By Dave Case
On Fertile Ground
Welcome to another addition of “On Fertile Ground,” your local source of timely homeowner, garden and agricultural information for Champaign County.
Weather, Politics and Paw Paws!
Considering our severe drought, the question remains: “Is my lawn dead or dormant” and what will it take to green up again? Yes, we got several inches of rain over the weekend from Helene, around 3 inches
While I was more than glad to get the moisture as it greened up our pasture and lawn nicely and our livestock has something to eat again, I was quite heartbroken to see the damage down south in Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina. This will take months if not years to recover from. All the roads washed out; homes lost; people passed away.
With a dormant lawn, grass is yellow or brown but not brittle and the roots are still alive. When you pull the grass, the roots stay in the ground. It will green up once we get rainfall.
A dying lawn, grass is brittle and breaks easily. When you pull the grass, roots come out easily.
Aerate to allow water to penetrate more easily. You can overseed any patchy areas. Purchase seed that is drought resistant. Use a slow-release fertilizer.
In just over a month, the election will be over, and life will go on. Regardless over your affiliation, it’s not been fun. I’ve gotten more than weary of the constant Brown/Moreno ads. That money could have been put to so much better of a use for others in need.
But that got me to thinking, how would these two handle fall weather and lawn duties!
Something like this?
“My fellow citizens, as the leaves begin to fall, so too must we rise—yes, rise from our couches! This is not just about raking; it’s about freedom! Freedom from clogged gutters, slippery walkways, and, dare say, that stubborn patch of crabgrass that mocks us all.
I promise you; no leaf will be left behind. We must rake with diligence, mow with courage, and mulch with enthusiasm. Some will tell you to let nature take its course. Well, folks, that’s how we ended up with squirrels running this country.
And remember, when the going gets tough and the wind blows your leaf pile back into the yard, we don’t quit! We gather more bags and fight for a cleaner lawn, for a greener tomorrow. Let’s make our lawns great again! Thank you, and God bless our gardens!”
Fall garden cleanup! It’s time!
If you had any disease issues, pull up the plants and place in a waste bin; do not compost. Same with any plants that had pest damage.
Might be good to replace any mulch that had pest or disease issues.
All other healthy plants can be left alone until late winter/early spring. If you do this, the decomposition helps provide organic material, and leftover seed heads are good for wildlife.
What else to do this October?
Fertilize your cool season lawn. Get a soil test and apply what might be needed.
Plant bulbs like tulips, daffodils and crocuses, hyacinths, and alliums.
Don’t forget garlic, onions and shallots. For onions, they prefer well drained and fertile locations. They also like sun. Plant root end down, cover with 2”-3” of soil and about 6” down. Try some this year!
First Frost. Tell me it isn’t so! They say it is normally somewhere October 11-October 20.
Local County Quiz Time: Everyone can come up with 2 of our state parks and nature preserves in Champaign County! Easy! Cedar Bog and Kiser Lake of course.
Okay, name the third one. It’s Davey Woods over just east of St Paris on Lonesome Road. There’s 3! We have one more!
I dare say no one will get this one! It’s called the Siegenthaler-Kaestner Esker State Nature Preserve! It covers 37 acres just south of Springhills on Couchman Road. No, I’ve not been there myself but next time I’m near West Liberty, I’ll check it out. We can hike and go birding. Their website says it’s “one of the finest glacial eskers remaining in Ohio” What’s an esker? An esker is long, winding ridge of sand and gravel left behind by meltwater streams flowing under glaciers. The esker at this preserve stretches for 1.5 miles, making it one of the best-preserved eskers in Ohio. Who knew!?
Lastly, paw paws! If you have not tried this delectable fruit, do so. We planted 10 seedlings this year under the watchful eye of our own Marc Stadler. More on this in coming issues!
Champaign County Ag Sector
Recent rainfall brought some nice relief but it’s still not enough. Did this return us to “normal”? USDA says we are still in “extreme drought.”
Rainfall wise, data suggests we are at 33.11 inches and our 30-year average is 33.67 inches. We had some big swings this year, January +62%, March +56%, June -48%.
What is the black fungus in my corn and beans? It’s known as the saprophytic fungus and helps break down plant material. It’s a natural decomposition which helps improve soil quality. Generally, not a concern other than appearance. But can cause respiratory issues so wear a mask if you can and improve ventilation. But it shouldn’t affect grain quality or harvest other than making our machines black.
Deer season approaches! Be aware of cases of suspected hemorrhagic disease. Deer may seem very thin, feverish and stay near water. Could also see swelling of the head, neck, tongue or eyelids. This disease does not affect humans, and it occurs happens about every 5-10 years.
Late tar Spot. I think the hot and dry weather we had this summer mitigated it’s spread. Might be more of an issue in late planted corn. Cost of fungicide treatments and lower commodity prices limited fungicide use on both corn and beans.
First it was the rail strike in August 2024, now it’s a longshoremen’s strike along the east coast. What’s the effect? No immediate food shortages but stay tuned. Things hinge on how quick both sides can come to an agreement. Things like export delays (corn and soybeans), input shortages (fertilizer, parts and chemicals), price volatility, perishability of fruits, vegetables and dairy products and increased transportation costs for grain are possible.
Till next month!
Question or comments? Email me at [email protected].
A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Dave Case majored in Agronomy and Ag Econ with an emphasis in Weed Science. Dave’s career spanned Champaign Landmark, Crow’s Hybrid Corn Company and 30 years with Bayer CropScience. In 2018, Case formed Case Ag Consulting LLC. He is a member of Alpha Gamma Rho Agricultural Fraternity. He is on the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Association of Kentucky, Chairman of the Ohio AgriBusiness Association Educational Trust Foundation and Secretary of the Alpha Gamma Rho Alumni Board. He is on the Board of Directors of the Champaign Family YMCA, Champaign County Historical Society Agricultural Capital Campaign Committee and is a Trustee for the Champaign County Farm Bureau. Dave and his wife Dorothy live on a small farm south of Urbana where they raise goats, cattle, chickens and various crops and they donate all profits to Pancreatic Cancer Research. Dave can be reached at [email protected].
