4-H Livestock Showing Projects are Educational by Mario Villarino
September 18, 2023 – 4-H livestock showing projects are educational programs offered by the 4-H organization. These projects involve raising and showing livestock animals like cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and poultry. Here’s an overview of what’s involved: Animal Selection: Participants choose an animal to raise and show. They might consider factors like breed, health, and market potential. Animal Care: They learn to...
Ideal Time for Planting Cool Season Forages by Mario Villarino
September 9, 2023 – Late September-early October is the ideal time for planting cool season annual forages such as annual ryegrass, small grains (rye, wheat or oats) and/or cool season annual legumes. Anytime we are incorporating new forages into our production systems it is important to make sure to match the forage species to your location (soil type, average annual rainfall, intended use, etc). Three methods for establishing...
Advice For Cattle During Drought by Mario Villarino
Certainly, drought conditions in Texas can significantly impact the cattle industry. During droughts, the availability of water and forage for cattle can become limited, leading to challenges in maintaining the health and productivity of the animals. Ranchers may need to implement strategies such as supplemental feeding, reducing herd size, or relocating cattle to areas with better grazing conditions to mitigate the effects of...
Texas 4-H is Like a Club for Kids and Teens, and it’s BIG! by Mario Villarino
Texas 4-H is like a club for kids and teens ages 5-18, and it’s BIG! It’s the largest youth development program in Texas with more than 550,000 youth each year. No matter where you live or what you like to do, Texas 4-H has something that lets you be a better you! You may think 4-H is only for your friends with animals, but it’s so much more! You can do activities like shooting sports, food science, healthy living, robotics, fashion,...
Crickets By Mario Villarino
Crickets are about 1″ long, dark brown to black with large hind legs used for jumping. Female crickets have a large, sword-like structure, the ovipositor, protruding from the tip of the abdomen. The ovipositor is an egg laying structure. Crickets feed on plant material and other insects. They can cause damage to seedlings and be destructive to plants when in high numbers. Males can become a nuisance with their sounds...
Webworms And Insecticide By Mario Villarino
The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), is native to North America and is a common caterpillar pest of trees. It attacks more than 88 kinds of plants in North America, including many fruit, nut, and ornamental trees and shrubs. It does not attack pines and other needle-bearing trees (conifers). Fall webworms are known for their large webs on terminal foliage. Heavy infestations are rarely fatal, but if they occur over several...
How To Spot A Bagworm By Mario Villarino
The small, silk weaving that resembles a Christmas tree ornament on your favorite tree or shrub is not decoration. These bags protect the caterpillars, or larvae, pupae, female adults and eggs of bagworms (Order Lepidoptera Family Psychidae) Bagworms attack trees and shrubs including: evergreens such as arborvitae, cedars, cypress, junipers, pines and spruce broadleaved plants such as...
How To Prepare For Mosquito Season By Mario Villarino
Warmer temperatures and rain means mosquito season is underway in most of the state. With an increase in mosquitoes comes an increase in bites. While these insects pose a big annoyance for Texans, here are five tips on how to protect your home from mosquitoes this summer. Eliminate standing water: Mosquitoes develop in stagnant water. Limiting water-filled breeding sites around the home can reduce populations in...
How To Plant Bermudagrass By Mario Villarino
As temperatures rise we often start getting an itch to plant. When it comes to establishing bermudagrass from sprigs there are several things to keep in mind before we start tilling the soil: Location: Choose a well drained soil; bermudagrass does not do well on wet-land (except for Jiggs Bermudagrass). Variety Selection: Match variety to soil type, average rainfall, production goals, and willingness to manage (provide...
April Is National Volunteer Month – Hopkins County Master Gardeners Announce Plant Swap
Front Row (Left to Right): Joan Brennan, Charlotte Wilson, Mario Villarino (County Agent), and Judy Jones.Second Row (Let to Right): Brenda Payne, Jon Dalzell, Ronnie Wilson, Phyllis Kitten, Gere Camper, Pam Jorgenson and Dawn Wilburn. Volunteers are an ESSENTIAL component of our Extension Office and we love them!. The Hopkins County Master Gardeners conduct demonstration programs, trainings, public events and even make school...
