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A grassy garden area is topped by delicate purple blooms.
May 27, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Mabel Murphree’s Tupelo garden has an impressive variety of plants, but what really caught my attention when I visited were her purple blooms.

Small soybean plants grow in a crowded row.
May 23, 2024 - Filed Under: Soybeans

Mississippi’s 2 million-plus acre soybean crop is mostly planted and looks to be in good shape early on, with the only lingering acres yet to be planted.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that the crop was 86% planted as of May 19, 2024, and 13% in excellent condition and 62% in good condition. The crop is typically close to three-fourths planted by this time of the year.

Several cows and calves stand in a pasture.
May 21, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Livestock, Beef

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Beef cattle prices are the best they have been in nearly a decade for Mississippi’s producers, but they face some tough management challenges to ensure their operations are profitable.

Buckets of peppers stand on a table at a market.
May 21, 2024 - Filed Under: Farmers Markets, Community

One of summertime’s treats in the South is the prevalence of farmers markets, community social events that allow shoppers to leave with a variety of fresh, local fruits, vegetables and other goods.

A black pine tree grows at an angle in a garden with a birdbath and purple blooms.
May 20, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Amid the bustle of everyday life in Tupelo, Mississippi lies a hidden gem -- Dale Smith’s backyard woodland garden. I recently had the pleasure of touring this garden where beautiful plants thrive around every corner.

Rows of corn stalks in a field with the sky in the background.
May 20, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Crops, Corn

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Despite wet spring weather that pushed planting beyond the typical window, Mississippi corn producers have essentially completed planting and the crop is in good condition.

Two children make melon balls from a watermelon.
May 20, 2024 - Filed Under: Food, Food Safety

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Young people can learn about local foods, kitchen basics and easy recipes at an upcoming Mississippi State University camp. The Culinary Arts Kids Camp is a hands-on, weeklong day camp hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion.

A young person pulls back a bow while aiming at a target.
May 15, 2024 - Filed Under: 4-H

Junior 4-H members are invited to a four-day residential 4-H Camp Explore in mid-June at Holmes Community College in Goodman. The June 10-13 camp is designed for 4-H members ages 8-13 years old. The cost to attend is $225, and registration must be made by May 22.

Close-up photo of rice
May 14, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Rice

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s rice crop is poised to be bigger and healthier than it has been in four years -- the result of increased planting to meet demand and favorable weather conditions during its emergence.

May 14, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University is hosting a field day at one of its research stations on June 5 for row crop growers interested in learning more about high-speed planting and advanced planting technologies.

The MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will present the Advanced Planting Technologies field day and training at the MAFES Black Belt Experiment Station in Brooksville.

Tables and chairs are on a patio in a backyard garden.
May 13, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Last week, I told you about the spring-blooming native plants I saw during a recent visit to the backyard gardens of Sarah Young in Tupelo. The benefits of this garden filled with native and non-native plants extends beyond the beauty of the plants themselves.

Gardening is a form of physical activity. Digging, planting, weeding and harvesting can contribute to improved flexibility, strength and endurance. It is a great way to stay active without feeling like you’re exercising.

A man holds out a fur skin for a woman to touch.
May 10, 2024 - Filed Under: County Extension Offices, Plants and Wildlife

An underserved community spent a day enjoying the outdoors at the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in early May as Mississippi State University Extension Service personnel hosted 20 adult residents of care homes. 
Jim McAdory, MSU Extension agent in Winston County, coordinated the May 1 event with help from several other Extension agents and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff. The goal was to allow this population to experience the outdoors, complete with a hot dog lunch at the end of the event. 

May 7, 2024 - Filed Under: Water, Mississippi Well Owner Network

POPLARVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer free bacteria screenings for private water well owners in Pearl River County during an upcoming workshop.

Adults do paperwork at tables.
May 7, 2024 - Filed Under: Master Irrigator, Irrigation

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is taking irrigation education a step further than before by offering Master Irrigator status to those who complete a course of training.

There is no cost to growers to participate in this training, which includes eight hours of online classes and 16 hours of in-person training. Drew Gholson, MSU Extension irrigation specialist and coordinator of the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research, said the goal is for participants to put into practice the skills acquired in the program.

Delicate orange flowers bloom in a cluster.
May 6, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

I recently had the pleasure of visiting my friend Sarah Young’s gardens in Tupelo, and I enjoyed her stunning collection of plants that are perfect for Southern gardens.

During my visit, I was amazed by her spring-blooming native plants, especially the native azaleas which were in full bloom. Their white, pink, yellow and orange flowers were absolutely breathtaking.

The base of trees is covered by a fire ant mound.
May 1, 2024 - Filed Under: Fire Ants

Sunshine and long days make summertime in the South desirable for people, but those same conditions are exactly what allows the dreaded, imported fire ants to thrive.

Almost any sunny, grassy area left unattended will soon be home to fire ants. Fire ants were accidentally imported from South America to Mobile in the 1930s and have since spread throughout the Southeast.

A shrub has clusters of red flowers on stems.
April 29, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

I recently visited with the DeSoto County Master Gardeners and had the opportunity to tour their learning garden/arboretum at the DeSoto County Extension office in Hernando. Some of the plants, trees and shrubs were starting to come out of their winter slumber, showing some beautiful spring color. I noticed that the arboretum area was adorned with a Possumhaw viburnum in full bloom.

An irrigation structure rises over a corn field.
April 25, 2024 - Filed Under: Irrigation

Knowing when and how to irrigate are questions every grower with the ability to water their farmland on demand face each year.
Irrigation costs per acre are among the highest inputs growers face. In a state with the capacity both for extreme drought and high temperatures as well as prolonged rainy periods, the question of whether or not to irrigate is very important.

A yellow upright bract has small white flowers.
April 22, 2024 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

During my Southern Gardening travels across Mississippi, I have observed how plants grow differently across the state. For example, several perennial plants that typically grow in some areas act as annuals in other areas due to colder winter temperatures.

A close-up photo of a pine tree’s damaged bark
April 19, 2024 - Filed Under: Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Disaster Relief, Forestry, Forest Management

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Forest landowners in Mississippi can now join the state’s farm owners who suffered production loss due to last year’s drought in applying for federal emergency loans.

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