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News Filed Under Landscape Design and Management

January 12, 2024 - Filed Under: Healthy Soils and Water, Water

Mississippi growers and those across the Midwest and mid-South still have time to take advantage of two opportunities to improve soil health and water quality while protecting profitability on their farms.

Dried up pond
December 6, 2023 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Healthy Soils and Water, Water
STARKVILLE, Miss. — State Climatologist and Mississippi State University Professor of Meteorology Mike Brown said he’s never wished for a tropical storm in the Magnolia State—until this year when the drought, in recent months and weeks, became so severe he thought rain from a tropical system might be beneficial enough to outweigh storm risks.
 
Grasses and small bushes adorn a landscape bed in front of a building.
October 3, 2023 - Filed Under: Landscape Architecture, Landscape and Garden Design

Landscape design and natural landscape enthusiasts will gather at Mississippi State University to perfect their craft and learn from other experts, an annual event happening this year on Oct. 18. The 68th Edward C. Martin Landscape Symposium will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Bost Auditorium at MSU.

September 13, 2023 - Filed Under: Insects, Insect Identification, Lawn and Garden, Plants and Wildlife, Smart Landscapes, Places for Wildlife, Natural Resources

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- School groups, nature enthusiasts and the public can enjoy two fun-filled days of exciting, hands-on learning about the environment, ecosystems, wildlife and insects at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune. BugFest offers insect-related displays, interactive exhibits, games and crafts. Biologists, naturalists, entomologists and other experts from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama will host booths and give presentations on butterflies, bats, caterpillars, beetles, crayfish, ladybugs, hissing cockroaches, dancing praying mantises, native and exotic arthropods and more.

Green plants grow in rows surrounded by brown grass stems.
September 8, 2023 - Filed Under: Corn, Healthy Soils and Water

Despite several recognized benefits of growing winter cover crops, this conservation system has limited acceptance, something Mississippi State University researchers are trying to change by identifying and better managing risks.

Among the significant benefits of planting a green crop on farmland otherwise exposed to winter elements are improved soil health, water quality and erosion control. But cover crops grow into the optimal spring planting times for summer crops. This complicates their use and can reduce productivity of the summer crop.

For the last several years, MSU research has addressed various aspects of this issue, primarily focusing on cover crop management and cover crop species.

Pink and yellow lantana.
May 30, 2023 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Flower Gardens, Landscape Design and Management

Summertime is officially here! Kids are out of school, and many people are gearing up for summer adventures with the family.

A black lawn mower mowing a yard.
April 28, 2023 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Flower Gardens, Landscape and Garden Design

May is here and you know what that means, it’s go time! 

A collage of photos of hydrangeas, loropetalums and azaleas
April 6, 2023 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Flower Gardens, Landscape Design and Management, Landscape Plants and Trees Diseases, Christmas Trees

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The hard freeze that swept Mississippi on March 19 and 20 dampened some of spring’s early displays and left many landscape plants with unsightly cold damage. Now, homeowners are wondering what to do about their landscape plants that lost their leaves or have brown-tipped or brown, shriveled leaves.

White daisies.
March 31, 2023 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Landscape Architecture, Landscape and Garden Design

After an unseasonal cold snap in March, spring has officially started and the warmer weather is here to stay– at least for a little while. Hopefully, the cold didn’t damage your plants! Working on your yard is a great excuse to spend time outside now that the weather is nice. Here are a few things you can work on in your landscape for the month of April:

Close up of black-eyed Susans
February 28, 2023 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Landscape Architecture, Landscape Design and Management, Smart Landscapes

Native plants have garnered a lot of attention, especially because of their relationship to pollinators, but these plants are valuable for many other reasons. In addition to pollen, they provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife, as well as creating biodiversity in the ecosystem.

Bradford pear tree blooms
February 24, 2023 - Filed Under: Landscape and Garden Design, Trees

If you have Bradford pear trees on your property, you are quite familiar with the odor they release. How could such a beautiful tree smell like rotting fish? The odor isn’t the only thing that makes this tree undesirable.  

A crape myrtle in the landscape
January 26, 2023 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Landscape and Garden Design, Trees

Crape myrtles are popular for their low-maintenance beauty, but they can benefit from some light pruning this time of year.

A woman examines some brown bushes in the landscape.
January 6, 2023 - Filed Under: Landscape Design and Management, Landscape Plants and Trees Diseases

Plants across the state that suffered from the unusually cold weather just days before Christmas will need some help recovering from damage they suffered in the deep freeze. Mike Brown, state climatologist and Mississippi State University meteorologist, said Mississippi’s average late December temperature is 44 degrees on the coast, 38 degrees in central Mississippi and 34 degrees in north Mississippi.

Lush green plants.
November 22, 2022 - Filed Under: Landscape Architecture, Landscape and Garden Design

If you have an area in your yard where you want to create a border between property lines, reduce noise from busy streets, or soften a fence line, we have a solution

September 14, 2022 - Filed Under: Soils, Mississippi Land Resource Areas, Healthy Soils and Water, Healthy Water Practices

COMO, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will cohost a collaborative field day in Panola County Sept. 29 to share information about cover crops and reduced-till farming, soil and water health, and pasture soil and water management.

The Mississippi Land Stewardship field day runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and begins at Buckeye Farms at 3251 Tom Floyd Road in Como. Attendees will then travel to two different fields, one row crop and one pasture. The field day will conclude at Home Place Pastures. A complimentary lunch is included for participants.

golden rain tree
September 8, 2022 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Landscape Management, Landscape Plants and Trees Diseases

Pruning is one of the least understood gardening tasks and for good reason – it’s confusing. When, how, and if you should prune depends on the type of plant or tree you have and your goal for the plant. Check out these pruning tasks for the last one-third of the year.

Creek with trees on the left providing shade and a steep bank on the right.
August 17, 2022 - Filed Under: Healthy Soils and Water, Natural Resources, Pond and Lake Management, Pond and Lake Water Quality, Pond and Lake Topics, Pond and Lake Management Resources

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The presence of a water source on private land can make a property much more desirable for several reasons. Whether it’s a lake, pond, stream or river, a water source provides opportunities for recreation, development, agricultural production, and wildlife and fisheries habitat.

A key aspect of maintaining the value of the water resource is ensuring that it is protected and used wisely.

June 30, 2022 - Filed Under: Soils, Healthy Soils and Water, Healthy Water Practices, Water

SHAW, Miss. -- Mississippi State University scientists will cohost a collaborative field day in the Mississippi Delta on July 13 to share information about cover crops, soil and water health, and irrigation automation and efficiency. 

The Soil and Water Stewardship in Row-Crop Systems field day runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and begins at Mosco Farm at the southwest of 813 US-61 in Shaw. Attendees will travel to Clements Farm and finish the event at the West F.A.R.M. Pavilion. A complimentary catfish lunch is included for registered participants.

A row of white or black animal skulls.
April 13, 2022 - Filed Under: Wildlife Youth Education, Plants and Wildlife

Two conservation camps this summer offer students in grades six through 12 the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in wildlife science, outdoor recreation and conservation careers. Conservation Camp 2022 has a residential edition June 5-8 for rising eighth through 12th graders. The day camp edition is June 13-15 for rising sixth through eighth graders.

A person uses lopers to prune a hydrangea plant.
January 13, 2022 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden, Flower Gardens, Landscape Management, Trees

When, how, and if you should prune depends on the type of plant or tree you have and your goal for the plant. Check out this calendar for some of the pruning chores ideal for January through April in Mississippi.

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