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News From 2018

The colorful covers of about 20 gardening catalogs are fanned out on display.
December 31, 2018 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

As I'm writing this last Southern Gardening column of 2018, I'm trying to take one more look back before plunging headlong into the 2019 gardening season that's just around the corner. But I'm having trouble concentrating because the mail carrier is distracting me.

Four deer graze in tall, lush clover with thinned pines in the background.
December 28, 2018 - Filed Under: Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

Many hunters and landowners plant wildlife food plots these days, but this practice has become common only during the last 30 to 40 years in the Southeast.

Two-tone, yellow flowers bloom on green foliage at the base of a small tree planted in a container.
December 24, 2018 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

2018 was quite a year in our Mississippi gardens and landscapes: hot and dry, humid and rainy. Every year, there are winners and losers when we garden, and such is the nature of the gardening game. 

Aerial view of fields with a tree-lined creek running through the middle.
December 21, 2018 - Filed Under: Forest Management, Beginning Forestry

Streamside management zones have become critical tools forestry landowners and professionals use for protecting water quality during and after timber harvests.

December 20, 2018 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Agricultural Economics

Mississippi producers looking to sell their goods overseas can learn how to connect with international markets during a two-day workshop.

Blue signs stating “absorb” and “delay” mark brick tiers in a landscape growing pink flowers and reed-like stems.
December 19, 2018 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Landscape Architecture, Smart Landscapes

A well-designed landscape can subtly slow down and filter excess water, an important job for Mississippi gardens.

Harvested field with large tire ruts holding water.
December 19, 2018 - Filed Under: Agriculture

 Cotton will not return to the throne as king of Mississippi's row crops, but the former monarch did provide one of the few bright spots in 2018 commodity value estimates.

A close-up of a commercial chicken with white feathers is shown in the right three-quarters of the foreground with other chickens blurred in the background.
December 18, 2018 - Filed Under: Agricultural Economics, Poultry

Poultry producers got off to a robust start in 2018, which helped the industry end the year strong.

This illustration shows the top five agricultural commodities in Mississippi in a bar graph with each bar resembling a silo standing next to a barn. The top five commodities are poultry, forestry, soybeans, cotton and corn. Other commodities are also listed.
December 18, 2018 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Crops

Agriculture was a $7.7 billion industry in Mississippi this year, exceeding the total set in 2017 despite declines in the estimated value of row crops, timber, catfish and livestock.

A yellow piece of heavy machinery lifts a load of cut trees off the back of a log truck in a sawmill yard.
December 18, 2018 - Filed Under: Natural Resources, Forestry

Forestry has been a billion-dollar heavyweight in the state’s economy for the last six years, and the 2018 estimated value of $1.25 billion came despite a sluggish market.

A small pink stocking with a white fuzzy top hangs from a Christmas tree inside a house.
December 17, 2018 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

With the Christmas celebration approaching, I’ve been thinking about favorite traditions, past and present. It probably comes as no surprise that many of these traditions are food related.

A large field with tree seedlings growing in the middle of a long row void of other plants. Adjacent rows are full of grasses and weeds.
December 14, 2018 - Filed Under: Beginning Forestry

Growth and survival of planted hardwood seedlings are not guaranteed, and forest managers may need to learn more about establishment methods to avoid failed plantings. 

December 14, 2018 - Filed Under: Crops, Peanuts

Mississippi State University recently hired a peanut agronomist to serve the state’s agricultural producers.

December 12, 2018 - Filed Under: Insects-Crop Pests, Soybeans, Plant Disease and Nematode Diagnostic Services

The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer free testing for a significant crop pest through Aug. 30, 2019.

A black mailbox rises above a sea of green foliage and delicate clusters of mostly orange flowers.
December 10, 2018 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

The questions being emailed to me are literally filling up my inbox. I thought I’d share a couple of these questions, along with and my answers that should help home gardeners before we head into the 2019 spring and summer gardening seasons.

Illustration shows plants growing above water’s surface with root system below.
December 7, 2018 - Filed Under: Fisheries, Water

Floating islands are increasingly popular as a way to provide attractive centerpieces in ponds while improving water quality.

From the shore, floating islands look like normal earthen islands covered in plants, but they are much more than that. They are hydroponic systems that, when fully colonized by growing plants, are essentially wetlands that float on the water’s surface and provide many of the same services as natural wetlands.

December 3, 2018 - Filed Under: Mississippi County Elections: Election Prep 101

Aspiring candidates for 2019 county elections now have a one-stop shop online where they can find information they need as they prepare their campaigns.  

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has launched Election Prep 101, an online resource designed for anyone wanting to run for county office next year.

Nurseries have provided thousands of Christmas poinsettias in a variety of colors to decorate homes for the holidays.
December 3, 2018 - Filed Under: Cut Flowers and Houseplants, Flower Gardens

It’s that time of year again for shopping, eating, delivery trucks and poinsettias. Yep—it’s the Christmas season. (Photo by Gary Bachman)

Dry leaves and pine straw are cleared away in a round, bare area on the ground below small pine branches.
November 30, 2018 - Filed Under: Natural Resources, Wildlife, White-Tailed Deer

Deer hunters know all too well the power of a deer’s sense of smell, or more technically speaking, its olfactory system. A change of wind direction can give deer just a whiff of human scent and send them running and send a hunter back to the truck empty handed. 

Wooden honey dipper lying against a small jar of honey that is covered with a decorative piece of fabric tied with a string.
November 28, 2018 - Filed Under: Food and Health

Many people appreciate its flavor and soothing affects, but honey may receive more credit than it deserves.

Since ancient times, people have tried to use honey for medicinal purposes. Even today, people hope it will manage allergies, weight or diabetes. However, the use of honey just might not be as powerful as some believe.

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