Weed identification program planned

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Do you want to know what those pesky weeds are in your garden, landscape beds, or lawn? Jeff Stachler Ag Educator for OSU Extension, Auglaize County – and Weed Expert Extraordinaire – has teamed up with one of our local Master Gardeners, Doris Hibner, to hold a program entitled, “Weed Identification and Management in the Home Garden and Landscape.” The program will be this Thursday evening, April 27, starting at 6 p.m.

The first topic of discussion will be the basics of weed identification, focusing on grassy and broadleaf weeds. Following the presentation, there will be a walk around Doris’s farm to identify weeds. After the weed walk, discussion will be held on how to control weeds. This should be an exciting and informative program!

The program will take place at Doris’s farm on Ashburn Road, southeast of Wapak. We will be meeting at Charlie Webb’s shop, right next door at 11607 Ashburn Road. Look for the balloons to find the location. Pre-register for the event by contacting Jeff at 419-739-6580 or e-mailing him at [email protected]. The cost of the program is $5 per person to defray the cost of refreshments and photo copies. Please bring your own chair.

As a follow-up from last week’s report on “forages,” we also have a new, updated Ohio Forage Website: https://forages.osu.edu/. This will be the “go-to” place for all things “forage” within the OSU Extension system. While the forage team members are still in the process of adding content, there is already a fair amount of information and news on forage and pasture management. Be sure to check out the Resources tab for some cool photos and links to some favorite forage-related websites.

As I’ve been out-and-about a bit this past week, I’m seeing some weeds that need to be addressed. That matches pretty closely with what our OSU Weed Specialist Mark Loux said when he talked about purple deadnettle, giant ragweed, and marestail: We’re having one of those years where (the weeds) are greener and bigger and there are more of them. They basically had a head start coming into spring. This means we need to stay a bit more aggressive with our herbicide treatments.

This warmer-than-usual winter and wet spring also opens the door for crop diseases and insects. Some of those insect pests that were here last year may have survived the winter and show up earlier with a lot more force! Some of those pests include slugs, stink bugs, bean leaf beetles, and cereal leaf beetles.

Kelley Tilmon, one of our Field Crop Entomologists said armyworms, which migrate from southern states where they spend the winter, may be more prevalent this year because they left their homes earlier to head north. Once here, they begin to lay eggs in grasses, including wheat fields and cover crop fields. She also warned to be on the look-out for alfalfa weevil larvae: This pest devours leaves, causing major damage.

The cool, wet, and humid spring has also created perfect conditions for some early season wheat diseases: Septoria tritici blotch and powdery mildew. Yes, scouting is important!! Yeah, on top of everything else, I’m suggesting you walk your fields! Just remember: Knowing what’s out there is important! You can’t manage what you don’t know about!

The Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center is up and running. This website is a tool that indicates the risk of Fusarium Head Blight based on weather and other forecasts. You can find this at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/. As of last week, it indicated a “Low” risk for the whole state of Ohio …

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By Deborah Reinhart Brown

Ag update

The writer can be reached at the OSU Extension office (937-498-7239) or by email at [email protected].

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