We had a great turnout for our Build a Bed Workshop this year and want to give a HUGE thank you to our three excellent instructors – Andrea Meckley, John Wilson and Stephen James.
Attendees learned how to build a raised garden bed, what soil amendments to make, some tips on starting a compost bin and how to start seedlings for their vegetable gardens. Here are some pictures of all the fun!
Stephen James (Carpenter Extraordinaire)
Are you considering planting a fall garden? You might be surprised at what can be planted during the month of September! Crops including green beans, beets, broccoli, brussells sprouts, cabbage, corn, carrots…the list goes on and on! Autumn season in the Moapa and Mesquite Valleys is a great opportunity for gardeners to grow cool-season crops and the mild weather gives us a distinct advantage in avoiding weeds/insect damage, reduced water requirements and improved quality of produce. (Not to mention being able to garden outdoors during our wonderful autumn weather!).
Dr. Silvan Wittwer states in his publication Vegetable Gardening in Moapa and Virgin Valleys that in this area, “the majority of garden-fresh vegetables are produced from September through June.” For Dr. Wittwer’s publication on vegetable gardening, including his complete planting schedule, check out this link: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2009/sp0901.pdf
Cooperative Extension is offering a FREE Square Foot Gardening class on Saturdays from 9:00am-11:00am running from Sept. 1 – Oct. 15 at the Logandale office. Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/square-foot-gardening-classes-tickets-27097022925 or contact us if you have any additional questions at 702-397-2604 ex.0 or walkerd@unce.unr.edu. See you there!
Whether you’ve been cursing the monsoon season or praying for it, one thing’s for certain, the monsoon rains can bring out the most incredible looking creatures.
The monsoon brings out cockroaches, even some huge ones. But it also brings out a huge beetle called the Paloverde Root Borer (Paloverde Beetle) or its scientific name – Derobrachus Geminatus. Oh, you’d know if you crossed paths with a Paloverde beetle. They’re black or brown, are spiny, have unique long antennae, have spikes near their neck and can fly. One more thing – they’re huge, some can be 3 to 4 inches in length.
The Paloverde beetle are one of the largest species of beetles living in North America. For their first three years of their lives they live underground, surviving by eating the roots of the paloverde tree (hence their name). They do eat other types of trees besides paloverde trees. Either way, Paloverde beetle grubs can do a lot of damage to a tree’s root system.
Sometimes you can spot the grubs when you landscape in and around paloverde trees or other afflicted trees. The larvae can be colored anywhere from cream to light green, with brown near their head.
Once they become an adult, they come out from underground at the start of the monsoon season. It isn’t the monsoon rains which flood them out from underground, but rather they emerge to mate. Once they mate – they die.
While they are adults, they live for about a month and may drink fruit nectar or feed on fruit. They are usually more active in the evening, flying from tree to tree. If you think you spotted one, you probably shouldn’t kill it since it won’t harm you. Besides, it doesn’t have long to live. You should expect to see them until the end of August.
Paloverde Beetles do have some predators who love to eat them (if they can get past the hard spine). Skunk and bears like to feed on the grubs, while roadrunners, owls, coyotes and bobcats like to eat the adult beetles.
For the original article please check out this link: http://desertcastlepc.com/its-big-its-scary-its-the-paloverde-beetle/
For more information, please check out this fact sheet from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1429.pdf
Are you or someone you know in Moapa Valley/Mesquite interested in becoming a Certified Master Preserver? If so, Carolyn Washburn, a Master Preserver instructor from Utah State University is offering a two-day Master Preserver Certification class at Cooperative Extension in Northeast Clark County. Her $150 fee includes instruction, supplies AND certification for those willing to donate 20 hours teaching in their community. (For non-volunteers the fee is $200)
This class will cover all methods of food preservation from water bath canning/pressure canning to dehydration/freezing. (The class will also include preserving fruits, veggies, jams/jellies, pie fillings, pickling/relishes and more!)
Here is a link with more class information: http://extension.usu.edu/utah/home_family_food/master_food_preservers
Please let us know if you would like to sign up or have any questions at 702-397-2604 ex.0 or walkerd@unce.unr.edu
The Northeast Clark County Cooperative Extension hosted the first ever Southern Area 4-H Leaders Forum on March 4th and 5th, 2016! There were some great adult leadership workshops, a pulled pork dinner, and lots of fun activities for the kids. This Leaders Forum was such a success, it has inspired other areas to plan/host their own Leaders Forums. 🙂
We would like to express gratitude to our presenters! We began with Carrie Stark, the Nevada 4-H State Program Director presenting the “Future of 4-H”, “Leaders Council Roles and Expectations/Staff Support” and “Working with Different Personalities”. Then, Karen Best the Clark County 4-H Program Officer, shared some great team building insights. Joy Belonga then spoke with the adult leaders about “Finding the Spark in Youth”. Marguerite Clark, a Las Vegas Community Based Instructor, continued the forum by giving insights regarding “Youth and Adult Partnerships”. The last day, Lacey Sproul-Tom the Northeast Clark County 4-H Clark County 4-H Program Officer, presented “Animal Science”, “Citizenship/Leadership”, “Teen Leadership and Adult Volunteerism”. To finish off the Forum our own Carol Bishop, the Northeast Clark County Extension Educator, went through information regarding 4-H Club Legalities.
We would also like to show our appreciation to our Local 4-H Ambassadors! During all of this presenting and learning our Local 4-H Ambassadors were able to volunteer watching the younger children. (This helped to free up our Adult Leaders so that all of the presentations offered could be attended.)
Lastly, a BIG thank you to the Moapa Valley Rotary Club, for their service! They cooked/served breakfast to all of the 4-H Leaders/families who traveled to Logandale for the training. (The breakfast burritos were a huge hit!)
If you have any questions or are interested in 4-H, please contact Lacey Sproul-Tom at 702-397-2604 ex.2 or sproull@unce.unr.edu.
Photo Courtesy of the Las Vegas Review Journal
If you (or your child) are showing an animal at this year’s Clark County Fair here are some great video clips of updated showmanship techniques that Cindy Shakespear shared with our 4-H clubs last Monday at 4-H Showmanship Practice. Cindy has asked that everyone showing animals at the fair take the time to watch these. 🙂
2015 Indiana State Fair Grand Drive: (There is a short advertisement at the beginning of this video clip)
http://waltonwebcasting.com/?crb_events=2015-indiana-state-fair-grand-drive-powered-by-umbarger
2016 San Angelo Texas Stars Gilt Sale/Preview Show: (There is a short advertisement at the beginning of this video clip)
http://waltonwebcasting.com/?crb_events=2016-san-angelo-texas-stars-gilt-sale-preview-show
If you have further questions please contact Lacey Sproul-Tom at 702-397-2604 ex. 2 or sproull@unce.unr.edu
Farmers and gardeners, we want your produce and flowers! The Horticulture Exhibit at the fair will be accepting entries this year on April 5 from 8:00am-11:00am. The entries will be judges from 11:00am-2:00pm and then all exhibits will be open for display from April 6-10.
This year the Clark County Fair is April 6-10. It’s located at the Logandale Fair Grounds at 1301 West Whipple Ave. Logandale, NV 89021. For more information and rules/regulations check out this ink: http://www.ccfair.com/content/exhibits/index_html?page=horticulture_lots
For your convenience, here is a little map of where the Clark County Fair Grounds are located. 🙂
If you have any further question please feel free to contact us at the Cooperative Extension at 702-397-2604 ex. ) or walkerd@unce.unr.edu
Post by: Dianna Walker Admin. Assistant II https://plus.google.com/u/0/110117529743029959620/posts
