(Distributed November 2004) November in Louisiana means cooler weather, but LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske says it doesn't mean you have to hang up your garden tools for the year. "Some garden plants withstand cold weather, so you can keep your garden filled and growing until spring," the horticulturist explains.

(For Release On Or After 11/26/04) The vegetables we grow here during the cool season are some of the most delicious and nutritious that our home gardens can produce. Better yet, many of the vegetables we planted in late summer and early fall are ready to harvest – or they will be soon.

(For Release On Or After 11/12/04) I wish more gardeners understood that fall is a primary planting season in Louisiana. For years horticulturists have tried to get the word out that November through February is the ideal time to plant hardy trees and shrubs in the landscape.

(For Release On Or After 11/05/04) Fall is an outstanding time to plant many of the hardy culinary herbs, and one of the most popular is parsley.

(For Release On Or After 11/19/04) Now is the perfect time to plant cool-season bedding plants that will brighten our landscapes over the next five or six months. Of course, while you’re at it, don’t make the mistake of many gardeners and forget that some cool-season bedding plants are wonderfully fragrant.

(Distributed 11/10/04) "Green industry" professionals will have a chance to learn the latest about plants available for use in the state at the 10th annual Louisiana Plant Materials Conference Dec. 2.

(Distributed 11/05/04) "Lucky is the tomato grower who has tomatoes for sale now," said Dr. H.Y. Hanna of the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/03/04) The LSU AgCenter is working with Louisiana poultry producers to help them reduce the economic damage caused by fire ants. Those efforts are part of an overall program designed to help citizens try to banish the pests from parks, lawns and other areas where people or animals may be affected.

(Distributed 11/12/04) With hunting season in full swing, an LSU AgCenter expert says it’s a good time to remember that safety should be everyone’s top priority.

(Distributed 11/16/04) Three of four samples tested from an inspection tour in Louisiana Thursday (Nov. 11) were confirmed as Asian soybean rust, a potentially devastating plant disease, today (Nov. 16) by officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(Distributed 11/03/04) Central Louisiana landowners heard that managing forest resources is a good investment during a gathering here late last month.

(Distributed 11/24/04) A half-century-old practice used to produce superior cattle is on the threshold of contributing to improved production in aquaculture thanks to research at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/05/04) The quality of water, not the quantity, is a problem for anyone who considers venturing into the nursery business in Louisiana.

(Distributed 11/05/04) Thanks to LSU AgCenter faculty, farmers this year can use data collected from the largest on-farm demonstration trials ever conducted in Louisiana to select what they plant next year.

(Distributed 11/19/04) As farmers work to complete harvesting this year’s sweet potato crop in Louisiana, an LSU AgCenter expert predicts overall production for 2004 will be down significantly because of a mixture of excessive rains and drought conditions.

(Distributed 11/12/04) The Louisiana Forage and Grassland Council will address several different aspects of forage production at its 2004 annual conference Dec. 10 in Alexandria.

(Distributed 11/23/04) Five Louisiana 4-H’ers were among those winning national championship honors last week in Louisville, Ky.

(Distributed 11/03/04) Rains in May and June seem to have hampered Louisiana’s 2004 pecan crop, and September hurricanes on the Gulf Coast greatly reduced the crop in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

(Distributed 11/10/04) A costly and potentially devastating plant disease has been discovered in Louisiana – its first occurrence in the United States, officials confirmed Tuesday.

(Distributed 11/03/04) LSU AgCenter faculty members are working to increase awareness about the potentially devastating effects of diabetes and how to recognize its symptoms, and they have developed a new educational program to assist in those efforts.

(Distributed 11/15/04) "We have to become a business," Diana Boudreaux of Abbeville said of the Louisiana horse industry, stressing, "We have to come together."

(Distributed 11/19/04) The LSU AgCenter has scheduled its 2004 Poinsettia Open House for Dec. 9-10 on the campus in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed November 2004) Knowing what is in your soil and what nutrients it needs are basic first steps for healthy plants and a good crop, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske. Plants depend on soil for their food.

(Distributed November 2004) Hunting season is under way in many areas of the state, and LSU AgCenter hunter safety expert Dr. Don Reed cautions hunters to keep safety in mind when they are in the woods.

(Distributed November 2004) Early childhood education and quality of child care affect children’s social and cognitive development, and attachment to a caregiver can be a positive factor in that development, according to LSU AgCenter child-care associate Cheri Gioe.

(Distributed November 2004) One of the indicators of quality child care is the educational level of caregivers. Unfortunately, Louisiana child caregivers rank as some of the least-educated providers in the nation, according to LSU AgCenter child-care associate Cheri Gioe.

(Distributed November 2004) When Louisiana temperatures take a dip, many people start thinking about building a roaring fire in their fireplaces. What they don’t dream of, however, are the insects that too often come inside with the firewood, says LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet.

(Distributed November 2004) Laying hens producing table eggs or hatching eggs require a completely balanced diet to maintain maximum and quality egg production. Feed expenses, however, tempt producers to cut corners, according to LSU AgCenter poultry professor Dr. Theresia Lavergne.

(Distributed Novembert 2004) "Although the end of the year 2006 is rapidly approaching, you still have time to take advantage of some great tax breaks and let your employer pick up the tab for expenses," says LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.

(Distributed November 2004) Mid October through November is the best time in Louisiana to plant bedding plants, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings.

(Distributed November 2004) The 2004 season has been tough on pecans in Louisiana, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. John Pyzner. The crop is expected to be approximately a third of last year’s 20 million pound crop.