The following is a common scenario on many farms: We were making it, but workdays were long, leisure time short. Some days we worked from sunup to well past sundown and still had supper to prepare. We hadn’t been on a vacation in several years, partly because we were reinvesting all profits in the farm and partly because we felt that we couldn’t leave.…We didn’t have training systems or standards in place that would allow other people to perform even simple tasks that were needed to keep the farm going in our absence. Our production, on the whole was erratic: every week we seemed to seesaw be ..read more

Watering a garden is one of those things that sound simple and really aren’t. Sure, anyone can pour a bucket of water over a plant. But when we are dealing with drought, every drop must count. Likewise, when we have a large garden and a few other responsibilities, every minute must count, as well. So what is the best way to water a garden? Let’s find out. First Things First: Why We Water Why we water is simple, right? We water to keep the plants alive. Well, yes, but actually it is a little more complicated than that. When providing mineral nutrition, is it better to feed the plants or feed t ..read more

No backyard? No problem! Even if you don’t have a great deal of room to grow, you can still raise some of your own food. Part of the beauty of gardening is that it can easily be adapted to nearly any scale or circumstance with a little ingenuity. Here are 5 ways to raise fruits and vegetables when you are short on space. Indoor Gardening With a south-facing window and maybe a grow light, indoor gardening can be a simple way to get started. Herbs are extremely easy to grow indoors, and raising your own will enable you to avoid the heavy metal contamination rampant these days, particularly when ..read more

The basic principles that mark the creation of a landrace are just as applicable to plants as to animals ..read more

Vermiculite is a natural mineral (magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate) that is heat-treated until it expands and curls, creating a light, fluffy texture ..read more

Bermudagrass. Growing that picture-perfect lawn can be difficult in Kansas due to our challenging climate and sometimes less-than-ideal soils. Add to the fact that some lawn owners these days want to avoid irrigating their lawns from dwindling aquifers, and the challenge becomes more difficult. The solution to these problems is to choose species and varieties of grass that are adapted to Kansas conditions. Adapted species require considerably less maintenance to thrive, regardless of the circumstances thrown their way. Bermudagrass Bermudagrass presents a pleasing appearance to many, being low ..read more

You may have heard the adage, “You can’t have too much compost.” But is it true? A recurring theme we see in nature is balance. Too much or too little of anything typically causes problems. The Perfect Soil The ideal soil is made up of four major components: 45% minerals. 25% atmosphere (largely carbon dioxide). 25% moisture. 5% organic matter, such as compost. Some fluctuation in the soil composition is perfectly normal, and most plants can handle these typical changes. Problems occurs when the soil becomes seriously unbalanced, containing a significantly different proportion of these comp ..read more

Most gardening resources list the mineral needs of plants. But do plants, like humans and animals, need vitamins? The answers may not be quite what you expect. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Vitamin B1 is often recommended for trees and other larger plants to prevent transplanting shock. It is important to note that the early research done on the effects of vitamin B1 on plants involved mixing the vitamin with auxins, or natural plant growth regulators. Later studies that used vitamin B1 alone did not show the same results. Healthy, vibrant soil contains many microbes that produce this vitamin, and pl ..read more

Northern pecans are a crop that has been grown with success in Kansas. While the varieties adapted to the cooler temperatures of Kansas do not yield as prolifically as their Southern counterparts, the flavor is believed by some to be far superior. A common question that beginning pecan growers have is about irrigation. Just how much water does a pecan tree need? Factors affecting pecan water consumption include: Tree size. Maturity. Stage of nut development. Air temperature. Average Pecan Water Needs As previously mentioned, the rate at which a pecan uses water varies with maturity. A young ..read more

You may not think of winter as a prime time to garden, but actually there is a great deal that you can do toward ensuring a bountiful harvest during the winter months. So what can you do now to get your garden off to a good start next year? There are two main ways to approach winter soil improvement: The mulch method. The cover crop method. The Mulch Method The simplest way to improve soil over the winter is simply to cover it with a thick layer of organic material. This mulch will protect the soil from the elements, and it will break down and contribute nutrients. You can use any organic m ..read more