Ramsey County

July 24, 2006

Howdy!!!!
It is hard to believe that the North Dakota state fair is already here.  I was out to Minot on Wednesday last week and helped judge the static exhibits.  These exhibits are either an example of how poor I was at a talent of making something or these kids these days do a super good job.  It is a really fun day as do not only get to judge the exhibits you also get to enjoy the camaraderie of other fellow agents and volunteers.

This weather is also something to really enjoy, as well.  We go from extreme wet to very dry.  The crops in the country side are really holding their own but rain will be needed very soon for the warm season crops (corn and beans), the cool season crops are going to be what they are going to be.  But the dry weather is really showing up in the lawns across the county.  Everywhere you go there are extremely dry lawns and the gardeners are also suffering.  My garden has been watered a lot but this dry hot weather has slowed my cucumbers to a stand still.  I had been picking cukes about every other day and all I have now is flowers.  My Tomatoes are also showing signs of being a pain as I picked a couple the other night that had tomato blight.  I would have thought that with the soaker hose and dry weather we would have survived the fungus.  There are tomatoes varieties however that are doing quite nicely, so stay tuned and I will keep you posted as I did plant 9 different varieties this spring.

Arborvitae either turning brown or loosing their needles?????
I have had many questions pertaining to Arborvitae either turning brown on the outer edges or loosing their needles in the inner part of the tree.  There could many different causes to the problems but the majority of the problems either comes from the arborvitae being to dry or the tree is in the 3-4 years of life and the needles fall off the tree by natural causes.  Many gardeners have told me their arborvitae are turning brown and the question I always ask first is how much water is the tree getting.  If the grass is brown 4-5 feet around the tree, water is very likely the culprit.  You should be able to push a ¼ rod fairly easily into the soil structure if the soil is watered sufficiently.  If it pushes in to easily then the soil is too wet.  If you have any questions pertaining to the watering please give me a call at 701-662-7030.  Now if your arborvitae is loosing it’s needles on the inside there is a very good chance the tree could be in the 3-4 year cycle of loosing its needles as some Non deciduous, such as arborvitae, will loose their 3-4 year old needles.  There could also be another problem of scales.  If you look at the branch and you see tiny brown bumps or spots you could very well have scale.  There are insecticides available for scale but make sure you use the insecticide that is labeled for the tree you are using the pesticide on.  If you have any questions pertaining to any of these disorders or any other question please feel free to call the Extension office at 701-662-7030. 

Calendar!! 
            July 20-29        North Dakota State Fair
            July 25             Benson County Crop tour 5 pm
            July 26             Ramsey County crop tour (2 pm. LR Grain Fertilizer plant)       

524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Return to Back Home Index
Return to Ramsey Extension Home Page