Protecting Your Garden from Rabbits
Repellents
Rabbit browsing can be discouraged by repellents. Taste repellents, such as Rabbit Scat (ziram), make plants distasteful. Odor repellents, such as Hinder (ammonium soaps), drive rabbits away from treated areas by their strong odor. Unfortunately, repellents are not always effective. Rabbits may become accustomed to the disagreeable odor. Others may ignore the poor taste. In addition, most repellents must be reapplied after heavy rains.

Fencing
The most effective way to prevent rabbit damage in home gardens is to place chicken wire (the mesh should be 1-inch or smaller), 1/4-inch hardware cloth or other fencing materials around vulnerable plants. To provide adequate protection, the fence should be 1.5 to 2 feet tall. Support the fence with wooden stakes or metal posts. To keep rabbits from crawling underneath the fence, pin it tightly to the ground with u-shaped landscape pins or bury the bottom 1 to 2 inches below the ground.

In the home landscape, rabbit control is difficult. A combination of repellents, and fencing usually provide the best results. I have also found that since I have a large dog in my back yard I have no problems with rabbits.

Applying Preemergence Herbicide to your Lawn?
Now is the time to Applying Preemergence Herbicide to your Lawn. The soil temperature in Howard County is now at 55 F. The key to successful control of crabgrass in lawns is the correct timing of the preemergence herbicide application. Crabgrass seeds begin to germinate when soil temperatures reach 55 to 60 F and continue to germinate over several weeks from spring into summer. If the material is applied too early, crabgrass seeds that germinate late in the season will not be controlled. Normally, preemergence herbicides should be applied in late April to early May in our par of the state. The timing of the preemergence herbicide application will vary somewhat from year to year because of weather conditions.  

 

Organic Farmer forum

The Howard County Extension office is hosting an organic farmer information exchange meeting on June 12, 2008 at the Extension office at 132 1st Ave. West, Cresco IA.  The meeting is open to anyone currently farming organically or thinking about changing over to organic farming.  There is no cost, no agenda, just a free flow of information between people who want to learn and share information with each other. The meeting starts at 7 PM and ends when people are ready to go home around 9 or 9:30. If you would like more information about this forum call Howard Co. Extension office at 563-547-3001 and ask for Charlie.

skb 5/7/2008