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Soil & Water Management

In 1937, after witnessing the havoc and economic desperation that the Dust Bowl had wreaked on our nation, Franklin D Roosevelt sent a letter to all of the governors of the United States, asking them to oversee the adoption of legislation that would create soil conservation districts. In his letter, Roosevelt wrote, “The nation that …

As strange as it may seem, I’d like to start the third blog in our soil series thinking about water. Soil is our economic base, but water is our lifeblood. And the reality is that soil and water are directly connected.     The earth’s surface covers about 197 million square miles.  (As a reference …

If I were a soil scientist (and that does take a huge stretch of your imagination), I would be presenting you with a list showing the taxonomy of 12 different soils, all having totally unfamiliar and unpronounceable names. Each soil group would be determined by one or two major characteristics chosen for how the soil …

My husband and I spend quite a few dinner times tossing around blog ideas. When I found out that we were scheduled to attend a soil conference, I couldn’t resist throwing out a few potential titles. I offered a few real gems like “Let’s Talk Dirty” and  “I’ve Got Dirt on You.”  By the third …

Kansas City and the surrounding areas are currently experiencing what the state climatologist is calling “abnormally dry conditions.” Entering into the month of December, the area has consistently seen warmer than usual temperatures combined with rainfall amounts averaging 4.5 inches below normal. These near-drought conditions can cause stress to turf, trees and broadleaf evergreens. In …

With the temperatures staying so warm this fall — 70 degrees on December 2nd here — I’ve postponed some of my usual end of season yard tasks.With the weather so consistently warm,  I was afraid that I would do more harm than good by following my usual routine. To be on the safe side, I’ve checked …