Cummings and Goings in Agriculture
Tyler Will Be Honorary Coach At Saturday’s Bulldog Game
By Steve Cummings
The average date for the first frost in our area is around October 10th. We were very fortunate that our frost did not come until the last week of October this year, although I was hoping for a mid-November first frost. Frost destroys the fall flowers and shuts down some fall gardening and the growth of pasture grass. Hopefully, it will warm back up, as I do not like cold weather.
This year’s harvest is running a little bit later than some years. This is due to the later maturity of the crops. As a whole weather conditions have been good. Even though this has been later than usual on getting out the crops, this year’s crops have been good as a whole.
I tried to not talk much about Mississippi State University sports in this column, but occasionally I feel as if I need to. This Saturday, November 1, at the Mississippi State-Kentucky football game, our own (and I mean Yalobusha County’s own, not Mississippi State’s own) Bob Tyler will be the honorary coach.
Coach Tyler was the football coach at State when I was there, and I tail-gate with some of his former players. Now Coach Tyler lives in Water Valley and is very beneficial to Yalobusha County. You bet I am looking forward to this weekend, seeing Coach Tyler back at State. Maybe he can give our team a few pointers. With his presence, I predict a win.
Since we have had the Yalobusha County Multi-purpose Building there has always been a rodeo the first Friday and Saturday. This year things will be a little different: there will only be a rodeo on Saturday night, November 8. If you enjoy a rodeo, mark that date on your calendar.
Looking for some unique holiday items for Christmas presents, then you will want to attend the Yalobusha County Holiday Bazaar this Saturday, November 1st, at the Yalobusha County Multi-purpose Building. The Holiday Bazaar will be open from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Numerous vendors will be on hand with holiday items and gifts. I bet there will be food available, also.
The last harvest of tomatoes, peppers, and other tender vegetables should have been done by now, before Jack Frost takes these plants home to their fathers. What are you going to do with all those green tomatoes, red tomatoes, peppers, or whatever? Eat as much as you can, process the rest (canning or freezing) and give the remainder to hungry friends, neighbors or a food bank.
As the warm growing season comes to an end for a large part of Mississippi in the next few days, it is time to slow down a little, enjoy the fall colors, the crisp cool days, and start to make plans for the garden next spring.
The dormant season ahead would be a good time to establish or expand a flower or vegetable garden. Adding soil amendments or taking soil samples now will allow plenty of time for planning—as well as planting—the garden next spring.
A good way to give the garden a face lift for the fall is to apply a fresh layer of mulch—nothing makes the garden look neat and tended to better than new mulch!
It is not too late to seed the cool season annuals and wildflowers in the areas that will not be mulched. Don’t mulch those areas of the garden where you rely on reseeding to repopulate your beds.
You can dig up and divide the spring and summer flowering perennial plants now, or anytime during the dormant season. Be sure and water the divided clumps well to aid in good root growth.
Clean-up any dead or spent plants, in particular summer annuals that look ratty—replace with colorful fall annuals, seed cool season flowers, or just cover the area with mulch. Don’t forget to leave some seed heads for the wildlife.
