Extension Information
CLAYTON COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE CALENDAR – May 16, 2013
22 Cover Crop Pasture Walk, 1:00 p.m., 29742 Pleasant Ridge Rd., McGregor
30 4-H Leader Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Central State Bank, Elkader
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Crop Insurance and Prevented Planting
Heavy rainfall, floods and cool temperatures across the Midwest have slowed planting this spring. The final planting date for corn in Iowa is May 31. The final planting date for soybeans in Iowa is June 15. Final planting dates and other crop insurance information can be found at www.rma.usda.gov/aboutrma/fields/mn_rso/.
Prevented planting is a failure to plant an insured crop with the proper equipment by the final planting date designated in the insurance policy’s actuarial documents or during the late planting period, if applicable, due to an insured cause of loss that is general to the surrounding area and that prevents other producers from planting acreage with similar characteristics. More information can be found on the Prevented Planting fact sheet at www.rma.usda.gov/fields/mn_rso/2013/2013preventedplanting.pdf.
Here are some basic guidelines if you are unable to plant because of an insurable cause of loss by the final planting date. You may:
• Plant during the 25-day late planting period. For most crops, the timely planted production guarantee is reduced one percent per day for each day planting is delayed after the final planting date.
• Plant after the late planting period. The insurance guarantee will be the same as the insurance guarantee provided for prevented planting coverage.
• Not plant a crop and receive a prevented planting payment.
• Plant a cover crop and receive a prevented planting payment.
• After the late planting period ends, plant the acreage to another crop (second crop) and receive a reduced prevented planting payment.
The most important thing you can do if you are unable to plant the crop by the final planting date is contact your crop insurance agent to review your policy and options before you make a decision. You are required to provide notice that you were prevented from planting an insured crop within 72 hours after the final planting date.
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Summer Day Camps for K-3rd Grade Youth
Day camps offer the chance for hands-on experiments, activities, games, adventures, and most of all - FUN! This year Clayton County Extension is offering 5 different day camps for youth completing grades K – 3. All camps run from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and cost only $15 each. Multi-camp discount available. Registration is due one week prior to camp. To obtain registration information visit the Clayton County Extension website (www.extension.iastate.edu/clayton) or call 563-245-1451. All materials are provided - just bring a sack lunch and drink. You do not have to be a 4-H member to participate, so invite a friend and join the fun!
Slime Time: Roll up your sleeves, put on your apron and dig your hands in, as we get messy with this hands-on, goo-fest of a camp. Campers will create wild and interesting science projects.
Camp Zoom! Explore the world of an inventor – transportation style. Design a blueprint for a car, boat or plane; then try your hand at creating a working model! What materials will you use to make your boat float? How far can your plane fly? Determine how teamwork can create the best model to win the race.
Shake, Rattle & Roll: Music rocks! It's all around us. It's in movies, TV, radio, i-pods, computers, school, concerts, and well, just about everywhere! Campers will learn about sound and make musical instruments of their own.
Goin’ Green Imaginarium: Use your imagination to create a whole new world! Campers will learn about the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. They will create with recycled materials and discover how they can contribute to the earth’s wellbeing. When you use your imagination anything is possible!
Bug Camp: If you like insects and want to learn more about these fascinating creatures, this day camp is for you! You will search for and identify beneficial insects, see and touch exotic insects, make and insect craft and much, much more!
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Yard and Garden: Rhubarb
Rhubarb, classed as a vegetable, is used as a fruit because its high acidity gives it a tart flavor. Only the leaf stalks – used in pies, tarts, sauces, jams, jellies, puddings and punch – should be eaten. Horticulturists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach answer questions about rhubarb plant selection and harvesting. To have additional questions answered, contact Hortline at hortline@iastate.edu or 515-294-3108.
Is it safe to eat rhubarb after the plants have been exposed to freezing temperatures?
After freezing temperatures in spring, some gardeners express concerns about the edibility of rhubarb. Rhubarb tolerates cold temperatures quite well. Temperatures in the upper 20s or low 30s usually cause no damage. Temperatures in the mid-20s or lower are usually necessary to damage rhubarb. Rhubarb damaged by freezing temperatures will have black, shriveled leaves and soft, limp leaf stalks. It’s safe to harvest rhubarb if the plants show no signs of damage two or three days after the freeze event. Damaged rhubarb stalks (blackened foliage and limp stalks) should be pulled and discarded. New stalks that emerge after the freeze are safe to harvest.
Why is my rhubarb flowering?
Flower development is natural for rhubarb and most other plants. Drought, extreme heat and infertile soils may encourage flowering. Age is another factor. Old plants tend to flower more than younger ones.
Regardless of the reason, flower stalks should be promptly pulled and discarded. Plants will be less productive if allowed to flower and set seeds.
Flower formation can be discouraged with good cultural practices. Water rhubarb plants every seven to 10 days during dry weather. Sprinkle ½ cup of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, around each plant in early spring. Control weeds by shallow hoeing, hand pulling or mulching.
What is the correct way to harvest rhubarb?
Harvest rhubarb when the stalks are 10 to 15 inches long. Grasp the stalk near its base and pull up and slightly to one side. Immediately after harvesting the rhubarb, remove the leaf blades from the stalks with a sharp knife. Discard the foliage. The stalks can be placed in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator for two to four weeks.
When harvesting rhubarb, do not remove more than two-thirds of the fully developed stalks from any plant at any one time.
When should I stop harvesting rhubarb?
Gardeners should stop harvesting well established rhubarb plants in mid-June in Iowa. Continued harvest through the summer months weakens the rhubarb plants and reduces the yield and quality of next year’s crop.
What are the best rhubarb varieties for home gardens?
The cultivars ‘Canada Red,’ ‘Crimson Red,’ ‘MacDonald’ and ‘Valentine’ have attractive red stalks and are good choices for Iowa gardens. ‘Victoria’ is a reliable, green-stalked cultivar. Rhubarb plants can be purchased from garden centers and mail-order companies.
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