1)  Volunteer Your Thumb, Green or Not
         
OLATHE, Kan. -- Horticulturist Chelsey Wasem was inspired when she read the headline “Obama raises hand, lifts a nation.”

She knew, of course, that truly “lifting” the United States would require lots of hands, not just the high spirits engendered by President Obama’s inaugural oath.

But, she also knew that green and not-so-green thumbs like those of people she meets every day can and do help “lift” communities. They accomplish it in diverse and effective ways, simply through gardening.

“That kind of focus is far beyond seeing what well-selected, healthy plants can do for curb appeal,” said Wasem, who’s based in Olathe with Johnson County’s Kansas State University Research and Extension office.

Scientific research has proven plants can be “amazingly therapeutic, both mentally and physically,” she said.

For example, several studies have found that one or two mature trees and a little grass can actually make people in inner city housing projects more optimistic, less aggressive and better at decision making. Others have shown that simply walking through a garden can reduce blood pressure.

“Plants can also provide vital elements of nutrition for the human body,” the horticulturist said. “They can help conserve and even improve other natural resources, such as soil and water.”

When Wasem searched for “garden” on the Web site at http://www.volunteermatch.org, she found an array of “green thumb” opportunities. They fell into such categories as community gardens, special-needs gardens and after-school gardening programs.

“Zoos, botanical gardens and research centers are often looking for help, too,” she said. “K-State’s John C. Pair Center near Wichita, for example, has an official Hortador program for volunteers with skills ranging from carpentry and mechanics to office work and gardening.

“Many of these places are non-profits, so the ability to find free materials for recycling can be useful. So can finding cost-effective purchases, hauling supplies, getting donations, and designing irrigation systems or the like.”

Wasem added that county Extension offices are another place to investigate. Those that offer the Extension Master Gardener program, for example, also require EMG volunteer activities in the community to “pay back” for the training. Extension also is the home for such volunteer activities as the (community) PRIDE program, the Family and Community Leadership Program, and 4-H.

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2)  Prolong Water Heater Life             


MANHATTAN, Kan. -- In a hard-water area, draining one or two gallons from a water heater every month or two can help reduce the buildup of minerals and other sediments. That will prolong the life of the appliance, said Bruce Snead, Kansas State University Research and Extension residential energy specialist.

The placement of a water heater may make draining it difficult – or impossible, Snead said. Or, if not in the habit of draining the heater regularly, a homeowner may find the spigot or water line to be corroded or otherwise clogged and thus immovable.

Other maintenance steps to maintain a water heater will depend on the type/model, but may include:

•  Checking the temperature and pressure valve every six months.

•  Inspecting the anode rod every three to four years.

On average, residential water heaters consume 13 to 17 percent of the energy used within the home, Snead said.

More information on choosing and using a residential water heater is available at county and district Extension offices, on the K-State Research and Extension Engineering Web site (http://www.sustainable-energy.ksu.edu), and    on the EPA-Department of Energy page at http://www.energystar.gov.

A basic, overall home maintenance guide can be downloaded from http://www.oznet.ksu.edu by searching for S134C (“Basic Home Maintenance”).     

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3)  ‘Best’ Pruning Time Has Arrived

           
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas’ deciduous trees were fully dormant by early January. Their achieving that status began the part of winter that many experts consider the best time of the year for pruning, said Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Owners of two tree types tend to be the first to get out saws and loppers, Upham said. Their trees and reasons are:

* Fruit trees. Pruning early is part of working to achieve the strongest branch structure possible for holding heavy fruit. It also allows owners time to apply a scale-controlling dormant oil before March 1 (the usual deadline) without wasting any spray on branches destined to be to cut out and discarded.

* “Bleeder” trees, including such maples as the silver, sugar, amur, Norway and hedge plus such other species as the black walnut, pecan, birch, mulberry and Osage orange (also called hedge tree). Temperatures in the 20- to 32-degree range help limit the sap flow from these trees’ fresh-cut wounds – a flow that in warm weather can be both plentiful and disturbing-looking.

“Just before the year’s leaves emerge is a good time to prune almost any deciduous tree or shrub, though,” Upham said. “After all, without any leaves in your way, judging structure can be much easier. You won’t be nearly as likely to miss branches that are weak, damaged, rubbing or badly attached.

“Plus, spring will be rolling around in a matter of weeks. That’s when almost all pruned plants have the best odds for a quick, healthy recovery.”

The one factor that should delay any late-winter pruning has to do with the weather.

“Pruning when temperatures are below 20 degrees is not a good idea. Doing so brings the risk of internal wood-tissue injury,” he said. “Besides, you yourself could very well be too cold to saw safely.”

More information about pruning is available from county and district Extension offices. “Pruning Fruit Trees” (C631) also is on the Web at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/c631.pdf. The long-time classic “All About Pruning” (C550) is at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/c550.pdf.

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4)  Scientist Urges Farmers to Reconsider Before Removing Crop Residue

           
HAYS, Kan. – A Kansas State University scientist is encouraging farmers to think about the hidden costs of removing crop residue from farm fields.

“Crop residue is in high demand in some areas -- as feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol production, industrial uses, livestock feed and other purposes,” said Humberto Blanco, soil management scientist with K-State Research and Extension. “But is it a good idea to remove and sell crop residue?”

Blanco, who is based at K-State’s Agricultural Research Center at Hays, said removing residue brings costs as well as a monetary benefit.

“Leaving crop residue on the soil surface is the best and simplest way of reducing water and wind erosion,” Blanco said. “Excessive residue removal for expanded uses not only accelerates soil erosion but also increases the loss of sediment, nutrients and pesticides in runoff water.”

Sediments and nutrients from agricultural soils in runoff water are the main “non-point source” (NPS) pollutants of downstream water bodies, such as ponds, streams and rivers, he said.

“Crop removal is not recommended if soil and water conservation, NPS pollution control, and soil carbon buildup are high priorities,” Blanco said. “Residue left on the soil surface protects against impacting raindrops, helps maintain soil aggregate integrity and improves rain water infiltration.”

The researcher has conducted studies to assess these issues. More information about the studies’ results is on the K-State Web site at http://www.agronomy.ksu.edu/. (Click on “Extension” and then “eUpdates/Current Topics” and finally “Jan. 23, 2009.”)

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by: Elaine Edwards
elainee@ksu.edu
K-State Research & Extension News

Contributing writers: Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, Nancy Peterson and Kathleen Ward