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Hort Newsletter #24

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Guest Columnist
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Photo courtesy: K-State Horticulture

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

Horticulture 2024 Newsletter
No. 24 June 17, 2024
1712 Claflin, 2021 Throckmorton Plant Science Center
Manhattan, KS 66506 (785) 532-6173

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Riley County Master Gardener 35th Annual Garden Tour
Saturday, June 22, 2024
8:30-1:00
For more information contact: 785-537-6350

2024 Kansas Turf and Ornamentals Field Day
August 1, 2024, at Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center in Manhattan, KS. https://www.k-state.edu/turf/events/2024TurfFieldDayProgram.pdf

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Common Tomato Problems, Part 2
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables to grow, but there are several things that may cause problems — including insects, sunburn, calcium deficiency, and cracking. This segment shows examples and gives advice on how to correct some of the issues.

GARDEN TO-DO
Renovate strawberry beds after last picking of fruit by cutting off leaves, fertilizing and narrowing row to 10 inches.
Plant Fall Squash and Pumpkins
Tip blackberries, black raspberries and purple raspberries as needed.
PESTS
Squash Bugs
Description: Eggs are 1/16-inch in diameter and change from light brown to dark red. Young nymphs are pale green with red antennae which later turn black. As the nymphs develop, they turn a light to dark grey color. Mature nymphs are up to ½-inch long and wingless. Adults are ½ to ¾-inch long and dark-brown in color. The wings are brownish-black with orange markings on the outer edge of the body. If crushed, adult squash bugs emit a foul odor.

Life Cycle: Squash bugs overwinter as adults. From late-May through June they seek a plant host. From June through mid-August, after mating, females lay eggs in clusters on the stems and undersides of leaves. Within 7 to 14 days nymphs hatch and go through multiple stages of development. By 4-6 weeks, the adult squash bug is fully developed.

Damage: The primary hosts for squash bugs include summer/winter squash and pumpkins but they will feed on other cucurbits as well. Adults and nymphs have piercing-sucking mouthparts which they use to suck fluids from leaves, stems and fruits. Young plants are at a great risk for destruction from squash bugs, though mature plants can be severely damaged as well if the pest population is high. Damage appears as small yellow specks on leaves. Stem damage causes wilting and leaves will dry up and shrivel. Feeding on fruit affects the quality by causing distortion and scarring along with sunken areas.

Control: Preventative management is the best recommendation. Scout for pests in the garden regularly. Look on the undersides of leaves and the stems for eggs early in the season. Remove plant debris to reduce overwintering habitats. Physically remove and destroy eggs, nymphs and adult bugs from plants as you find them. Use floating row covers, if garden size allows, to exclude pests from accessing plants.

Horticulture oils can be effective if applied on eggs. Young nymphs can be controlled with insecticides. Weekly application may be necessary for complete control. Adult squash bugs have a thick, waxy cuticle that makes insecticides ineffective. Ensure thorough coverage of the plant for best results. See your local extension agent or KSRE Publication: Squash Bugs for insecticide recommendations.

For more information about squash bugs see KSRE Publication: Squash Bug

Hornworms on Tomatoes
Description: The larval stage is a 3 ½ to 4-inch long pale, green caterpillar. There are five pairs of prolegs and a horn on the last segment. The tobacco hornworm has seven diagonal white stripes and usually a red horn. The tomato hornworm has V-shaped markings and a blue/black horn. The adult moth has a stout, grayish-colored body with wings that span 4 to 5 inches.

Life Cycle: In the larval stage the hornworm caterpillar passes through four or five stages before reaching full size. This process takes about one month. The caterpillar pupates in the soil giving rise to an adult moth. The adult of the tobacco hornworm is the Carolina sphinx moth. The adult of the tomato hornworm is the five-spotted hawk moth. There are two generations each year.

Damage: Hornworm larva are the damaging stage and are typically found on tomatoes, but feed on eggplant, peppers and potatoes as well. Caterpillars devour leaves and stems leaving behind dark green or black droppings.

Control: Hornworms are parasitized by several insects including the small braconid wasp which lays eggs on the larva. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larva feed on the hornworm devouring it from the inside killing the hornworm.

To avoid harming beneficial insects, handpicking hornworms is the recommended control. Hornworms camouflage themselves among the leaves making it difficult to find them.

Bt (Dipel, Thuricide), Spinosad (Conserv, Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, Monterey Garden Insect Spray), cyfluthrin (BioAdvanced Vegetable & Garden Insect Spray) are a few insecticides that can be effective at controlling hornworms. Always follow label instructions and pay close attention to the harvest interval.

TURF
Grub Control in Lawns
If you’ve dealt with an excessive number of grubs in the lawn previously you may choose to apply a pesticide containing imidacloprid. This active ingredient is safe and effective at killing the grubs before they damage plant roots. Apply the product by mid-July and water it in if rain is not expected within 24 hours.

Controlling Yellow Nutsedge in Lawns
We are getting numerous requests for weed identification in lawns and landscapes which is common this time of year. Yellow nutsedge often appears when the soil is moist. Some identifying features of yellow nutsedge include:
Yellow inflorescence
Yellow-pale green leaves
Tapered leaves with sharp point
Triangular stem with leaves growing in three directions
Rapid growth extending above the turfgrass within days of mowing.
The best control of yellow nutsedge is maintaining a healthy, dense lawn. Nutsedge spreads by tubers which can produce numerous plants. Manually pulling yellow nutsedge can activate dormant tubers which send up new growth, but with persistence over multiple seasons it can be eradicated. If using an herbicide, it is important to apply before tuber production for the best control. The first application should usually be applied by June 21 before plants mature. Here are some herbicide options for home gardeners.

SedgeHammer and Hi-Yield Nutsedge & Horsetail Control (active ingredient: halosulfuron)
Bonide Sedge Ender, Ortho Nutsedge Killer & Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns plus Crabgrass Killer (active ingredient: sulfentrazone)
Always follow label instructions and pay attention to turfgrass species tolerance for herbicide treatments.

VEGETABLES
Tomato Leaf-Spot Diseases
Septoria Leaf Spot appears initially as small, water-soaked spots on the lower leaves. The centers of the spots turn light tan or gray while the margins remain dark. Dark-colored fungal fruiting structures form in the spots which are typically smaller and more numerous than early blight spots.

Early Blight symptoms appear as irregular, brown lesions or spots on the leaves up to ½-inch in diameter. The dark, concentric rings in the lesions give the spots a target-like appearance. This is a distinguishing symptom to identify the disease. Several lesions can merge together and cause the leaf to yellow, dry up and drop prematurely. Leaf drop reduces the plant’s ability to photosynthesize thus reducing the energy and vigor of the plant. It can also expose fruit to an increased risk of sunscald. Early blight lesions can develop on the stem and fruit as well.

In Kansas, Septoria leafspot tends to be more common than early blight. Both fungi overwinter in plant debris, on seeds or weeds. Spores can splash or blow onto tomato plants. Warm, humid weather and heavy rainfall favor development of Septoria leafspot and early blight.

Read more at our KSRE Publication: Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot

PERMACULTURE
Growing With Microclimates
Working with the environment is a core principle of permaculture. Learn how to take advantage of microclimates to support optimal plant health and get more out of your growing spaces.

Read more in our KSRE publication:
Growing with Microclimates

QUESTION of the WEEK
Cleaning up Asparagus
I have finished harvesting my asparagus. When should I remove the tops off the plants?
Asparagus tops should not be removed until after a killing freeze. The tops have the important role of producing and transferring food to the plant roots impacting next year’s growth. If plants are falling over and you want them to remain upright, set posts 10-12 feet apart and secure plants with twine.

Contributors:
Cynthia Domenghini, Instructor and Horticulture Extension Specialist
K-State Plant Pathology
K-State Entomolgy
K-State Turf and Landscape Blog
Kansas Garden Guide

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

For questions or further information, contact: [email protected] OR [email protected]
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] or [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]

Potato Refrigerator Rolls

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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It’s been a weekend full of cooking, canning and more! Saturday started early with kitchen prep and by the time the day wrapped we had canned blueberry syrup, made a casserole, prepared pulled pork, baked beans, dessert, brownies and I’ve lost track of what else! All in preparation for a Father’s Day picnic and an evening cookout. Whoops don’t forget about 5 hours on the road today while we picked up our awesome nephew and brought him down for a week. Busy, yep, keeps us out of trouble.

Monday night I’m teaching the art of ‘yeast’. I have a couple of gals coming over for bread/rolls instruction. I thought we would start with these refrigerator rolls because they’re so flexible. Let’s start the conversation with what happens while bread is rising. The first rise is the most important rise because it’s where we see the most flavor development. The second rise is important but not as much as the first. In fact, you will find some yeast breads that may have only one rise.

If the dough is refrigerated at least overnight it’s going to give even more time for flavor development. I also like doing the refrigeration with homemade pizza dough.

Mashed potatoes have been used for generations in baked good of all types. They add both flavor and nice texture to the baked good. I think they also help keep the bread moist.

Perhaps, the biggest reason why I enjoy this recipe is because it’s geared towards a working family with busy schedules. You can stir the dough up the night before making it easy to create great tasting bread after work! With all the grilling of summer this recipe would make phenomenal hamburger buns! Remember you will need to make the buns much larger than a hot roll. Also; you want a ‘bun’ to spread out instead of going up tall like a hot roll. I would make the bun at least twice as big as an individual hot roll. Toasted sesame seeds could be added to the top if desired.

Lastly; dough can be frozen. If a dinner party is coming up it would be easy to make the dough a week or two beforehand. Make it over the weekend, once you

make the rolls take them immediately to the deep freeze. The morning of the dinner set them out to rise early in the morning, in 7=8 hours they will be ready to bake. How impressed your guests and family will be. Because our freezers are not quick freeze, I would only hold yeast products for about 3 months in a regular deep freeze.

In order for my class to go both quick and smooth I need to go make a batch of dough before I go to bed. I’ll start the ladies on punching down dough and then how to pinch out dinner rolls. We’ll do a rise and then bake. Then we will back-paddle and make the dough. I’m looking forward to the teaching & fellowship.

Count your blessings and enjoy a great week. Simply Yours, The Covered Dish.

Potato Refrigerator Rolls

Yields 3-4 dozen dinner rolls

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

½ cup warm water, (105-115 degrees)

1 cup milk, warm if using dough immediately

1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes, no skins

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons cold chopped butter

6-6 1/4 cups all purpose flour, could use bread flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix yeast into warm water, stirring to dissolve totally. Allow to set while combining milk, potatoes, eggs and honey. Use a whisk to blend smoothly. Add yeast mixture. In a mixer bowl combine the salt and 3 cups of the flour, blend. Add ice cold butter, cut into small pieces into the flour. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Gradually add the remaining 3 cups of flour. Remember to hold back a bit of flour until you monitor the dough, then add any remaining. The dough should work up the dough hook showing you it is well kneaded and ready to refrigerate.

Allow dough to set at least overnight, which will enhance the flavor outcome. Pinch dough off as needed to make rolls. Be sure to punch the dough down and work the dough in your hands, redistributing the gluten for a good rise. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes depending upon the number of rolls you are baking. The tops should develop a nice brown color tone. Brush with butter or olive oil once they’ve been removed from the oven. This dough will hold in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Yields 3-4 dozen hot rolls.

*Tip: In the old days your kneading instructions would have said something like: ‘Knead for 5-10 minutes.’ If you are using your dough hook it might take 2 minutes tops to knead the dough. This is where I think a great deal of mistakes happen with beginning dough makers. They read the recipe instructions and actually dry out the dough by kneading it too much. Similar to stirring up a cake mix. It only takes about 50 strokes to pull a cake together. If you put a cake mix in mixer chances are pretty likely you will dry out the cake by beating it too long.

Kansas Horse Council Presents Scholarships With Career Inspiration From Leading Trainer

By
Frank Buchman
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Grilled Wagyu burgers kicked off the Kansas Horse Council Scholarship presentations featuring a diverse program.
At the Sedalia Community Church north of Manhattan, Andrew Coates discussed his career as a leading cutting horse trainer before ten scholarships were given to young people looking toward careers with horses.
Appropriate to review the Booth Creek Wagyu Ranch which supplied the banquet burgers.
Located north of Manhattan near Olsburg, our ranch was originally developed for world-class whitetail deer hunting, according to Andrew Coates, the ranch manager.
Despite what most people think about the state’s geography, Booth Creek ranch is anything but flat. “It features deep, wooded creek draws, surrounded by rolling hills of lush tallgrass prairie, making it the perfect place to raise our special herd,” Coates informs on the ranch website.
The business began in 2020 when Dave Dreiling attended his first Wagyu auction. He started studying the Wagyu industry in America and saw opportunities to improve it through efficiency, education, and a more practical business approach.
There are three aspects of the business that separate Booth Creek from many other Wagyu producers.
The first was the Wagyu processing facility which now ships products nationwide. Another aspect of the business is keeping everything local. The ranch, processing facility, and distribution center are all located within 20 miles of each other.
Final piece of the puzzle was finding the right people who share the vision. In 2021, Andrew Coates came on board to oversee ranch operations.
He grew up on a Wagyu ranch in Australia and has been a cornerstone of the industry’s growth in America. His family moved from California to Kansas and are now partners in the business.
Starting with online sales in 2021, the business reached new heights later that year with a brick-and-mortar location in Manhattan.
This store offers free samples of freshly seared Wagyu steak, which gives guests the opportunity to taste the difference for themselves and learn what makes Wagyu a culinary treasure, according to Coates.
“We’re here to elevate America’s standard of quality beef,” Coates indicated.
Raised on a cattle ranch in Queensland, Australia, Andrew Coates began his horse training career working for some of the best cutting horse trainers in Australia.
In 1995, he made the move to the United States. His National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) professional career began when National Football League Hall of Famer Joe Montana hired Coates to train for his cutting horse program. In 2003, Coates began accepting outside clients.
Since that time, Coates has earned 20 major aged event champion and reserve champion titles along with taking horses to finalist positions in more than 50 major events, including the NCHA Futurity and Super Stakes.
His lifetime NCHA earnings are now more than $1 million. He and his wife, Nicole, and their two children continue horse involvement along with the cattle business.
“The biggest mistake I’ve made is getting too focused on horse training and losing sight of being a good horseman.,” Coates admitted.
“The biggest myth in cutting is that it’s easy. It may be simple, but it is not easy,” he emphasized.
Coates most memorable moment in cutting was the first time he made the Futurity ­Finals on Sues Barn Cat.
“Try to train every horse to the best of its ability but be aware of its limitations,” Coates said.
His favorite quote and what he considers the best advice came from his employer Joe Montana. “If you’re afraid to lose you can never be a winner.”
Coates’ biggest showring achievements include NCHA major aged event finalist five times, multiple Pacific Coast championships, 2018 Cascades Derby champion, 2017 El Rancho Futurity champion, 2017 Idaho Futurity champion, 2005 Pacific Coast Gelding Stakes champion, and 2005 Breeders Invitational five- and six-year-old champion.
Coates considers the top three horses he’s trained to include Sues Barn Cat, Im Catman, and Lizzys Got Style.
Recipients of scholarships from the Kansas Horse Council (KHC) as presented by executive director Justine Staten with assistance from KHA member Joyce Troyer include:
Chelsi Brown, Logan, daughter of Steve and Tara Brown, majoring in horse production and management at Colby Community College.
Caitlyn Champagne, Lawrence, daughter of Chris and Carolyn Champagne, majoring in kinesiology, Spanish, and physiology at Kansas State University.
Courtney Clinesmith, Cimarron, daughter of Bill and Stephanie Clinesmith, majoring in agricultural economics business at Kansas State University.
Cash Fuesz, Eureka, son of Cory and Heather Fuesz, majoring in organizational leadership at Weatherford College.
Rileigh Holcomb, Ford, daughter of Cody Holcomb and Jessica Stout, majoring in horse production and management at Colby Community College.
Chancy Johnson, White City, daughter of Chad and Janon Johnson, majoring in agribusiness and marketing at Kansas State University.
Kelli Kychik, Topeka, daughter of Corey and Michelle Kychik, majoring in nursing at Kansas State University.
Alyssa Leslie, Inman, daughter of Garrett Leslie and Toni Woodson, majoring in veterinary medicine at Kansas State University.
Kirsten Miessler, Seward, daughter of Ron and Heather Miessler, majoring in elementary education at Wichita State University.
Alexis Studebaker, Harveyville, daughter of David and Jamie Studebaker, majoring in agriculture and communications at Kansas State University.
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CUTLINES

Present to receive their Kansas Horse Council Scholarships were Alexis Studebaker, Harveyville; Alyssa Leslie, Inman; and Chancy Johnson, White City.

Pratt Cowboy Suffers Steer Roping Career Ending Injury

By
Frank Buchman
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Rocky Patterson, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world champion steer roper in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2016, said he will likely retire after suffering an injury during the M.M. Fisher Junior Memorial Steer Roping on March 10, 2024, in Andrews, Texas.
The 58-year-old steer roper from Pratt, Kansas, tore his ACL in his right knee in the fourth round when getting off his horse. Patterson underwent surgery to repair the injury and will miss the remainder of the season.
“I heard it pop and I knew it was gone,” Patterson said. “I knew it was serious before I hit the ground.”
Patterson, currently 16th in the PRCA Standings with $12,445, plans to continue riding but will likely retire from competitive rodeo after the seven-month recovery time.
“I’ll still ride but this will probably be about the end of it, you know for me in steer roping,” he said. “I’m getting pretty old and it’s hard to compete with those 25- to 30-year-olds whenever you’re almost 60 anyway, before you have something like that happen.”
Patterson is one of the best steer ropers in PRCA history, qualifying for the National Finals Steer Roping 28 times (1994-95, 1997-20221, 2023). Only ProRodeo Hall of Famer Guy Allen has more steer roping qualifications at 33.
Patterson also has won three National Finals Steer Roping average titles in 1999, 2001, and 2023, tied for third on the all-time list.
The Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Goodwell, graduate, earned the PRCA Resistol Steer Roping Rookie of the Year title in 1992.
“To be really honest I don’t like the thought of it,” Patterson said of retirement. “You know it was coming someday and Father Time is undefeated.”
Rocky Patterson is the father of Cole Patterson, who won PRCA Steer Roping World Championships in 2021 and 2023.
Cole Patterson is presently atop the world standings with $42,152.
Rocky Patterson plans to stay involved in the sport, while following the career of his 28-year-old son.
“I like to watch steer roping in general, but I like to watch him make a good run,” he said.
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Civil tables

By
John Marshall
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john marshal

Civic clubs often meet at meal time for their business, and for most of them it’s to help others who could use a lift, especially the young ‒ help them over life’s early rugged landscapes, inspire them to be better people.

During meetings members make time for table conversation – chit-chat about their lives ‒ usually family, their outings, adventures, achievements.

The talk is rarely about politics: Washington is now a fruitless place and Topeka its unkempt cousin, and why get into that? Local events are another matter. A glimpse about town and county is reassuring, a direct relationship to shared purpose and steady gain. Local business seems well enough and without the festering bias that sours our capitals. Labels won’t stick for the ambulance medic, the pool lifeguard, the chip seal crew.

Club members are an agreeable mix. At the hint of politics, the table may hear a point, agreed or not. Smiles and shrugs are exchanged, they move on, opinions notched or tabled for further review. Their chief mission, unalloyed, is to improve circumstances for others who can use help.

*

One wonders why it can’t be this way in Topeka or Washington. Perhaps it could, if those at our Capitols spent more time outside their own circle and at a shared table. They might reach across that “aisle” they once recalled so wistfully, and invite an adversary to have a meal, talk things over.

The era’s vaunted “social media,” fused into today’s heated political cultures, has consigned users to conflicting niches, capsules that feed their own concerns and exclude others’. The greater missions, matching public interests and needs, are often lost or buried.

In other times, Republicans and Democrats ‒ conservative, moderate, liberal ‒ could often be found together at tables in Topeka or Washington talking all matter of whatnot, including serious politics. In Washington, Nancy Kassebaum and Ted Kennedy were congenial third floor neighbors in the Russell Senate Office Building. In Topeka at the end of a long Statehouse day, Senate President Bud Burke (Republican) and House Speaker Marvin Barkis (Democrat) often could be seen descending the north stairway together, chatting amiably as they headed out the door. There was never a rule then that adversaries could not be civil, or understanding, or even friendly. That was decades ago.

*

If Jerry Moran were spotted dining privately with Chuck Schumer, the leading Senate Democrat, the storm in Washington would be as though Moran were a police chief caught breaking bread with a fugitive axe murderer.

We no longer even hear the old odd claim that legislators sometimes “work out” together in the members’ gym or on a tennis court. Huffing and puffing on a treadmill or lunging after a forehand volley is not the manner of shared recess. It may be good for exchanging grunts, but it’s hardly relaxed conversation.

More vexing is the taboo on social intercourse in the halls of state and federal government. Tribal chieftains and party purists have put under suspicion any association with rivals. Some liken it to criminal behavior. This does nothing to advance an exchange of ideas. It does everything to create little confederacies, states of pro-stridence and anti-compromise. There is little room for interplay, almost no room for agreement.

It’s hardly fertile ground for good government. Rivals who meet to share their views and exchange ideas have breached no sacred covenant. Such behavior is not criminal, it’s healthy.

And like the shared table at a civic club, it’s good for the republic.

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