In the brief and to the point videos embedded below, Dr. Zane Raudenbush, former turf grass scientist at The Ohio State University, gives a five step presentation on lawn renovation. If you are considering a renovation of your lawn, it needs to begin in august and be completed by mid-September.

Assessing the current situation and getting started

Non Selective Herbicide Apps

Seedbed preparation

Turfgrass Selection and Seeding

The need and strategy for irrigation when seeding the new lawn

Lawn Renovation,The Final Step: Mowing and Summary

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County, OSU Extension

After harvest, only rinse produce with clean water and dry with a clean cloth. Photo: Terese Houle

With harvest heavily underway in most home gardens and kitchens full of produce to process, home produce gardeners may be wondering if some of their produce is safe to eat. Shoppers in the grocery store may have similar questions. Today we’ll talk about some common concerns with home grown produce and how to care for harvested produce once it is in your kitchen.

As a rule, only rinse produce with clean water and dry with a clean cloth. You can do more harm than good attempting to cleanse produce with soaps or disinfectants. Produce is porous and can absorb cleaning solutions that are not intended to be consumed. If the produce cannot be cleansed for storage, cooking, or fresh eating with just a water rinse and a gentle scrub brush, discard it. Always wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling your produce. Also, do not Continue reading Is my garden harvest safe to eat? →

For over 20 years the pumpkin field day held at the Western Ag Research Station in South Charleston has hosted growers from around the state giving them a wide array of production and pest management research, demonstration, tips and tricks. Instead of driving over to the research station, participate virtually from your home, business or favorite coffee house / brewery!

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we won’t be able to hold a field day in person this year, but we are working hard to bring you the results of several demonstration and research projects via a pre-recorded video stream that will air on the OSU IPM YouTube channel on August 27 at 6 PM.

Registration for the virtual event will be necessary so we can send out the viewing links between August 26-27 for the roughly hour long field day. Please register at the link below by Continue reading Annual Pumpkin Field Day Goes Virtual! →

– Garth Ruff, OSU Extension, Henry County

Cucumbers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Photo: Terese Houle

Cucumbers are a warm weather crop that are easy to grow in full sun and in fertile, moist soil. They prefer a soil pH between 6 and 6.5 or slightly acidic. Cucumbers do not like cold weather so direct sow seeds when soil temperatures are above 70F and evening air temperatures do not dip below 60F. Plant seeds 1 – 1.5″ deep, spaced 2″ apart and provide 5 – 6′ between rows so the vines can spread. If seeds are started indoors, take care not to disturb the taproot when transplanting. To thin cucumbers, cut or pinch rather than pulling seedlings which can damage the roots of other plants.

Once in the ground, cucumbers are heavy feeders and the addition of Continue reading Cucumbers! →

– Garth Ruff, OSU Extension, Henry County

Photo: Terese Houle

While I am not much of a gardener, I really enjoy this time of the year with all of the fresh local produce and there is a growing selection at the farmers markets. If you have a garden and want more vegetables, it can be as easy as picking more often. Vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers and snap beans will continue to produce if they are harvested at peak ripeness and not left to over mature. If the vegetables are left on, plant hormones are produced that slow down the production of new blossoms. The plant will direct its energy to producing seeds inside the mature vegetable. Plants such as zucchini, summer squash and snap beans can be Continue reading Keep picking, or planting, and your garden will keep producing! →