MANHATTAN, Kan. – Iris leaf spot has run rampant through home landscapes over the past two to three years. The disease fungus overwinters in dead iris foliage and uses the wind or splashing water to spread its spores again the following spring.

"It’s a disease to take seriously, even though generally it only attacks and sometimes kills iris leaves. If you allow it to go unchecked, repeated attacks will reduce plant vigor to the point the iris may die. At best, the plant will be vulnerable to other problems," said Ward Upham, who heads the Master Gardener program for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

The No. 1 prevention for iris leaf spot is to remove and destroy iris leaves while the plants are dormant – any time from late fall through early spring, Upham said.

"But, if your plants had the disease last year, I’d also recommend applying fungicide this spring when the new leaves appear," he said. "Because iris leaves are waxy, you’ll need to include a spreader-sticker in your spray to ensure good coverage. For real control, you’ll also need to repeat sprays every seven to 10 days for a total of four to six treatments."

Fungicides labeled for iris leaf spot control include chlorothalonil (Daconil), myclobutanil (Immunox), mancozeb, and the copper fungicides.

"Any one of them can do a good job, if applied as directed on the product label," Upham said.



 

STOCKTON, Kan. – A 4-H club challenge has food on the move in Rooks County.

"Seven 4-H clubs have challenged each other to see which club can gather the most non-perishable items for local food pantries before 4-H Club Day, March 6," said Anna Muir, the Kansas State University Research and Extension 4-H youth development agent in the county.

The effort is part of Kansas 4-H’s year-long centennial project, which encourages 4-H clubs to (1) organize non-perishable food drives; (2) grow produce and donate it to local food pantries and congregate meal sites; (3) collect monetary donations for local food pantries; and/or (4) donate time for stocking food pantry shelves, boxing up food for distribution or working at a meal site.

According to Kansas Nutrition Network Coordinator Karen Fitzgerald, one in 10 Kansas families report food insecurity – an inability to access enough food for health.

Hunger affects urban, suburban and rural areas. Anyone can be vulnerable, because a job loss or illness can interrupt income and make it difficult to put food on the table, Fitzgerald said.

More than 130 4-H members – representing the LiveWire, Eager Beaver, Mt. Pleasant, Star, Palco, Woodston Sunflower, and Helpful Hands 4-H clubs – are participating in the Rooks County food drive, Muir said.

For more information or to make a donation, interested persons can contact Muir at 785-425-6851.



 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Garden catalogs often sell apple trees that bear more than one variety. A single tree, for example, may produce jonathan, red delicious and golden delicious apples.

"They can be a real conversation piece, as well as a space saver. Before you order one, however, you should read the fine print. And, if you can’t find out everything you need to know, you should do some investigating," said Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Such trees are a result of the miracle of grafting, Upham said. The roots usually are from a variety known for its dwarf characteristics. Only the grafted-on branches come from the advertised apple-producing varieties – which is okay UNLESS:

* The varieties vary in vigor, creating good odds the stronger ones will crowd the weaker ones.

* The varieties vary in disease resistance. That often means a choice between (a) protecting the susceptible varieties and wasting chemicals by also getting spray on the resistant varieties or (b) protecting the environment and losing some or all of the susceptible branches and/or fruit to disease.

"Yet another potential hazard relates to a question that each gardener must answer honestly: Can I recognize individual grafts well enough that I won’t accidentally prune off an entire variety while taking care of this tree?" Upham said.



 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With the days growing longer and spring just around the corner, cattle producers can take steps now to mitigate some of the odor and insect problems that warmer weather brings, a Kansas State University scientist said.

"Producers can clean feedlots or areas of manure accumulation during the next couple of months before spring planting and grass green-up begin," said Joel DeRouchey, livestock production specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

Confined feeding pens and temporary wintertime feeding sites are prime contributors to odor emissions if not properly cleaned and maintained, he explained.

Also, fly production from such sites is much greater when manure and wasted feed are present. For livestock, this can create a nuisance and a potential reduction in animal performance for the remainder of the summer.

More information about livestock production is available on the K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry Web site at http://www.asi.ksu.edu.



 

What fun! Kids can see what’s happening as they shake up simple ingredients and turn them into homemade ice cream. This action-packed recipe comes from Kansas State University Research and Extension’s Family Nutrition Program. It yields a single one-bag serving of cool pleasure.

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons soft fruit
• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup rock salt
• ice cubes
   

1. Wash your hands.

2. Open a pint-size, zip-type bag. Add sugar, vanilla and soft fruit. Seal bag tightly and mix ingredients well by squeezing with fingers.

3. Open bag again and add milk. Squeeze out extra air and zip bag tightly. Mix ingredients well.

4. Open a gallon-size, zip-type bag. Add rock salt and fill halfway with ice cubes.

5. Put sealed pint-size bag inside the gallon bag and seal well.

6. Shake the "bag in a bag" for 5 to 10 minutes or until the liquid has changed to ice cream.

Helpful Hints:

Try a variety of fruit in the ice cream. Ripe bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches or pears will all work well.

Be warned. If the bags aren’t tightly sealed before mixing and shaking, you’ll have a mess! Turning liquid into ice cream takes lots of shaking and turning, so you may need to involve more than one person. And, holding a bag of ice can make hands really cold. (Using oven mitts during the shaking process or wrapping the big, sealed bag in a towel can be a good idea.)

Remember to wash fresh fruit before adding it to the ice cream mixture.

Be careful when removing the small bag of ice cream from the larger bag. Also, rinse off the small bag before opening. You don’t want to allow any rock salt to get in the ice cream.

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Per serving: 130 calories, 4 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated), 10 mg cholesterol, 4 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams dietary fiber, 55 milligrams sodium.

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Kids a Cookin' is an educational program produced by Kansas State University Research and Extension's Family Nutrition Program and funded by USDA's Food Stamp Program through a contract with Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS). More information, more recipes and cooking tips, and a link to a Spanish version are available on the Kids a Cookin' Web site: http://www.kidsacookin.ksu.edu.

– Source: Kathy Walsten, Family Nutrition Program, K-State Research and Extension



 

• 1 pint & 1 gallon zip-type bags
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Knife
• Cutting board