Lisa Golubski of Newton has received the 2024 Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award.

The Kansas 4-H program, which has its headquarters on the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, reports that 5,586 Kansans provided direct volunteer service in the program year that ended on Sept. 30, 2024.

“Volunteers are critical to our organization; we can not deliver the 4-H program without them,” said Kansas 4-H Youth Development Program Leader Sarah Maas, noting that the 2024 North Central Regional 4-H Volunteer Survey indicates that the top reasons volunteers give their time is to make a difference in their communities and support their children.

More than 90% of those who responded to the survey reported that they taught youth new skills and had planned learning experiences. Also, 88% said they had made a connection within their community as a result of their volunteer experience.

Kansas 4-H Volunteer of the Year

Langworthy has volunteered for the Silver Lake 4-H Club each year since 2018. She said she’s inspired by having had adults who helped during her own 4-H years: “I want to repay the investments that were made in me.”

Langworthy has volunteered for the county fair, a livestock sale, craft fair, Operation Christmas Child, homecoming float committee and more. She has mentored youth who have documented the history of the club and helped youth prepare for speech competitions and presentations.

She is also a trainer for officer leader training and co-superintendent of the Round Robin Showmanship competition.

Langworthy recalls a time when a young girl wanted to show sheep and goats in the showmanship event, but was allergic to both animals. Langworthy and her sister – who were the superintendents – developed a scoring metric to designate points for knowledge and handling that allowed the youngster to participate safely.

“The real value of volunteerism is helping to form productive adults,” Langworthy said. “Youth who build relationships, learn skills and engage in their community become adults who do the same, and those are the building blocks of a successful society. Volunteers who invest time and energy into teaching the next generation are figuratively and literally shaping the world of the future.”

“I credit my time in 4-H as a large part of my success in my personal and professional life, and to have my contribution to the futures of others recognized is a wonderful feeling.”

2024 Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer

Anne Pitts, the Harvey County 4-H and Human Development agent, says she wouldn’t be able to reach the number of youth the county does without volunteers like Golubski.

“Lisa is a great volunteer and one that I can call upon to help work out problems,” Pitts said.

Golubski was a nine-year 4-H member with the Neosho Valley 4-H Club in Morris County, and has been the 4-H leader or co-leader in Harvey County since 2013.

“I am very humbled and honored to receive this award,” she said. “4-H was an extremely important part of my life growing up, so I am thrilled that I get to witness and assist other families that choose 4-H to be part of their lives.”

In 2017, Golubski helped to lead her club through a merger with another club. She is lauded by 4-H members and families for her organizational skills, as well as a commitment to community service, leadership, knowledge and fellowship.

She has helped to lead or organize such events as Club Days, the county achievement banquet, the county food booth, Taste of Newton Fundraiser Dough Maker and various family recruiting events.

“With 4-H, I think one of the neatest and most joyful parts of volunteering comes in a couple of ways,” Golubski said. “The first is when new families with young children decide to join 4-H. The children are often shy or quiet…seeing these young ones overcome those fears and develop confidence as motion makers or even club officers is awesome to witness.”

“The second part that comes to mind is the pure joyfulness the 4-Hers of all ages get when they have earned a blue or purple ribbon. That definitely never gets old.”

To learn more about opportunities available to Kansans through 4-H, visit www.kansas4-h.org.

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FOR PRINT PUBLICATIONS: Links used in this story

Kansas 4-H Youth Development, www.kansas4-h.org

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 is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Story by:

Pat Melgares

[email protected]

More information:

Sarah Maass

785-532-5800

[email protected]

As I am writing this column I glanced at my weather app on my phone and it has no rain chances for at least the next 10 days. It’s important for trees, shrubs, turf and perennials to go through fall and into winter with a moist soil. Since we’ve had an extremely dry period, it is a good idea to thoroughly water young trees, shrubs, and evergreens before the soil freezes. It won’t hurt to water your large established trees too.

Roots do not go dormant as quickly as the above growth. While the tops of plants go dormant or stop growing as it cools down, roots continue to grow throughout the fall and even into December if the soil temperatures are warm enough.

To encourage fall root growth, provide adequate moisture until the soil freezes. Check the soil around your trees. If the top few inches are dry, moisture is needed. For trees and shrubs, moisten the soil to a depth of eight to 12 inches or more while taking care not to overwater. Lawn grass only requires about six to eight inches of moist soil going into the winter.

A long screwdriver is an excellent tool to measure soil moisture. If you can push the screwdriver into the soil easily, this indicates the soil is moist. However, if you can still push the screwdriver in but meet resistance, this indicates the soil is dry. After a rain, it may be easy to push a screwdriver in the soil a few inches, then becomes more difficult. This indicates how far the rain infiltrated into the soil.

Keep in mind roots are less cold hardy than stems. Roots surrounded by moist soil are less likely to suffer cold temperature injury because moist soil holds more heat than dry soil. Frost penetration is deeper and soil temperatures are colder in sandy or dry soils.

When twigs and stems die in a tree or shrub, we are aware it’s happening. When roots die, we cannot see the dead roots and are not aware roots are dying. This could be one explanation why one tree establishes quickly while another is slow to establish or dies.

Plants going into winter with adequate fall moisture are also less likely to suffer damage from winter drying. Plant tissue, particularly the green needles of evergreens, can lose moisture during winter. Most moisture is lost on warm, sunny, windy winter days.

Moisture lost from plants during winter cannot be replaced by the roots, either because the soil is frozen or because roots do not function at soil temperatures below 40 degrees F. This is why fall moisture, either from rain or irrigation, is important.

When woody plants go into winter water stressed, their tissue can be killed by winter drying. This is easy to see on evergreens when needle tips, or entire branches turn brown in late spring. Some evergreens survive and new growth covers up the damaged growth. Other evergreens are killed by winter desiccation.

The leaf and flower buds on deciduous plants, those that drop their leaves, as well as small twigs on woody ornamentals may be killed by winter desiccation. This can result in sparse flowering or leafing. Plants may be forced to produce secondary buds which uses stored food within the plant and may lead to stress.

So, keep the soil around trees, shrubs, turf and perennials moist up until the soil freezes and water if necessary. A good way to water trees and shrubs is to take a soaker hose and lay it upside down around the dripline or tips of where the branches extend because this is where most of the roots that take up water are located. Building a water-holding dike several feet away from the trunk does little to meet that tree’s soil moisture needs. The large roots near the trunk provide stability, but take up very little water or nutrients.

If dry conditions continue into late fall, irrigation can continue monthly from October through December or until the ground freezes.

Mulch trees and shrubs with a two to four inch layer of wood chip mulch to help conserve soil moisture. Keep the mulch a foot away from the trunk to avoid voles making a home in the mulch and gnawing on the trunk. It’s also important mulch layers are not too deep. Roots that grow into the mulch will be killed by cold winter temperatures, further stressing a tree.