Agriculture

With the end of the growing season looming, it is still a good time to divide your perennials.  If your perennials didn’t perform as well this year as they have in the past even with plenty of rainfall, it is probably because they need dividing.  When perennials get overcrowded they don’t bloom well and usually go into a decline meaning more disease, insect, and disease problems.  This year the extra wet weather caused several more disease issues than normal.

Project clubs are reorganizing for the year, and this week I have included dates of upcoming meetings.  Anyone with questions on the following clubs should contact the extension office at 336-7741.

The 4-H Young Riders will have their annual awards night on Monday, Oct. 19, 6:30 p.m. at the extension office.  New members and parents are welcome to come and should bring a potluck dish. Put Nov. 16 on your calendar for the next meeting and all meetings are held on the third Monday of the month.

It’s time to start bringing in houseplants and tender bulbs before we get really cold, or worse, we have a frost or freeze.   Before actually bringing your houseplants in for the winter you need to do a little work to ward off problems down the road. 

The plant and pot should be washed with a good spray of water from the hose and allowed to dry completely.  Next, you should spray the entire plant and pot with an insecticidal soap.  Make sure you spray the undersides of the leaves. This is where most plant pests are located.

I always feel like fall has officially begun when Springfield hosts their annual festival the first weekend in October.  The Crossroads Harvest Festival, Oct. 2 – 4 will include many activities and will involve many community members including 4-H.  The 4-H Young Riders will be holding their annual horse rides at the corner of Depot and Armory Hill and the 4-H Sharpshooters will be selling cotton candy, soft drinks and tickets for their annual giveaway on Cross Main close to the intersection of Depot Street.