The autumn of 2022 was one of those amazing years for fall color. 2023 has been fairly good as well, which I was not expecting, given the severe drought that can cause woody plants to defoliate earlier than usual. But in 2022, even some woody plants that I don’t normally see great fall color on looked […]
The invasive spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) is back in high numbers this year as part of its typical 10-year outbreak cycle. Spongy moth is a pest of many deciduous trees, especially oak, crabapple, hawthorn, birch, willow and linden. The Tree Canopy Collaborative, an initiative of the Dane County Office of Energy and […]
Pressure Canner Testing is available by appointment. Please contact Claire Mance to schedule an appointment at 608-224-3699 or mance.claire@countyofdane.com. Pressure Canner Testing is available by appointment. Our office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. We are closed major holidays. The charge is $3 per gauge. In addition to your gauge, please […]
Sharon Lezberg, Community Development Educator Drive, bike, or bus- decisions, decisions! Like most American adults, I can easily jump in my car to travel from place to place. I may be concerned about the price of gas, or gridlock on the road, but how often do I think about the tailpipe emissions that I’m generating? […]
Sharon Lezberg, Community Development Educator “Don’t step off the curb! Watch out!” my daughter Zoey admonished me, as I negligently stepped off the pedestrian curb onto the bike path during a recent visit to Copenhagen. I quickly jumped back up onto the pedestrian walkway, lest I get run down by a bike commuter. Zoey had […]
Seed starting time is coming! Do you know if your seeds are viable? Here are some tips to keep in mind. Fresh seed germinates best. Seed packets are labeled with the date they are best used by. Though seeds are usually viable longer than that date, some species lose viability faster, and germination decreases for […]
Michelle Probst, former Natural Resource Educator Winter can be a tough situation here in Wisconsin, you either love it or hate it. Over the years, I have really come to love winter, and one thing that has helped me appreciate the winter is getting involved in winter activities. There are many organizations here in Dane […]
January 23 begins Salt Awareness week. With the recent snowfall, you may be using de-icing salt products to keep driveways and sidewalks clear. Excess de-icing salts can damage soils, plants and water sources. It just takes one teaspoon of salt in a five-gallon bucket of water before it starts to create problems. It also is […]
If your ground has not frozen yet, it is not too late to put protective fencing around trees and shrubs that often experience damage from deer, rabbit, vole, or mouse feeding over winter. Fruit trees, crab apples, burning bush, forsythia, dwarf Korean lilac, shrub hibiscus, low-growing junipers, and arborvitaes are among the plants that are […]
Taylor Seale, MPH, Positive Youth Development Educator Last month, Extension colleagues from the Positive Youth Development Institute and Natural Resources Institute partnered with the Arts + Literature Laboratory to create an educational workshop for teens that centered on climate change and the arts. During the event, teens could connect with local environmental organizations, walk through […]
By Michelle Probst, former Natural Resource Educator As we enter the holiday season, there is one holiday that simply cannot be missed—World Soils Day. On Dec. 5th of every year, we set a day to appreciate soil and focus on the importance of healthy soil. As a soil scientist, I jump for joy that everyone […]
Winter burn refers to a type of damage to evergreen foliage that typically occurs over winter. Common symptoms are browning and dying from the tips of the foliage inward. Several factors cause winter burn on evergreens, including winter thaws while the ground is frozen, dry soil in autumn, a long period of very cold temperatures, […]
