(Distributed 11/15/06) When Louisiana cooks shop for their Thanksgiving meal, they’ll find the cost of the basic dinner items will average $38.11 for 10 people, according to an LSU AgCenter survey. That’s up by $1.31 from last year’s national average of $36.80 as reported by the American Farm Bureau Foundation.

(Distributed 11/13/06) Oyster dressing and pecan pie – both made with Louisiana-grown products – may be a bit more difficult to get this holiday season and may cause consumers to dig a little deeper in their pockets when they find them.

(Distributed 11/15/06) Fried turkey has become a tradition for many people at Thanksgiving. Before envisioning your arteries hardening, consider that fried turkey is not as unhealthy as it might sound – if you don't eat the skin, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Video 11/27/06) Modern poinsettias are so beautiful, and they come in a wide variety of colors. When choosing a poinsettia for your home or office, first look at the foliage. You want it to be dark green and healthy without a lot of dropped leaves and bare stems. Also, avoid poinsettias where a lot of the true flowers have already fallen off. (Runtime: 1 minute, 14 seconds)

(For Release On Or After 11/24/06) Hedges can create privacy, block unwanted views, screen out noise and serve other important roles in our landscape. If you’re considering planting a new hedge or replacing a lost one, now is a great time to get it done.

(For Release On Or After 11/17/06) Insect outbreaks on indoor plants can be disastrous. So you need to keep a close watch on your houseplants to prevent major problems from developing.

(For Release On Or After 11/10/06) Flowers are the delight of gardeners. Their beautiful colors, shapes and fragrances are the inspiration for gardening efforts by countless hobby horticulturists. But there is more to flowers than what meets the eye or the nose. Your taste buds also can appreciate the many edible flowers that we can grow.

(For Release On Or After 11/03/06) Louisiana gardeners often use containers of tender tropical plants on decks, patios, porches and courtyards to provide color and beauty through the summer. These plants thrive in outdoor conditions, but since they cannot withstand freezing temperatures they must be protected over the winter.

(For Release On Or After 12/01/06) This time of the year deciduous trees drop tons of leaves. Most people rake them up, put them in bags and place the bags on the curb to be picked up with the trash. What a shame!

(For Release On Or After 12/08/06) Paperwhite and amaryllis are two bulbs popular for "forcing" in Louisiana during the winter. Forcing bulbs means growing them to bloom earlier than they would under normal landscape conditions.

(For Release On Or After 12/29/06) The next few weeks are an important time for planting tulips, hyacinths and other bulbs you previously stored in your refrigerator to get them ready for planting. Won’t it be great to get the refrigerator space back!

(For Release On Or After 12/22/06) The winter solstice occurred this week, and it marks a turning point in the length of our days and nights. Why is that important for gardeners? Mainly because it reminds us that changing of the seasons affects the way our plants perform.

(For Release On Or After 12/15/06) An easy-to-make garland might be just what you need to spruce up your front entrance before your holiday company arrives, and you may be able to make one from the "trimmings" you have from pruning trees and bushes this time of year.

(Video 11/20/06) Ornamental grasses are reliable perennials that are easy to care for. In the fall, there is an ornamental grass that puts on a wonderful show. It is called the muhly grass, and it is grown for its wonderful, light, delicate, burgundy flower heads. (Runtime: 1 minute, 6 seconds)

(Audio 11/20/06) Paperwhites are a wonderful spring-flowering bulb, but it is popular to force their blooms around this time so they'll have blooms at Christmas. Just remember if you grow them with too little light and in warm temperatures, like indoors, they will turn out leggy and the blooms will fall over. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/20/06) Many people use tropical container plants to embellish decks, porches or patios. These plants cannot be left outside during winter. Don't wait until the first freeze is predicted to take them inside. Prepare them early for the lower light indoors. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/20/06) All the leaves your shade trees are dropping this time of year should not be thrown away. If you compost the leaves, you'll end up with a valuable soil additive that you can use in garden bed preparation. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/20/06) From now through February is the best time to plant hardy fruit trees and shrubs in Louisiana landscapes. Fruit trees often require more care than an average tree, but the resulting fruit makes it well worth the effort. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/20/06) A wide variety of herbs can take Louisiana's winters. Plant them now for a great harvest in late winter, spring and early summer. Put them in a sunny, well-prepared bed that is convenient to the kitchen. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 11/13/06) This time of the year Louisiana gardeners are pulling out tired summer bedding plants and replacing them with cool-season bedding plants. That will keep our gardens beautiful and colorful through fall, winter and spring. But you could save those tender perennials you're taking out by potting them for the winter. (Runtime: 1 minute, 31 seconds)

(Audio 11/13/06) Broccoli is a great cool-season vegetable, but there is a trick to harvesting perfect broccoli. The size of the head does not determine when to harvest broccoli. It is the size of each individual flower bud on the head that determines harvest time. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/13/06) Winter vegetables have a nice aesthetic quality. The frilly foliage of mustard and the wonderful color of red cabbage make these plants great ornamentals as well as productive vegetables. You also can try curly-leaf parsley as an edging to cool-season bedding plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/13/06) Amaryllis bulbs become available at nurseries and garden centers each fall. But fall is not the appropriate time to plant these bulbs into your landscape. It is best to pot them and let them bloom indoors. You can plant them into your landscape in the spring. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/13/06) Summer-flowering bulbs grow and bloom during the summer, and many of these bulbs go dormant over the winter. When a freeze browns their foliage, you can cut them back. A thick layer of mulch will protect the bulbs during the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/13/06) The camellia is an outstanding evergreen shrub for Louisiana. It blooms beautifully in the winter. Camellias are free from most insect and disease problems except for tea scale. When that's a problem, oil spray will help control infestations. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 11/06/06) Fall weather means it’s time to get our cool-season bedding plants into the ground. Local nurseries should be full of wonderful selections. The advantage of fall planting is that these flowers will bloom through the fall and intermittently during the winter. Then they will put on a huge display in the spring. (Runtime: 1 minute, 42 seconds)

(Audio 11/06/06) November is the perfect month to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Once you've got the bulbs planted, you can overplant them with cool-season bedding plants. This will give you flowers throughout the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/06/06) The common lawn grasses we use in Louisiana go dormant and turn brown during the winter. You can keep a green lawn by overseeding with ryegrass, but keep in mind that will mean you have to mow the grass during the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/06/06) Lettuce is an easy vegetable to grow at home. You can buy transplants or start the plants from seed. If using seeds, remember lettuce seeds need light to germinate, so just press them lightly into the soil. While lettuce does well during cool weather, it can be damaged on a particularly cold night. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/06/06) We are well into the fall season, but chrysanthemums still are available in nurseries and garden centers. Chrysanthemums do a great job of punching up the color in your landscape. Potted chrysanthemums also brighten doorways. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/30/06) Most of the shade trees we use in our landscapes are deciduous. This means they drop their leaves over the winter. It is important to get these leaves off the lawn. You can use them as a mulch or put them in a compost pile. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/30/06) Perennials are flowers that come back year after year. Most of them are in active growth during the summer. So fall is a great time to go through your flower gardens and cut back unattractive growth and faded flowers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/30/06) Fall tomatoes should be ready for harvest about now. They ripen slowly during cooler weather, but you can harvest them as soon as they have a pinkish tint to them. Bring the tomatoes indoors and allow them to ripen on a counter. And be sure to harvest all tomatoes if a freeze is predicted. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/30/06) Louisiana gardeners use many types of evergreen shrubs in their landscapes. Even though these plants are called "evergreen," some of their leaves will get old, and the plants will shed those old leaves. The leaves will change colors before they fall. But experts say there is no need to be concerned about this process. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 10/30/06) Fall does not mean the end of Louisiana's gardening season. This is evident in the outstanding flowering plants that put on a great show this time of the year. Two you might not normally think about are azaleas and roses. (Runtime: 1 minute, 29 seconds)

(Audio 10/30/06) There are vegetables that like Louisiana's cold season. Root crops can be direct-seeded in the garden this time of the year. You also can plant greens and sets of the onion family. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 11/16/06) The LSU AgCenter’s 2006 Poinsettia Open House is set for Dec. 8 at its Burden Center in Baton Rouge. The annual event provides poinsettia growers and the public with an opportunity to view some of the latest poinsettia varieties and to see results of LSU AgCenter research with the plants. (EVENT CANCELED AFTER NEWS RELEASE ISSUED)

(Distributed 11/28/06) Five Louisiana 4-H’ers were among those winning national championship honors this month at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in Louisville, Ky. The national championship honors for Louisiana went to a judging team and an individual, who all were from Lafourche Parish.

(Distributed 11/28/06) Inaccurate acreage estimates could be leading some farmers to spend too much or too little on producing their crops, according to an LSU AgCenter watershed agent, who says the cost of more accurate surveys may be worth the investment.

(Distributed 11/28/06) The LSU AgCenter recently selected a 25-year veteran of its 4-H program to serve as the new head of its youth development efforts. Dr. Mark Tassin will move into the position of department head for 4-H Youth Development Dec. 1.

(Distributed 11/22/06) It’s the time of year when many people go shopping for trees to decorate their homes during the holiday season. LSU AgCenter expert Dr. Don Reed offers a few tips on selecting and caring for a tree that may help you get the most enjoyment from it.

(Distributed 11/21/06) Five Louisiana 4-H members attended the first Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference earlier this month at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Ga.

(Distributed 11/22/06) Consumers must be cautious of identity thieves when shopping during the holiday season, says LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker. "Be on your guard all the time. By taking certain precautions, you can save yourself hours of time recovering from identity theft," she advises.

(Distributed 11/21/06) Many people use poinsettias to decorate their homes during the holiday season. The plants you purchase now can be a beautiful part of your decorations, but they’re probably only good for this season, the experts say.

(Distributed 11/21/06) The LSU AgCenter recently brought beef producers from around the state together at the Bald Cypress Cattle Co. in Amite for a field day designed to demonstrate scientifically based and environmentally sound management practices they could implement.

(Distributed 11/21/06) Louisiana’s pecan crop this year is excellent. The harvest forecast is 19 million pounds, which is 5 million pounds above Louisiana’s average of 14 million pounds, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. John Pyzner.

(Distributed 11/21/06) This year’s plentiful Louisiana pecan crop is a pleasant surprise following last year’s hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is unusual to have a good pecan crop following a hurricane, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. John Pyzner.

(Distributed 11/17/06) The LSU AgCenter’s 2007 Get It Growing calendar provides a variety of helpful information tailored to Louisiana gardeners, and it’s available for holiday gift-giving. The calendar, now in its third year of publication, features advice and photos tailored to Louisiana’s growing conditions and climates.

(Distributed 11/16/06) Twenty-one members of the most recentt LSU AgCenter Community Leadership and Economic Development class in Livingston Parish were on hand for the final session and presentation of certificates Monday (Nov. 13). Known as CLED, for short, the program is designed to help volunteers learn leadership skills that can help them work to improve their local economies and make their communities better places to live.

(Distributed 11/15/06) Four LSU AgCenter employees were recognized Tuesday (Nov. 14) for their outstanding service to the university. The LSU AgCenter winners – Joseph Alexis, Cheryl Duplechain, Nona Everett and Joan Gobert – were among 13 people honored as LSU Foundation Staff Outstanding Service Award winners.

(Distributed 11/09/06) Tree farming is a good alternative for landowners to consider in making long-term investments in their land resources. That was one of the messages heard recently at a meeting coordinated by the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/08/06) A first-time festival involving more than 2,000 visitors and about 100 volunteers usually takes an experienced committee of adults to plan and manage. The success of the recent "Up With Kids" event, however, was due to a group of Baton Rouge teenagers.

(Distributed 11/06/06) The LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station has established the Margie Yates Jenkins Azalea Garden in recognition of one of Tangipahoa Parish’s most widely known nursery owners.

(Distributed 11/06/06) The annual Deep South Fruit and Vegetable Conference and Trade Show will be Dec. 6-7 in Mobile, Ala. About 500 people are expected to attend this multistate meeting, including growers from Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

(Distributed 11/02/06) Linda Hatcher was looking for a way to boost morale at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. She found it through collaboration with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/03/06) Late fall through winter in Louisiana is a great season for planting fruit trees, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings. The horticulturist says several kinds of fruit trees and similar plants work well in backyard landscapes.