http://freshare.net/article/ en bobk@freshare.net Copyright 2012 2012-02-07T22:27:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/sparing_use_of_wood_ash_in_garden_can_be_beneficial/ http://freshare.net/article/sparing_use_of_wood_ash_in_garden_can_be_beneficial/#When:18:55:00Z Soon enough, southwest Missouri will get an arctic blast and homeowners will light of fireplaces and stoves for heat. That also means homeowners will have extra wood ash at some point. If used sparingly, wood ashes left behind after burning wood for winter heat (in wood stoves, furnaces, and fireplaces) can benefit plants and gardens. Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-12-16T18:55:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/winter_landscape_does_not_have_to_be_dreary/ http://freshare.net/article/winter_landscape_does_not_have_to_be_dreary/#When:13:53:00Z Just because the sky can be drab and dreary in the fall and winter months does not mean the landscaping around your home must be, too. David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist, said planting pansies along with your spring flower bulbs not only adds to the spring display, but can provide some bright, vibrant color… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-12-01T13:53:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/should_you_rake_or_leaf_well_enough_alone/ http://freshare.net/article/should_you_rake_or_leaf_well_enough_alone/#When:21:56:00Z Wind, weather and time are sending thousands of leaves cascading down onto your lawn. Should you rake, mulch or wait? That depends on your lawn, said Mike Richardson, professor-horticulture with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “Every year, I get lots of questions from my neighbors about mulching leaves, raking them every week, or just waiting until… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-11-18T21:56:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/even_evergreen_leaves_change_color_and_drop_in_autumn/ http://freshare.net/article/even_evergreen_leaves_change_color_and_drop_in_autumn/#When:15:08:00Z During autumn, “evergreen” may be a misnomer when it comes to pines and arborvitae, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “Deciduous trees may get all the attention for their color change and shed in the fall, but this… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-11-08T15:08:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/green_tomato_relish_partners_well_with_fried_catfish/ http://freshare.net/article/green_tomato_relish_partners_well_with_fried_catfish/#When:15:50:00Z If there is a signature Arkansas food, it may well be fried catfish. And the popular accompaniment to this entrée is green tomato relish. As colder weather arrives, some gardeners have a number of green tomatoes that won’t make it to ripeness. Pick them and head to the kitchen for a session of cooking and canning green tomato… Pursuits, Backyard, Cooking and Grilling 2011-11-03T15:50:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/fighting_moles_is_an_uphill_battle/ http://freshare.net/article/fighting_moles_is_an_uphill_battle/#When:16:30:00Z Moles have been extra busy this autumn, and you can almost see the resentment rise in homeowners as they survey their spoiled yards. “Even with our dry end to summer, lots of mole activity is showing up, which you typically do not see,” said Brad Fresenburg, a University of Missouri Extension state turf specialist. “That tells us they… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-10-25T16:30:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/take_steps_now_to_prevent_sunscald_on_thin_barked_trees/ http://freshare.net/article/take_steps_now_to_prevent_sunscald_on_thin_barked_trees/#When:16:18:00Z Homeowners who planted new trees this year, especially ones with thin bark, will want to protect the southwest side of the new tree this winter to protect it from sunscald. Many young, smooth, thin-barked trees like honey locusts, fruit trees, ashes, oaks, maples, lindens, red buds and willows are susceptible to sunscald and bark cracks according… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-10-25T16:18:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/overwintering_tropical_plants/ http://freshare.net/article/overwintering_tropical_plants/#When:10:58:00Z Many tropical plants thrive in the heat and humidity of a typical Missouri summer and can make great outdoor patio plants. But as temperatures drop in the fall, conditions can quickly become deadly. The simplest solution to this problem is just to let them freeze and buy new plants in the spring, but that can be expensive, and… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-10-13T10:58:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/october_blooms/ http://freshare.net/article/october_blooms/#When:21:10:00Z I’m not sure we could ask for any better weather this early fall in the Ozarks. Warm days, cool nights and soft winds have carried us through most days. Except for a few showers, it’s almost spring-like outside. Even my lilac bushes think so. A few buds have popped with a bloom or two, each one with the same sweet… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-10-07T21:10:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/fall_leaves_and_faded_garden_plants_make_great_compost/ http://freshare.net/article/fall_leaves_and_faded_garden_plants_make_great_compost/#When:18:38:00Z Curbside leaf and brush removal dates will be here before we know it. If you dread filling sacks with fallen leaves, a University of Missouri Extension horticulturist suggests a less agonizing and more rewarding alternative. “The carbon content of fallen leaves is a perfect pairing for the nitrogen content of annual landscape plants in the compost bin,” says… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-10-06T18:38:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/breathe_new_life_into_perennials_with_a_little_garden_surgery/ http://freshare.net/article/breathe_new_life_into_perennials_with_a_little_garden_surgery/#When:18:19:00Z Some perennials can suffer from too much of a good thing. As it grows year after year, the perennial’s growth clump, or crown, gets so big the plant begins to compete with itself for light, water and nutrients. Eventually this self-competition will mean fewer and less-showy flowers. Not all is lost, said David Trinklein, horticulture specialist… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-09-28T18:19:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/fall_is_the_time_to_plant_trees_and_shrubs/ http://freshare.net/article/fall_is_the_time_to_plant_trees_and_shrubs/#When:12:36:00Z With the summer heat hopefully behind us for the season, Oklahoma gardeners can look forward to planting their fall gardens. David Hillock, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist, said fall is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. “Early fall planting is best for container-grown and balled and burlapped shade and ornamental trees… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-09-14T12:36:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/fall_gardening_still_time_to_grow_vegetables/ http://freshare.net/article/fall_gardening_still_time_to_grow_vegetables/#When:12:24:00Z Fall is a time when we easily get tempted to slow down or abandon garden activities after the hot summer days leave us, says Dr. Obadiah Njue, Extension horticulture specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Cooperative Extension Program. “Garden lovers may feel exhausted, and the gardens are not looking attractive,” he says. “Most warm-season vegetable… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-09-14T12:24:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/comet_debris_impacted_earth/ http://freshare.net/article/comet_debris_impacted_earth/#When:15:53:00Z A telegram was issued on July 10th by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams of the International Astronomical Union announcing that the Earth got impacted for a few hours by a stream of dust from a potentially dangerous comet last February 4. “This particular shower happens only once or twice every sixty years,” says discoverer Dr. Peter Jenniskens… Pursuits, Backyard, Night Sky 2011-08-16T15:53:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/fall_gardening_feeds_body_and_spirit/ http://freshare.net/article/fall_gardening_feeds_body_and_spirit/#When:15:39:00Z August and early September offer a reprieve from the scorching heat of summer and an opportunity to put vegetables on the dinner table well into fall. Fall planting, sometime called succession planting, takes advantage of garden plots after summer crops are harvested and removed. Falling temperatures on the horizon means a fall crop often ends up higher in… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-08-16T15:39:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/leftover_garden_seeds_can_help_attract_deer_this_fall/ http://freshare.net/article/leftover_garden_seeds_can_help_attract_deer_this_fall/#When:18:08:00Z How is your vegetable garden doing these days? Probable answers are not good, lousy, it’s dried up and dead or – if you are fortunate – fair. Prolonged hot weather and lack of rain have taken a toll on Arkansas gardens, but cheer up. Deer season is coming in a few weeks. Your leftover vegetable seeds… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-08-11T18:08:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/august_surprise_lycoris/ http://freshare.net/article/august_surprise_lycoris/#When:18:06:00Z For Missouri gardeners, August may be the cruelest month. Plants are showing wear and tear from summer heat, the luster of once-showy plants is beginning to fade, and there’s still plenty of work to do. “Another four weeks of watering, weeding and insect control isn’t a welcome thought for many gardeners,” said David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-08-11T18:06:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/tips_for_watering_your_lawn_during_a_drought/ http://freshare.net/article/tips_for_watering_your_lawn_during_a_drought/#When:21:41:00Z Hot, dry weather has put lawns to the test this summer. As a result, many homeowners are attempting to keep their lawns active and alive by irrigating. It’s normal for cool-season grasses such as fescue and bluegrass to go dormant in mid-summer, said Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension. “Dormancy is a way for… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-08-02T21:41:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/gazpacho_recipe/ http://freshare.net/article/gazpacho_recipe/#When:03:11:01Z Not sure what to do with all those tomatoes coming off the vine? Here’s a quick, easy recipe for a delicious cold soup made from home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers and red bell peppers. Add some garlic and chili powder for a hint of spice. A great way to cool off during this very hot Ozarks summer, and make good use of… Pursuits, Backyard, Cooking and Grilling 2011-07-29T03:11:01-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/freezing_summers_bounty/ http://freshare.net/article/freezing_summers_bounty/#When:20:54:00Z During the gray, cold days of winter, your garden’s bounty can be as close as your freezer. Freezing fresh fruits and vegetables now lets you enjoy them long after the growing season. Freezing is the safest and easiest way to preserve produce from your garden or the farmers market, says Tammy Roberts, a University of Missouri Extension nutrition… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-07-28T20:54:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/twisted_tale_of_our_galaxys_ring/ http://freshare.net/article/twisted_tale_of_our_galaxys_ring/#When:20:44:00Z New observations from the Herschel Space Observatory show a bizarre, twisted ring of dense gas at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Only a few portions of the ring, which stretches across more than 600 light-years, were known before. Herschel’s view reveals the entire ring for the first time, and a strange kink that has astronomers scratching their heads.… Pursuits, Backyard, Night Sky 2011-07-21T20:44:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/hot_weather_playing_havoc_in_home_gardens/ http://freshare.net/article/hot_weather_playing_havoc_in_home_gardens/#When:15:11:00Z Weeks of hot, dry weather are causing disappointment for home vegetable and fruit growers who, despite lavishing care on their plants, aren’t seeing the fruits of their labors. “I am getting tons of calls,” said Jerri Lephiew, Ouachita County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “Everyone’s garden is crashing. People aren’t seeing fruit setting… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-07-19T15:11:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/tomato_tips_answers_from_an_expert/ http://freshare.net/article/tomato_tips_answers_from_an_expert/#When:21:03:00Z During the blazing hot summer months, few things are as enjoyable as growing and sinking your teeth into your own ripe Arkansas tomato. And for home growers, there comes the inevitable question: is there something wrong with my tomato plant?  Mark Keaton, Baxter County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, addresses some of the most… Pursuits, Backyard, Gardening and Landscaping 2011-06-23T21:03:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/parts_of_moons_interior_as_wet_as_earths_upper_mantle/ http://freshare.net/article/parts_of_moons_interior_as_wet_as_earths_upper_mantle/#When:20:09:00Z Parts of the moon’s interior contains as much water as the upper mantle of the Earth - 100 times more of the precious liquid than measured before – research from Case Western Reserve University, Carnegie Institution for Science, and Brown University shows. The scientists discovered water along with volatile elements in lunar magma trapped inside of crystals that… Pursuits, Backyard, Night Sky 2011-05-26T20:09:00-06:00 http://freshare.net/article/better_than_coffee_planets_align_in_the_morning_sky/ http://freshare.net/article/better_than_coffee_planets_align_in_the_morning_sky/#When:15:22:00Z Have you ever woken up at the crack of dawn, shuffled to the kitchen counter for your first cup of joe, only to discover that you’re out of coffee beans? Cruel. This week it’s not a problem, because there’s something to open your eyes even better than coffee. Four bright planets are aligning in the morning… Pursuits, Backyard, Night Sky 2011-05-10T15:22:00-06:00