As a result of this tyranny, they owned no tractors, no equipment, not even lawn mowers! Everyone was locked in poverty, and lived on a twenty acre allotment still left over from a socialist/communist regime. They spend all their waking time figuring out where to get enough to eat. Out in their area where we would have lawns were pens for their horse, and their cow. All work, all the time. No freedoms still.

Every once and a while even I need a little wake up call as to how lucky we have it.

I honor the men and women that have and continue to serve our country.

I thought it would be nice to dedicate this picture of one of my English Roses, in the lawn I am lucky to have, on the farm I am lucky to own and live on, in the country where we are free to do as we wish and worship as we wish.

This is a David Austin English Rose. It has turned really dry and hot where I live, and it's very early for that, but this rose is so resilient. This is the end of the first flush of bloom for it. I love the vibrant red blooms and they smell sort of spicy I guess, is the way I would describe it.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day and week.

~JB was here.

I planted some of the old standby coleus variety “Rainbow” and I think every seed sprouted. I love the colors, textures and shapes and they really brighten up the shady areas. And I'm so glad I planted the seeds….I mean seriously, what's cuter than a baby coleus plant?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful memorial day weekend. Take a moment to honor our servicemen and women with a silent, respectful reflection on the freedoms we have. ~JB was here.

I received an enewsletter from University Extension last week that says armyworms are still on the move, having been seen in significant numbers in Wright and Texas Counties, where we are located. To beat the pest, many are cutting hay instead of waiting to harvest fescue seed. Army worms can devastate a field in about 36 hours. I have seen the roads covered with them, as they move from one field to another. I haven't seen that many this year, and I sure hope I don't.

U-MO extension says that their measure of a significant population is met when 25 or more true armyworms are caught in a trap overnight. To see the integrated pest management area of their website go to:

http://ipm.missouri.edu/index.htm

The following excerpt from the website shows how to identify this damaging pest.

How to Identify True Armyworm - Pseudaletia unipuncta

Identification of larvae (damaging stage)

• Greenish brown with a narrow, mid-dorsal stripe (Figure 4)
• Yellowish head honeycombed with dark lines (Figure 4)
• White-bordered, orange line down each side of the body
• Large, single dark spot at the base of each of the 4 of
  fleshy abdominal prologs (Figure 4)
• Use the orange lines and dark spots at base of prologs to differentiate true armyworm larvae from other armyworm larvae (Figure 4)

Identification of moth (stage attracted to and captured in traps)

• Wingspan averages 1.5 inches.
• Grayish-brown forewings with a white spot near the center of each wing.
• Grayish-white hind wings

Their Sire at home in Brazil.....

GALENA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialists have been closely monitoring true armyworm activity in various crops in Missouri this year.  This comes after reports of significant damage to forages and crops in northern Arkansas.

To date there have been evidence in sections of southwest Missouri of their activity on fescue, bermudagrass, wheat and corn.  Some high numbers of moth counts have been observed in southern Missouri monitoring traps in the last month.     

Tim Schnakenberg, an agronomy specialist with MU Extension based in Galena, Mo., has received reports from true armyworms from Barry, Cedar, Dade, Stone and Christian counties in just the last few days.

“Young corn seedlings and plants can be at risk.  The economic threshold for spraying this pest is when 25 percent or more of the plants are being damaged.  If the outbreak elevates to a high level, armyworms can consume a large amount of foliage and stunt the crop.  Check the seedlings and the whorls for leaf feeding,” said Schnakenberg.

Fescue seed and wheat producers should also be watching closely because large numbers of them may not only defoliate the plant, but they can clip heads as well. 

“Treatment is justified in pastures and wheat fields when there are an average of four or more half-grown or larger larvae per square foot and before more than two or three percent of the heads are cut,” said Schnakenberg.

Dusk or dawn is the best time to be scouting for true armyworms because the young larvae are typically night feeders.  During the heat of the day they will be under plant debris on the ground.  As the larvae get bigger they will do an increased amount of day-time feeding. 

The larvae have a greenish-brown body, nearly hairless, with two orange stripes along each side.  The head is brown with honeycomb markings.

According to Schnakenberg, once the moths move into an area, they lay their eggs and it may take two to three weeks for the young larvae to start doing damage.  It only takes the larvae five to seven days to grow from one-half inch to 1.5 inches in length.

“After they reach about 1.5 inches they begin to pupate, going into the ground and making a cocoon.  This first generation of true armyworms is generally the most damaging,” said Schnakenberg.

Producers can monitor insect activity in Missouri through the Missouri Pest Monitoring Network at http://ipm.missouri.edu/.  On this site, producers can find insect activity such as armyworm, cutworm, Japanese beetle, corn borer and corn earworms reported in traps maintained by extension agronomy specialists.  Producers can also sign up for a free email notification if an insect alert occurs around the state.

For information on sprays for true armyworms, visit the Greene County Extension website (http://extension.missouri.edu/greene) to download some specific recommendations from the University of Missouri for corn, wheat and fescue in southwest Missouri.

For more information, contact any of these MU Extension agronomy specialists in southwest Missouri: Tim Schnakenberg in Stone County, (417) 357-6812; Jay Chism in Barton County, (417) 682-3579; John Hobbs in McDonald County, (417) 223-4775 or Brie Menjoulet in Hickory County, (417) 745-6767.

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Now available: Three cow/calf pairs. Black and Black Baldies. Call 417.926.2610 for pricing and details.

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I have four (David Austin) English Roses variety “The Herbalist” and they are in full bloom~

English Rose (David Austin) Tess of the D'Urbervilles has returned with vibrant scarlet blossoms~

And, English Rose (David Austin) James Galway is preparing  to apply for its own ZIP CODE-it's huge! ~

While Floribunda variety Rainbow Sorbet is putting on a flashy show of its own~

Photo #1 shows the acorn and root detail, #2 shows them sitting in some of the material they sprouted in (horse stable bedding). This medium made it really easy to use the bare root method to transplant them and made it possible to get the whole root system including the tap (very important). Photo #3 shows the root system in a little more detail, and #4 shows one after it was transplanted. I planted four in the yard. I think they are beautiful.