Are you looking for a fun outdoor activity for you and your family this weekend? Planting herbs is simple enough for everyone and provides quick and bountiful result. Herbs, not to be confused with spices, are usually leaves and are less pungent than spices (roots, seeds, flowers, bark). There are many herbs to choose from, but don’t let the large selection bog you down. Just think of the seasonings you use regularly in the dishes you prepare and go from there!

Herbs can be planted and kept indoors near a window, outside in a planter, or in the ground. When deciding on a location, it’s best to plant them as close to your kitchen as possible, so you can simply walk outside and grab some herbs to season your dinner (also a great way to reduce salt). To sow the seeds, only plant them about 1-3 times as deep as the size of the seed, which isn’t very deep. The most important aspect of having an herb garden is to provide adequate drainage. Most herbs grow to maturity within 4-8 weeks with adequate sunlight but check the planting guide for further instructions. With harvesting any herb, it is important that you pick no more than 1/3 of the plant at a time which is generally just a few leaves. Once you have picked the herbs you want to use for the evening, carry them inside and wash under cool water and dry with a paper towel. Remove the leaves from the stems, roll the herbs together and chop. For a finer chopped herb, pile again and re-chop. For the best flavor, use immediately, but they can also be frozen or dried for later use.

Some of my favorite herbs are scallions (green onions), basil and rosemary, but you can choose some of your favorites to plant. I love the mild onion flavor of scallions and how they provide a crunchy texture. I sprinkle it on top of just about everything: salad, omelettes, crawfish étoufée, and baked potatoes. They grow tall and straight and esthetically would do well as the medium height plant in your garden. Basil is sweet and complementary to fresh sliced tomatoes or tomato based dishes. Basil grows a little lower to the ground and would make a great border plant. You may begin picking the leaves after 6 weeks of planting. Basil is delicious whether eaten fresh or dried. Rosemary is drought tolerant but also hardy in cool climates. It is high in iron, calcium and B6. Rosemary has a heavenly aromatic quality and has a distinct flavor that goes well with poultry, pork, and lamb; however, I also enjoy baking it into my breads and sprinkling them over my steamed veggies.

Herbs also provide a little lagniappe – they freshen the air, perfumes, and soaps and they also repel pests!

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Walking is a Great Stress-Reducer
By Monica LaBorde

by Monica LaBordeChallenges are a little like rain showers on a summer day. They make life interesting. They support our life. Of course big storms may frighten us and increase our stress. In life, some days run smooth and then there are days that challenge us. Navigating life’s journey can be difficult. When you start to feel overwhelmed, remember that your personal wellbeing can improve by “walking it out”.

Experts say that happiness can be achieved by including exercise in your life. Walking can be the answer you are looking for. It will serve as a time out for a stressful day and a happiness booster. Exercise is one of the cheapest, quickest, and most successful activities we can undertake to increase our level of happiness. Walking does not require a gym membership or any fancy equipment.

Experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day. If you are just beginning an exercise program, check with your doctor. Start small with stretching to increase flexibility. Walk at a comfortable pace in 10 minute sessions. This will help clear your head of stress and improve circulation. Anything we can do to increase our activity levels, no matter how small will be good for our bodies and our spirit.

Walking alone or with a friend can be very beneficial to your personal well being. It can turn a negative day into a positive day. Consider incorporating walking into you daily routine. Remember to stretch before walking and cool down after. In our lifetime there will be plenty of challenges. Don’t let them get control your life. “Walk it out” and remember that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade and go for a walk to clear you head.

Resource used: Arkansas Cooperatives Extension Service.

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Each session includes 8 to 10 exercises designed to help participants improve muscle mass and strength, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and improve balance and flexibility.

Strong Women, a research-based strength training program, has been offered in collaboration with the West Feliciana Parish parks and recreation department for 3 years. The program meets twice a week, and the most recent session had an enrollment of 27 women ranging in age from 40s to 70s. Each session includes 8 to 10 exercises designed to help participants improve muscle mass and strength, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and improve balance and flexibility.

A survey of the participants reported the following: 94% feel some or a lot stronger; 81% had some or a lot of improvement in balance; 81% said joints were less painful; 81% had some or a lot more energy, and 93% reported increasing their overall physical activity levels. 75% have been able to increase the amount of weight they use for the exercises some or a lot. Nutrition information is provided throughout the sessions, and 81% reported some or a lot of improvement in eating habits.

Comments on the benefits of the program included:

"I have more stamina than ever. I know this is due to my workouts at Strong Women program. It has really helped me to become healthier and a more fit individual (woman)."
"I am happier and I feel more positive and it helps me deal with stress. I am more active doing other exercise. I am stronger - I can lift more weight working in the yard and around the house."
"I had 3 cervical discs replaced this past June. I have had severe neck pain for well over a year. Since doing the strength training I no longer have neck pain. It has made all the difference in the world."
"increase in metabolism and energy"
"Better Balance. My legs are stronger and I can walk much better."

For more information, click here.

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TED JACKSON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Halle Medine slaps hands with LSU AG representative (Karen Walker)after a race as staff members of the New Orleans Hornets hold its "Bee Fit" challenge for the elementary students at the Metairie Academy for Advanced studies. Monday, November 14, 2011. The students participated in physical fitness activities and got instruction about good nutrition through the LSU AG center representative.

Karen Walker, LSU AgCenter Nutrition agent (EFNEP) in Jefferson parish, works with students that are part of the Bee Fit Challenge in Jefferson Parish. This program is supported by the Jefferson Parish School Board, New Orleans Hornets and other community partners. Story and photo from Ted Jackson, Times Picayune. For the full Times Picayune story, click here.

The LSU AgCenter's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is part of a national nutrition education outreach program. The mission of EFNEP is to empower limited-income families with young children to make informed decisions about food purchasing, food safety and meal management. Upon completion of the program, participants should be able to solve problems related to their families' food dollars and meal management, which, in turn, will help them become more efficient in meeting their families' needs. For full details about the EFNEP program, click here.

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Adult Leaf-Footed Plant Bug on Washington Navel. Photo by Anna Meszaros, LSU AgCenter.

On September 14th, Natalie Hummel and Anna Meszaros scouted the citrus insecticide trial at the Hammond research station. This was the 60 day check. They did not have any trouble finding insects and insect damage. If you recall, 30 days ago most of the trees were putting on a nice healthy flush. In some of the treatments (Danitol and Provado), it was common to see leafminers actively mining through the leaf. Now that the flush has grown larger, it was easy to see the injury and trouble caused by the leafminers. The leaves curl as they develop and this subsequently decreases the leaf surface area that is exposed to the sun for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process where plants convert the energy of the sun to energy they can use to live, grow, produce fruit. The amount of injury they observed here should not appreciably affect yield and fruit quality because these are large mature trees. In younger trees this could be a problem. At this time, it appears that the DuPont product Altacor is providing better control of leafminers.

In addition to the leafminer damage, they also saw some whitefly adults hiding within the leaves that were curling due to leafminer injury. There were also some rust mites and a few moths and katydids. The station crew will apply an oil to knock back the mite population. If left uncontrolled, the mites will start to move off of the leaves and injure the fruit. Many of the trees are now maturing a large fruit load. One treatment had a large infestation of leaf-footed bugs on a few of the Satsuma trees. This is a common pest to find this time of year in Louisiana citrus. They are attracted to the trees when the fruit reaches a certain maturity. The leaf-footed bugs were congregating on the tree, mating and piercing the fruit with their piercing mouthpart. Leaf-footed bugs injure the crop by injecting a yeast into the fruit – causing dry sections of fruit. Refer to the Louisiana Home Citrus Guide for recommendations to control all the pests discussed in this post.

For more information regarding growng citrus in Louisiana, click here.

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Citrus leafminer damage shown on flush (new growth) of a Washington Navel at the Hammond Research station citrus grove. Photo by Natalie Hummel, LSU Agcenter.

The light green growth on this Washington Navel tree is a prime target for insect damage. Notice excellent weed control and drip irrigation. Photo by Natalie Hummel, LSU AgCenter.

On August 17, Bobby Fletcher and Natalie Hummel scouted the citrus grove at Hammond Research station. Many of the trees are now maturing fruit and also were flushing. Flushing is the term we use to describe new growth on a citrus tree. As you can see in the pictures, it is easy to differentiate the lush new green growth from the older leaf tissue. One common insect problem in Louisiana is the citrus leafminer. Leafminers are named by their feeding behavior - they mine within the leaf. This injury causes the leaf to curl as it matures. On older trees, it is not a big concern, but excessive leafminer injury can be a serious issue on young trees.
 
In this citrus insecticide trial, we are comparing Altacor which is being compared to a standard treatment (Danitol and Provado) to determine how well they control insect pests. In the scouting this morning, we found that Altacor insecticide provided better control of leafminers than the standard treatment. We will continue to monitor the results in 30 days.

We are currently planning a citrus agent training at the station on October 11, 2011 to train Louisiana Cooperative Extension agents on citrus management and identification of new invasive insects, recommended management practices, and diseases. LSU AgCenter also recently received funding from the USDA Farm Bill to develop a mobile app called "Citrus Scout". This app will assist users in identifying citrus insects and diseases of importance to Louisiana growers and will be developed over the next twelve months.

For more information regarding growing citrus as well as other fruits in Louisiana, click here.

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The Southeast Louisiana Nursery Association (SELNA) has scheduled their 9th annual trade show for nursery and landscape professionals for Friday, September 9th, at Magnolia Park in Folsom. This event is open to members of the commercial horticulture industry. Nursery growers from Tangipahoa, Washington and St. Tammany parishes will be displaying available plant material for the fall season. LSU AgCenter faculty giving presentations during the day will include Nick Singh, Allen Owings, Ron Strahan and Dan Gill. The trade show is open from 9:00 am until 3:15 pm. Door prizes will be provided throughout the day along with snacks and refreshments. Educational sessions are approved for CEUs for Louisiana licensed landscape architects. A BBQ lunch will be provided. There is no registration fee to attend this event. Additional information is available from Annie Coco, secretary of SELNA, via email at acoco@agcenter.lsu.edu.

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According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, the LSU AgCenter is planning to declare a state of financial emergency next month, Chancellor Bill Richardson told the LSU Board of Supervisors Friday, July 15.

A declaration of “exigency” is the procedural step that allows university officials to lay off tenured employees and cut programs. Richardson said $26 million in direct and indirect budget cuts in more than two years without having the ability to increase tuition as colleges can has led to the crisis. The AgCenter last declared exigency for a period after Hurricane Katrina in 2005

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Today Dr. Hummel and I  completed a 60 day assessment of the citrus insecticide trial. Overall the trees looks great. Some of the varieties had some new flush. We found a few leaves injured by citrus leafminers and some whiteflies and scale insects. The fruit is maturing nicely The navel fruit is about the sixe of a quarter to 50 cent piece and the satsumas are nickel sized.

An application of calcium nitrate fertilizer (3 pounds per tree)  will be applied soon to ensure good fruit development. We noticed that a few of the trees were starting to show signs of leaf injury from a mite infestation. We will most likely apply a miticide in the near future to prevent injury from rust mites.

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Landscape bed irrigation is critical at the time, especially for newly planted annual flowers, roses and perennials.

Centipdegrass is a commonly used lawngrass and does not perform well in droughty conditions.

When the spring started a month or two ago we probably did not realize that the Florida parishes area would be under droughty conditions by mid-May. Landscapes across the area are very stressed at the current time. Inadequate rainfall has plagued the area since mid-March. At the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station east of Hammond we have received exactly 2.0 inches of rain in the past eight weeks.

In Louisiana, it is very common to get significant rain events followed by three to four weeks of dry weather. Fall is typically the dry time of the year, and summers can be stressful when rainfall is lacking due to the combination of below-normal rainfall with high temperatures. Spring droughts like we are experiencing now are especially harmful to lawns and landscape plants because this is the time of year when growth is most active and plants need nice spring growth to support them for the remainder of the growing season.

How do we irrigate our landscapes? This is a question that often comes up, and it is sometimes hard to be specific with an answer.

“How much water do I need to apply?” and “How often do I need to water this plant?” are common questions from many home gardeners. Water is essential for healthy plant growth, but it can be costly to apply depending on your water source. Remember, it is important to get water to plant roots efficiently and effectively and keep the moisture in the root zone area.

We have a tendency to water by using the calendar. Once a week or twice a weekly is commonly heard. Some folks even irrigate plants daily! We all need to learn how to recognize drought stress in plants. Monitor soil conditions in containers and landscape beds. When one plant in a bed needs irrigation, all plants in the bed may not need irrigating. Many factors determine how fast a particular soil or potting medium will dry out.

Water thoroughly when plants are dry. When irrigating lawns, water at a rate so that the moisture penetrates the soil to a depth of several inches. This encourages deeper root growth and also aids the plant in being able to handle droughty conditions that may be coming later in the year. Try to eliminate the desire to “sprinkle” a lawn or landscape bed for a few minutes daily. This is not very helpful and actually discourages the plant from being able to withstand dry conditions later. Irrigate trees in a lawn by running a hose very slowly for a couple of hours. This water hose should be placed in the tree drip line area or on young trees at the edge of the planting hole. Do not let runoff occur. Lawns need to be mowed less often, and the mowing height needs to be raised during dry weather. You will also notice weeds out-competing your lawns when rainfall and irrigation water are limiting factors.

Irrigate plants during the early morning hours. Avoid wetting foliage on plants – this encourages disease development. You need to avoid this wetting of foliage on many flowers, roses and bedding plants. They are most susceptible to water accumulation on flowers and foliage.

Organic matter in landscape beds helps to maintain soil moisture. In addition, mulch all landscape beds twice yearly. Pine straw and pine bark are excellent mulches. You can use hardwood mulch around many trees. Mulch flowers to a depth of 1-2 inches, shrubs to a depth of 2-3 inches and trees to a depth of 3-4 inches.

Gardeners often wonder what kind of sprinklers to use on their lawn or what kind of hose or sprinklers to use in their landscape beds. For lawns, an efficient type of sprinkler is called an impact sprinkler. These are commonly seen on athletic fields and golf courses. In landscape beds, use short-length soaker hoses, or use a micro-irrigation (drip) system that has individual emitters for shrubs and roses. For bedding plant areas, spray stakes off the micro-irrigation system are nice, but be sure to direct the irrigation water underneath the foliage or downward toward the mulch or soil.

Irrigation is an important consideration in home landscapes. Irrigate properly during these very dry conditions. Follow these steps to help your plants through the droughty periods and aid them in being more productive for you.

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Gold Medal Winner. 'Guardian Blue' Delphinium.

Silver Medal Winner. 'Redbor' Ornamental Kale.

Bronze Medal Winner. 'PowWow Wild Berry' Echinacea.

An “Appreciation Day” brought 320 Louisiana Master Gardeners to the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station on Friday, May 13, and gave them an opportunity to vote for their two “favorite” plants in the sun garden plant trial evaluation area at the station. Plants in the sun garden are annual bedding plants for sun, herbaceous perennials, roses and companion woody ornamental shrubs, and small trees. We had a total of 384 votes for the spring 2011 Master Gardener people’s choice plant awards. The medal winners received 19.5% of the total votes, other plants receiving significant votes accounted for 63.3% of the total, and plants not listed received the remaining 17.2% of the votes.

The medal winners:

• Gold Winner – ‘Guardian Blue’ Delphinium (26)
• Silver Winner – ‘Redbor’ Ornamental Kale (25)
• Bronze Winner – ‘PowWow Wild Berry’ Echinacea (24)

Other plants receiving a significant number of votes:

• ‘Camelot Rose’ Foxglove (22)
• ‘Blue Chip’ Buddleia (22)
• ‘Shoal Creek’ Vitex (18)
• ‘Suncatcher Pink Lemonade’ Petunia (16)
• ‘Spreading Salmon Variegated’ SunPatiens (14)
• Cassia corymbosa (13)
• ‘Fireworks’ Gomphrena (12)
• ‘Curled Green’ Ornamental Kale (10)
• ‘Early Bird Gold’ Rudbeckia (9)
• ‘Starbor’ Ornamental Kale (8)
• ‘Tidal Wave Hot Pink’ Petunia (8)
• ‘Tricolor’ Hibiscus [Hibiscus tiliaceus] (6)
• ‘Cherry Brandy’ Hardy Hibiscus (6)
• ‘Tidal Wave Silver’ Petunia (6)
• ‘All the Rage’ Easy Elegance Rose (6)
• ‘Frostproof’ Gardenia (6)
• ‘Guardian White’ Delphinium (5)
• ‘Guardian Lavender’ Delphinium (5)
• ‘Curly Q’ Copper Plant (5)
• ‘Little Leaf Variegated’ Tibouchina (4)
• ‘Sorbet Lemon Royale’ Viola (4)
• ‘Sorbet Lemon Chiffon’ Viola (4)
• ‘President’ Canna (4)
• ‘Saratoga Red’ Nicotiana (4)
• ‘Perfume Antique Shade’ Nicotiana (4)
• ‘Julia Child’ Rose (4)
• ‘PowWow White’ Echinacea (4)
• ‘Wasabi’ Coleus (4)
• ‘Compact Blush Pink’ SunPatiens (4)
• ‘Compact Orange’ SunPatiens (3)
• ‘Picnic Light Pink’ Petunia (3)

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The historic flood stages that are approaching Louisiana along the cresting Mississippi River is having a big impact on both the wildlife and wildlife habitat in Louisiana. “Just as human residents are forced to seek higher ground to escape rising flood waters, animals must do the same,” according to Don Reed, LSU AgCenter wildlife specialist.

Animal populations that inhabit the Mississippi River basin are accustomed to annual spring floods and such events are part of their life cycle. Areas of higher ground are sought out every year when waters rise and inundate lower areas, Reed said.

“The record river levels that the Mississippi is experiencing this year however will quickly surround many of these higher areas and animals that in a normal high water year would be safe, quickly find their safety areas going under water,” Reed explained, adding. “In these situations, wildlife must often swim long distances to reach higher ground outside the flood plain.”

This high ground is usually along the levees just outside of the flooded area. Some animals that are unable to escape will die due to drowning but the vast majority will find their way to dry ground. Full story, click here.

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Adult Asian Citrus Psyllid.

Leafminer damage on citrus foliage.

Asian Citrus Psyllid nymphs.

The LSU AgCenter (Hummel, Bracy, and Fletcher) is conducting a citrus insecticide demonstration test (with Support from Dupont Crop Protection) in the citrus grove at the Hammond Research Station.   The insecticides being evaluated include Altacor which is being compared to a standard treatment (Danitol and Provado) and an untreated block of trees. Altacor is an insecticide which belongs to a class of insecticide that targets the muscle of the insect, causing paralysis and ultimately starvation and death. Our primary target with this insecticide treatment in Louisiana is the citrus leafminer and asian citrus psyllid. Fortunately, asian citrus psyllid has not been detected in the Hammond area. In our evaluations we observed some scale insects and leafminer injury in a few of the trees, but for the most-part the trees are clean. All the insecticides appear to be providing excellent insect control. A second scouting in 30 dayswill be made to evaluate insecticide activity 60 days after treatment.

It is important to be aware of the health of your citrus trees by inspecting them regularly for pests as well as general health. You can find basic guidelines on our  fruits and nuts LSU AgCenter website plus additional information including how to scout for insect pests here. In addition, you can find additional resources at the links listed below:

Citrus greening id card:

Citrus greening fact sheet:

Citrus greening scouting video:

Image gallery of insects that attack citrus in Louisiana:

Powerpoint presentation on insects and mites that attack backyard citrus

Scouting video for citrus leafminer:

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Hammond Research receives high points for customer satisfaction

Industry professionals and elected officials learned about the work at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station at an appreciation event on April 14. “We wanted to let the people know what the LSU AgCenter is doing in their community,” said Regina Bracy, resident coordinator of the station. “This is a very small part of it.”

Some who have benefitted from the work at the station gave testimonials about how valuable the research at the station is to Louisiana. “I served on the advisory committee here when they were first deciding what to do with this experiment station,” said Pat Newman, general manager of Folsom Nursery in St. Tammany Parish. She compared the gardens at the station with the famous Calloway Gardens in Georgia.

“This garden is in its infancy now, but the research here really helps the green industry in Louisiana show what the possibilities are,” Newman said. “It also helps the homeowner come and envision what they can do in their own landscape.” The idea for the garden actually began in 2003 when landscape horticulture research at the station was proposed, according to Bracy. For full article, click here.

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Over 70 stakeholders, local, state, and federal elected officials or their representatives attended the first annual "Evening in the Garden" at the Hammond Research Station between 5:00 and 7:00 PM on April 14th. Resident Coordinator Dr. Regina Bracy welcomed the group and introduced Pat Newman (Folsom Nursery) and Sandy Sharp (Covey Rise Farms) who both gave testimonials regarding how the LSU AgCenter had helped them as well as green industry related businesses in the region. Senator Ben Nevers and Tangipahoa Parish President Gordon Burgess also attended the event. This was the first annual "Evening in the Garden" event in the Southeast Region and the goal is to host an annual event rotating between the Hammond, Idlewild and Southeast research stations.

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A 13-year-old federal program to combat Formosan subterranean termites in New Orleans’ French Quarter is winding down, according to officials. The program called Operation Full Stop featured treating French Quarter properties for termites through professional pest management companies paid with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The U.S. Congress eliminated federal funding effective April 15.

The LSU AgCenter has been the cooperating agency that manages federal payments to pest control operators that treat buildings in the French Quarter for termites. French Quarter property owners recently were informed that federal payments for termite treatments by private pest control operators for individual properties would be stopped effective April 15. Any contracts with pest control operators after April 15 will be the responsibility of the property owners.

“It’s unfortunate the program is ending,” said LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson. “Since 1998 the AgCenter has been an active partner in the effort to suppress Formosan subterranean termites in New Orleans.” Full story, click here.

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According to Chancellor Richardson, the Louisiana House Committee on Appropriations held a hearing last week to address the governor’s executive budget as it relates to higher education. He was asked to address the committee along with the new Commissioner for Higher Education, Jim Purcell, and LSU System President Lombardi. He told them that the chronic reduction of state appropriations for higher education is eroding our critical research and extension programs. Lombardi said institutions like the LSU AgCenter and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center are suffering even more from budget cuts because they do not have students to charge more tuition. Several legislators expressed concern that cutting the AgCenter’s budget will hurt production agriculture in the state. They instructed Commissioner Purcell and President Lombardi to find solutions to meet the short-term budget hole for the LSU AgCenter as well as a permanent funding structure to solve the long-term budget issue.
 
Find out more at the Focus on the Budget webpage.

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I am excited about the Southeast Region having a blog page so faculty as well as constituents will be able to share as well as see the outstanding research and extension programs being developed and conducted in this part of Louisiana. LSU AgCenter faculty are well trained professionals that conduct high quality research and then transfer that information to citizens of Louisiana in a professional manner. Please enjoy the blog and contribute at a high level.

Bobby Fletcher, Jr.
Regional Director
Assistant Director
LSU AgCenter

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