Here is the Exclusives packet for week ending April 4, 2003. (It’s being posted early because I’ll be out of the office next week (March 31-April 4).Ellen Brightwell

NOTE: We will send individual exclusives to program area mailing lists on a permanent basis since county agents favor receiving their exclusives in this matter. We also will send the complete packet to the exclusives mailing list as an agent back up and archive.

Please do not delete this message. It is the only complete copy your office will receive of exclusives for Agricultural and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H/Youth Development.

AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Mulch and Mold

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

Tips To Consider Before Selecting Home Water Treatment Devices

4-H/YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

NJHA Might Be for You

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Mulch and Mold

Sources: John Strang and Paul Vincelli

Mulch has many benefits around plant beds, foundation shrubs and other gardening locations in the yard. However, nuisance fungi occasionally grow on mulch applied to landscape plants and trees. In landscape beds and gardens, mulch helps control weeds, prevents extreme soil temperature fluctuation, decreases water evaporation and improves drainage. Mulch also reduces mower and string trimmer damage by suppressing vegetation near shrubs and trees. As it decomposes, mulch produces organic materials to improve soil and otherwise benefit plants. You need to periodically re-apply mulch to continually receive these benefits. Nuisance fungi occasionally grow on mulch. They include shotgun fungus, slime molds, stinkhorns, earth stars and toadstools. The shotgun fungus shoots masses of tiny black spore structures onto adjacent surfaces such as vehicles and home siding. Slime molds are more unsightly than harmful. They don’t cause plant diseases and aren’t parasitic. Slime mold spores usually appear from late spring to autumn. Abundant wet weather stimulates above-ground appearance of these fungi that initially appear slimy but quickly become dry and powdery when converting into spore masses. Slime molds often quickly appear and usually disappear in one to two weeks. They tend to reproduce in the same location every year. Fungicide use isn’t recommended because slime molds aren’t harmful. When mulch hasn’t been composted, it might contain fungi that cause plant diseases. However, this situation is rare and only occurs in non-composted mulch. Plant material fertility problems can arise when fungi in decomposing mulch remove nitrogen from the soil. Insufficient moisture problems can develop when fungi permeate thick layers of dry mulch creating a surface that’s difficult for water to penetrate. To gain the most benefit, use composted mulch with a high bark content, and little wood material. Avoid finely-ground, woody products that haven’t been composted. If you buy fresh wood chips from a tree-maintenance firm, add water to the chips and allow them to partially compost for about six weeks. If this material doesn’t have fresh leaves, add some nitrogen to speed up the process. Avoid using fresh or partially composted wood chips near the house foundation because they can provide a food source for termites. Immediately after your put mulch around plants or trees, soak it with water to enhance bacterial activity to initiate decomposition. Periodically wet mulch during the growing season. Avoid soured mulch because it tends to injure plants. You can spot sour mulch by its acrid odor. For more information, contact your (County Name) Cooperative Extension Service. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin. -30-

Tips To Consider Before Selecting Home Water Treatment Devices

Source: Kim Henken

Home water treatment devices are among the fastest-growing segments of the housewares industry. It’s estimated that 20 percent of United States homes has a water filter or treatment device, ranging from a simple filter pitcher to a whole-house treatment unit. Getting better tasting water is the most common reason for buying a water filter. Before you buy a water treatment system, decide what you want to change about water you’re treating. Information in the following paragraphs describes some treatment methods and how they operate. Activated carbon filters are the most common type on the market. They are available through retail outlets in faucet-mount, countertop and water-pitcher models that remove organic compounds in water to solve problems with taste and odor. Disinfection systems are another home water treatment method. The most common systems use chlorine to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. Shock chlorination, which involves mixing a high chlorine dose, can be used with wells and cisterns. This treatment method requires several safety measures. The (County Name) Cooperative Extension Service can provide instructions to use shock chlorination to disinfect cisterns and wells. Physical filter treatment removes materials such as grit, sediment, dirt and rust, but does not purify or soften water. A water softener lets water pass through an ion-exchange resin bed to remove the calcium and magnesium that cause water hardness, replacing them with salt. This might be a concern for people on sodium-restricted diets. Two of the most effective water treatment systems are distillers and reverse-osmosis units. The distiller produces almost-pure water by removing minerals such as nitrates and sodium, many organic chemicals, and virtually all impurities. Heat used in the distillation process also kills bacteria. A reverse-osmosis unit, typically used only to treat drinking and cooking water, removes many inorganic chemicals such as nitrates, calcium and magnesium. Although these units are up to 95-percent effective, they can remove beneficial chemicals like fluoride, and can be expensive to buy and maintain. Whether you’re on a public water system or private water supply, testing water is the best way to determine what water properties you might want to change with a treatment system. Test reports or results also guide decisions on the best type of equipment for your situation. Public water system customers can request a copy of the Water Quality Report/Consumer Confidence Report from the local water company. Determining the quality of a private water supply is up to the individual homeowner. If you’re on a private water system, always test water before buying any water treatment equipment. This equipment should be certified to do what it claims. NSF International Inc and Underwriters Laboratory both test water filters and treatment systems for compliance with industry standards and will allow their seals to be put on qualifying tested equipment. The Water Quality Association, a trade group for water treatment equipment dealers and manufactures, also requires product evaluation. Member products have the WQA seal. There are several other factors to consider before you buy water treatment equipment. Be sure to think about the total cost including installation, maintenance, and filter replacement; the reputation and background of a water treatment equipment dealer; and the product warranty and maintenance schedules. Always precisely follow home treatment directions, especially regular filter replacement. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin. -30- NJHA Might Be for You

Sources: State 4-H Office, the National Junior Horticultural Association and Bill Fountain

Kentucky 4-Hers, members of the FFA and other youth interested in horticulture and related topics might want to learn more about the National Junior Horticultural Association. The NJHA, founded in 1934, was the first organization in the world dedicated solely to youth and horticulture. Its programs are designed to help young people obtain a basic understanding of the growing art and science of horticulture, and to develop skills in these areas. NJHA also recruits and trains youth in the many specialized horticultural fields, thus helping this important industry. Participation in NJHA also helps young citizens develop an appreciation for and understanding of the horticultural industry. This organization sponsors youth educational programs, including projects and activities, to create a better understanding of horticulture. NJHA members become better citizens as they develop an understanding or nature and accept responsibility for sustaining the environment in which we live. Membership also acquaints youth with the many vocational and professional career opportunities available in the horticultural industry. Youth and their adult leaders gain experiences in group participation, cooperation and leadership. The NJHA philosophy and program focus is represented by the acronym HYCEL. It stands for the following: Horticulture, Youth, Careers, Education and Leadership through NJHA projects and activities. Youth ages 22 years and younger are eligible to participate in NJHA projects and activities. Not all projects are open to all age levels. Age-eligibility is specified in the requirements for each activity. The Junior Division is for youth 14 years old as of December 31 each year. The Senior Division is open to youth ages 15 through 22. Age grouping allows youth to compete against others with similar abilities. Senior Division members are eligible to attend the NJHA annual convention each fall. A horticultural contest in identification, judging and information takes place during the convention for individuals and for teams. Senior projects for the national convention include the areas of Environmental Awareness, Production and Marketing, Experimental Horticulture, Demonstrations, Speaking of Horticulture and Recognition of Achievement and Leadership. The junior projects of Gardening, Plant Propagation, Environmental Awareness and Experimental Horticulture are submitted as reports before the annual convention. For more information on horticulture educational opportunities offered through our Kentucky 4-H/Youth Development Program, contact me at the (County Name) Cooperative Extension Service and Bill Fountain, Extension horticulture specialist /4-H, at 859-257-3320 or [email protected]., or visit the organization’s Web site at http://www.njha.org. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin. -30-