MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three similar-seeming, grassy-looking weeds appear early each spring.

All three grow from underground bulbs. All three are perennials that not only come back every year, but also spread. All three form clumps that are bothersome in gardens and unsightly in lawns.

Wild garlic and wild onion are fairly easy to control in March, said Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension. But, Star-of-Bethlehem has no easy solution.

Upham outlined these characteristics to help homeowners recognize which weeds are at work:

* Wild garlic (Allium vineale) has waxy, upright, needle-shaped leaves that are round and hollow, grow 8-12 inches long, and smell like garlic – as do its underground bulbs. The plant’s April-June flowers appear on short stems and vary in color from reddish purple to pink to greenish white.

* Wild onion (Allium canadense) also has waxy, upright, needle-shaped leaves that grow 8-12 inches long. But, they are flat and solid, not round and hollow. And, only the plant’s scaly-looking bulbs have a strong onion odor. Its April-June flowers have no stem and are white with pink-red accents.

* Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) is a bedding plant that escaped. Its sprawling, thick, waxy leaves have a white stripe running down the center rib. It has little to no odor. The plant’s pure-white, six-petal flowers appear in late spring. Then the plant dies back, only to appear again in fall.

"All parts of the Star-of-Bethlehem are toxic, but especially the bulbs," Upham warned.

He recommends spot spraying the weeds, if appropriate, adding a sticker-spreader to the spray.

"A number of common herbicides list wild garlic and wild onions on their label. County Extension offices can share university recommendations," Upham said. "But, another approach is to try digging up these three weeds. Or, homeowners may want to try Weed Free Zone or Speed Zone on all three, since Virginia Tech has had some success with Star-of-Bethlehem and a carfentrazone product."



 

2) Men More Likely to Get Foodborne Illness

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 47.4 incidents of foodborne illness per 100,000 men, compared to 41.5 incidents per 100,000 women, according to a Kansas State University scientist.

Men can be more likely to contract foodborne illness, said Fadi Aramouni, K-State Research and Extension food scientist based in Kansas State University’s Food Science Institute.

The reason?

Aramouni suspects that women may have greater knowledge of safe food-handling practices, such as avoiding cross-contamination, and may wash their hands more frequently.

More information on food safety and health is available at local or district K-State Research and Extension offices and on Kansas Extension’s food safety Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu/foodsafety/.



 

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Spring is a prime tree-planting time in the High Plains – which makes spring the seasonal start for most windbreak, woodlot and other large tree plantings.

But, even planting in spring doesn’t guarantee success. And, individually watering and fertilizing a new "forest" until it’s well-established is a practical impossibility.

"To have a successful planting, you have to consider how to control the weeds and grass that otherwise will compete for valuable moisture and nutrients. That can include your taking action in March," said Bob Atchison, rural forestry coordinator for the Kansas Forest Service.

The goal is to establish a weed- and grass-free radius of about 3 to 4 feet around each tree, Atchison said. That radius will remain important through the first three years that each seedling tree is in the ground..

The forester said Kansans commonly control weeds and grass in large plantings by using cultivation, herbicides, organic mulch, and/or weed barrier fabric.

Often, cultivation is important to prepare a site for tree planting. Applying a post-emergent herbicide such as glyphosate (Round Up) can be a good pre-planting practice, too, if weeds or grass are present.

But, a single application of the right pre-emergent herbicide over the top of a tree row in a 4-feet wide band can control weeds and grass for up to 6 to 8 months each year, Atchison said. Pendulum is one of the more popular pre-emergent herbicides for tree plantings.

"You just need to make the application in March before the weed and grass seeds germinate," he said.

Organic mulches can be hard work to apply and maintain in bulk, although they improve the soil.

Weed barrier fabric, on the other hand, is a plastic mulch that comes in large 6-feet wide rolls or 4x4-feet squares. It allows water to move through, while suppressing competing plant growth. It’s tough enough to withstand deer and can last 8 to 10 years – much longer than needed for seedlings to get a good start, he said,

"The initial outlay may seem expensive. All you have to do, though, is place the fabric over the top of the newly planted trees and then cut center slits to pull each tree through," Atchison said.



 

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a pretty green milkshake that combines the tastes of lime sherbet and a banana. (If you’re not counting calories, add a "shamrock" of four chocolate cookies, too. The mixture of flavors is delicious!) The recipe for this easy-to-make shake comes from Kansas State University Research and Extension’s Family Nutrition Program. It makes two 1-cup servings.

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 ripe banana
• 1 cup lime sherbet

1. Wash your hands.

2. Pour milk into blender (or see Helpful Hints below).

3. Add lime sherbet and peeled, chopped banana.

4. Blend all ingredients until smooth and then serve.

"To blend" simply means to mix two or more ingredients. For some recipes, you can blend with a spoon, spatula or electric mixer. If you don’t have a blender for this recipe, however, try using a whisk. Or, mash the banana with a fork and then shake up the ingredients in a well-sealed container.

The only way to measure liquids accurately is to use a glass or plastic measuring cup and to bend down so your eye level is even with the cup’s side. If you look down as you pour liquid into a measuring cup, your result may appear to be the right amount. But, if you bend over to check, the liquid probably won’t line up exactly with the cup’s measurement line.

Most milk cartons carry a "sell by" date, indicating the last day the store can keep it on sale. Once you open a current carton at home, however, it still should stay fresh for about five days.

When milk starts to taste sour, throw the rest of the carton away. Sour milk won’t make you sick, but it certainly doesn’t taste good!

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Per serving: 200 calories, 1.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 5 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram dietary fiber, 105 milligrams sodium.

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Recipe used with permission from the Kids in the Kitchen curriculum produced by University of Missouri and Lincoln University of Missouri Research and Extension. K-State Research and Extension’s Kids a Cookin' program is funded by the USDA 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



 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Blender use is simple.

At the same time, it can be a ingredient-waster or mess-maker, said Kathy Walsten, nutrition educator with Kansas State University Research and Extension. But, that generally happens only if the user forgets these common-sense steps:

1. Place ingredient container on the base and twist until it feels firm, locked. THEN plug base in.

2. In most cases, add liquids first.

3. Cut fresh fruits and vegetables into 1-inch pieces before placing in the blender.

4. Do not fill container more than two-thirds full. Do large quantities of food in smaller batches.

5. PUT THE LID ON before turning on the power.

6. While blending, keep one hand on the blender’s lid and one on the base controls.

7. To keep from blending "too much," use a quick on-and-off technique.

8. To scrape or move food around, turn the blender off and use a rubber spatula.

9. Use both hands to twist the container free. Then remove lid and pour contents into cups or bowls.

10. To clean, fill container two-thirds full with warm water and a drop or two of liquid detergent. Turn blender on and off several times. Rinse container well. Unplug base and wipe with damp, not wet cloth.



 

• Blender, whisk or the like
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cup
• Rubber spatula
• Ice cream scoop or spoon