Truck Crops Experiment Station

08/28/2026

🎄🌺 POINSETTIA SALE 🌺🎄
This year is flying by, with less than 4 months until Christmas! Get a beautiful poinsettia for your home, office, or holiday gatherings, and support Mississippi State University’s Truck Crops Experiment Station.

🌺 6.5" Poinsettia pots — $7.00 each
🌺 10+ pots — $6.50 each

We’ll have a variety of beautiful cultivars available! Check out the attached flyer and cultivar list to see what we’re offering this year. ❤️💚

📣 IMPORTANT: PRE-ORDERS ONLY
All poinsettias are available by pre-order on a first-come, first-served basis. So, don’t wait; place your pre-order early for the best selection.

📞 To place your order, contact Christy at (601) 892-3731.

📅 Pickup dates will be scheduled when your order is placed.

Pickup will be available on:
• November 23
• November 24
• November 30
• December 1–4

🎁 Whether you’re decorating for the holidays, giving a plant as a gift, or stocking up for your office or event, our locally grown poinsettias are a beautiful way to add some holiday color!

08/25/2026

🏆 IPM MVP Monday (Natural Enemies Edition) 🏆 on a Tuesday 🤓

🏴‍☠️Meet the Minute Pirate Bug (Orius spp.)! 🏴‍☠️

Don't let their tiny size fool you. Minute pirate bugs are some of the most effective natural enemies found in gardens, landscapes, greenhouses, and agricultural fields. These beneficial insects play an important role in IPM by helping suppress several key insect pests, INCLUDING APHIDS, THRIPS and WHITEFLIES!!

Although there are several types of minute predatory bugs, and minute pirate bugs (includes Anthocoris spp.), the MVP for today are those in the Orius spp. If you've ever noticed a tiny black insect with distinctive white wing patches (forms an 'x' like a pirate flag 🏴‍☠️️) moving quickly across flowers or leaves, you may have found a minute pirate bug. Adults are typically less than 1/8 inch long and can be difficult to spot without looking closely. Nymphs are smaller, wingless, and yellow-orange to brown in color, but they are just as predatory as the adults.

Both adults and nymphs actively prey on a variety of soft-bodied pests, including thrips, aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, insect eggs, and small caterpillars. In fact, minute pirate bugs are considered one of the most important natural enemies of thrips in many crop systems. Their ability to attack multiple pest species makes them valuable allies in biological control programs.

Want to encourage more minute pirate bugs in your landscape?

🌼 Plant a variety of flowering plants, especially those with small flowers such as alyssum, dill, fennel, yarrow, and cosmos that provide pollen and nectar resources.

🌱 Maintain diverse habitats with flowering borders, cover crops, insectary plantings, or unmanaged refuge areas.

🚫 Avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticide applications that can reduce beneficial insect populations.

🔍 Scout before you spray. Natural enemies may already be helping keep pest populations below damaging levels.

🏡 Interested in rearing them at home or on a small scale? Minute pirate bugs can be encouraged by growing flowering plants and maintaining small populations of non-pest prey such as aphids on banker plants. Commercial insectaries often rear Orius on factitious prey and supplemental foods, but for most gardeners, creating a flower-rich habitat is the easiest and most effective way to increase local populations naturally.

💡 Did you know? Minute pirate bugs occasionally give people a quick "bite" when they land on exposed skin. While surprising, they are not feeding on you and are considered harmless. Their piercing mouthparts are designed for capturing prey, not people!

📸 Have you spotted a minute pirate bug in your garden, landscape, greenhouse, or crop field? Share your photos in the comments!



Photo Credits:
1) Shaun Broderick, Mississippi State University
2) Ronald Smith, Auburn University, Bugwood.org
3) Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
4) Adam Sisson, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org
5) Phil Sloderbeck, Kansas State University, Bugwood.org

08/20/2026

Interested in learning more about Homesteading? Check out this upcoming MSU Ext. Conference!

Ready to learn new skills and connect with fellow homesteaders? Join us at the Central Mississippi Homesteading Conference! From beekeeping and gardening to food preservation and livestock care, our expert-led workshops and live demonstrations have something for everyone.

Food trucks and vendors will also be there. We hope you will make plans to attend!

Dates and Time:
Friday, Nov. 6
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cost: $20/person for both days.

Location:
Central MS Research & Extension Center
1320 Seven Springs Rd.
Raymond, MS 39154

Vendors are welcome. Call 601-857-2284 for more info.

Register here: https://ow.ly/sKLT50ZBFQK

08/18/2026

Here's a great opportunity to engage in citizen science!

08/17/2026

🏆 IPM MVP Monday 🏆 (Natural Enemies Edition 👀)

💚 Meet the Big-Eyed Bug (Geocoris spp.)! 💚

Don't be fooled by their small size. Big-eyed bugs are some of the hardest-working predators in gardens, landscapes, and agricultural fields. These beneficial insects help suppress a wide range of pests and are an important part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

If you've seen one, you'll know why they called "Big-eyed". Their name comes from their most noticeable feature, the large, bulging eyes.

Adults are small, typically gray, tan, or brown, with a broad head and oval-shaped body. Nymphs are even smaller but look similar to adults without fully developed wings. These insects can sometime be difficult to tell apart from chinch bugs which are a pest species. However, when in doubt, look at the eyes, the oversized eyes that extend well beyond the sides of the head for the big-eyed bug.

Both adults and nymphs are active predators that feed on insect eggs, aphids, whiteflies, mites, small caterpillars, and other soft-bodied pests. By feeding on these pests, big-eyed bugs provide valuable natural biological control in crop systems, gardens and home landscapes.

Want to encourage more big-eyed bugs in your landscape?

🌼 Plant a variety of flowering plants to provide nectar and other food resources.

🌱 Maintain diverse habitats with flowering borders, cover crops, or ground cover vegetation.

🚫 Avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticide applications that can harm beneficial insects.

🔎 Scout before you spray. You may already have natural enemies working for you.

🤔 Did you know? Big-eyed bug nymphs can consume large numbers of pest mites during development, making them valuable allies for natural pest suppression.

📸 Have you spotted a big-eyed bug in your garden, landscape, or crop field? Share your photos in the comments!

🌱👀

Photo Credits:

1) Big-eyed bug adult: John C. French Sr., Retired, Universities: Auburn, GA, Clemson and U of MO, Bugwood.org
2) Big-eyed bug nymph: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
3) Big-eyed bug nymph: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
4) Big-eyed bug adult feeding on insect: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
5) Big-eyed bug adult: Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org
6) Big-eyed bug adult on leaf: John C. French Sr., Retired, Universities: Auburn, GA, Clemson and U of MO, Bugwood.org

08/14/2026

Fun Plant Friday has arrived at last!

We love sunflowers, and Helianthus Suncredible Yellow II from Proven Winners is one of our absolute favorites. It blooms continuously on a well-branched plant. The yellow rays are longer and showier than those of the previous version we trialed, and the habit is more uniform and compact. While you can deadhead it, doing so is absolutely unnecessary—new buds and fresh flowers will continue to form regardless.

Not only do bees and butterflies love it, but the blooms are also fantastic for cut flower arrangements.

If your landscape needs something carefree, cheerful, always blooming, and able to withstand the brutal summer weather, this plant is well worth adding.

08/10/2026

🏆 IPM MVP Monday 🏆 (Natural Enemies Edition 🐞)

💚 Meet the Chrysopidae spp., the Green Lacewings! 💚

Often called "aphid lions," green lacewings are among the most important natural enemies found in gardens, landscapes, and crop systems. While the adults appear delicate and graceful, both adults and larvae can play a significant role in suppressing pest populations.

Adult green lacewings are easily recognized by their bright green bodies, golden eyes, and distinctive lace-like wings. Many species feed on pollen, nectar, and honeydew, helping them survive and reproduce in a variety of habitats. Some species, particularly those in the genus Chrysopa, are also known to feed on aphids, mites, whiteflies, scales, thrips, and other small arthropods.

The larvae are where green lacewings truly earn their reputation as pest-fighting champions. These alligator-shaped predators 🐊, equipped with large sickle-like mandibles (mouthparts), actively hunt soft-bodied insects such as aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, scales, and thrips. If you look closely, you may spot a lacewing larva carrying debris, including insect remains, or other materials on its back. This remarkable camouflage helps conceal it from predators like birds while it continues its hunt protecting your garden.

🌻 Flowering plants in the Asteraceae family, such as sunflowers, dandelions, and coreopsis, may serve as attractants for more green lacewings to your landscape as they can provide valuable nectar and pollen resources for adults.

🤔 Did you know? There are actually several species of green lacewings, each with unique behaviors and ecological roles.

📸 Have you seen a green lacewing in your garden, landscape, or crop field? Share your photos in the comments!

🕷️🌱🐞

Photo Credits:

Photo 1, Lacewing larva: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org
Photo 2, Lacewing larva with debris on back: Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org
Photo 3, Lacewing eggs: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
Photo 4, Lacewing adult: Ken Chamberlain, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
Photo 5, Lacewing adult: Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org

08/07/2026

Happy Fun Plant Friday!
We love hibiscus, so we thought we'd highlight one of our favorites for Walters Gardens' : Summerific® 'All Eyes on Me' from Proven Winners.

These plants are very compact—usually less than 3 feet tall in our trials—and heavily branched. If you zoom in on the photo, you'll see just how many buds they produce, which means they'll bloom for many weeks on end. Some of the older perennial hibiscus varieties were prone to snapping or breaking during strong winds and storms, but we haven't experienced that issue with this one.

We love the soft pink petals, cherry-red eye, and rich green foliage with just a hint of purple. The foliage provides the perfect backdrop, making the flowers stand out even more in the landscape.

We don't see many perennial hibiscus in Mississippi landscapes, and I think that has a lot to do with availability at local nurseries. If you shop only in early spring, you probably won't find them for sale. They typically arrive at garden centers in late spring to early summer, although some nurseries also carry them in the fall. It never hurts to call ahead and ask when your local garden center usually has them in stock.

08/03/2026

🏆 IPM MVP Monday 🏆 (natural enemies edition 🐞)

🕷️ Meet Peucetia viridans, the Green Lynx Spider! 🕷️💚

The Green Lynx Spider is a beneficial predator commonly found in gardens, landscapes, and agricultural fields, including vegetable production systems. Unlike many spiders, it doesn't rely on a web to catch prey. Instead, it actively stalks or ambushes unsuspecting insects using its excellent vision and quick reflexes.

Its bright green coloration helps it blend seamlessly into foliage, making it an effective hunter. They can also occur in other color forms depending on the vegetation they need to blend into. You can often find Green Lynx Spiders feeding on insect pests such as whiteflies, caterpillars, leafhoppers, and other soft-bodied insects.
These spiders are most attracted to areas with dense vegetation, flowering plants, and abundant insect prey. Dense vegetation + lots of insects = a high chance of seeing Green Lynx Spiders! Gardens, crop fields, field edges, and other diverse habitats provide ideal conditions for these natural enemies to thrive.

In Mississippi, Green Lynx Spiders can be very active during the warmer months, with populations often peaking in summer and early fall when there's plenty to eat. July through October is a great time to spot them hunting among crop foliage and flowering plants.

While they may look intimidating, Green Lynx Spiders are valuable allies that help keep pest populations in check. The next time you're scouting your garden or field, take a closer look—you might spot one of these skilled hunters hard at work! 🌱🐞

📸 Have you seen a Green Lynx Spider in your garden or crop field? Share your photos in the comments!

Check out the link below for more information and photos of Green Lynx Spiders:
🔗 https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/2032

🕷️🌱🐞