Taste of Spring
Well I guess the groundhog wasn’t all wrong when he didn’t see his shadow over the weekend. This Monday was as nice of an early February day as I can remember. However, it appears that we will encounter a cold snap or two going forward. Thus far it’s almost like 2020 has been the winter that never was.
Over the weekend I ventured back down to southern Ohio after the first session of our Ohio Beef Schools in Licking County. Excessive moisture has made things muddier in that part of the state, especially where livestock are being fed hay. On a positive note the family sheep flock has all lambed with the exception of three stubborn ewes that are holding out for the next 17 day cycle.
There is still time to attend for NW Ohio Crops Day in Deshler. We will be down that way this afternoon getting things set up. There is plenty room for walk-ins tomorrow morning. So, come on down, hopefully learn a thing or two, and visit some of the sponsors of the day’s event. It would be remiss of me if I did not thank those sponsors who make NW Ohio Crops Day and all of our Extension events possible. As a reminder there are private and commercial applicator credits available. Also, new this year there will be Bavarian Haus coffee cake for breakfast (which I hear is tremendous).
One of the more common questions I get, is when to seed and apply weed control in the lawn. With weather like we are having, you may think this is a crazy statement, but it is almost time to plant in our yards. There is a method called “frost seeding” where you apply seed to the ground and the freezing and thawing of the soil in February and early March will provide seed to soil contact allowing germination of the seed. There is a little more risk of the seed not germinating than a traditional seeding, but the cost and time is a lot less.
The secret is to have exposed soil. If you have exposed soil in your yard, simply sprinkle seed on the soil and let the frosts work it in. If the ground is thawed, you can step on the seed or roll it to improve contact. Make sure you use a similar seed variety when planting grass because some cultivars have different visible characteristics. If you are not sure of the type of grass you have, bring in a sample for me to identify.
Lastly, we are wrapping up Henry County 4-H week here in the office. Perhaps you have seen the large 4-H clover in the courthouse lawn. While each individual H on the clover stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Heath, but for many 4-H program alumni, me included, it means a bit more. We are fortunate to have a top-notch program here in not only Henry County, but across the state of Ohio at the forefront of our Extension service. I’ll end this week with a thought from, Winston Churchhill: “Kites rise highest against the wind – not with it.” Have a great week.
Upcoming Events
2/7 NW Ohio Crops Day
3/2 Gearing Up for On Farm Research
Garth Ruff,
Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator
OSU Henry County Extension