Why Create Your Own Homemade Potting Mix

Cathy Isom lets you know why you should create your own homemade potting mix. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to make your own potting mix, including:   You know exactly what’s inside your soil, you can save your hard-earned money, homemade mix lasts longer.  And, you can modify …

Identify and Stop Tomato Pests

Cathy Isom reviews how to identify and stop tomato pests in their tracks. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Tomatoes are one of the most popular garden crops. So it’s natural to want to protect them at all costs. Knowing what type of tomato pest is attacking your garden is the first step to tackling the problem. Some …

Tips for Growing Carrots in Containers

Cathy Isom fills you in with some tips about growing carrots in containers. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Growing carrots in containers is easy, especially if you choose the right varieties, and the right soil they need in order to thrive.  Carrots are a great addition to any balcony: you simply need to make sure you choose …

Study Sheds Light on Major Disease in Roses

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Maryland and their colleagues have discovered why a mite is causing extensive damages to the nation’s $250-million-a-year rose industry and why it’s so hard to detect and control. It seems the mite hides deep in the flower’s internal organs. The rose bud mite (Phyllocoptes fructiphilus) is about half the size of a grain of …

Report Details Risks of U.S. Hemp Industry

The U.S. hemp industry is poised for growth, but there are serious financial, regulatory and agronomic risks that farmers must understand. A report by Rabo AgriFinance says the market is “highly fragmented,” and there is no reliable source for pricing and production data. The report notes that the 2018 Farm Bill set off a process to completely overhaul hemp industry …

Industrial Hemp Eyed to Help Farmers

Pointing to potential opportunities for farmers, state House members Tuesday continued moving forward with a plan that would help set the stage for an industrial-hemp industry in Florida. The state is trying to move quickly to take advantage of a 2018 federal law that legalized industrial hemp as an agricultural product. The House and Senate are working on bills that …

Deadline Nearing for Block Grant Program Applications in Alabama

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) wants to remind producers that the grant application deadline for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets is April 18th. These block grants, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are for specialty crops like fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery …