Ohio State - Marion County Extension

08/17/2026

When Crops Flood: What Farmers and Gardeners Should Do
Heavy rainfall and flooding can damage crops, but the most important concern after floodwater enters a field or garden is food safety. Floodwater can carry sewage, animal waste, agricultural runoff, chemicals, heavy metals, human pathogens, plant pathogens, and other contaminants. Unlike ordinary standing water that collects after rainfall or irrigation, floodwater has moved across the landscape and may have picked up contaminants along the way. For that reason, crops exposed to floodwater should be treated very differently from crops that simply experienced temporary pooling or waterlogged soil.

By Melanie L. Lewis Ivey and Sanja Ilic Heavy rainfall and flooding can damage crops, but the most important concern after floodwater enters a field or garden is food safety. Floodwater can carry s…

08/10/2026

Renovating Lawns: August 15-September 15 are the best times to seed cool season grasses. Some lawns can be easily improved by adding fall fertilizer. Lawns that are 10-15 or more years old typically need only two fertilizer applications a year. Make the fall application in late August or early September. On younger lawns, two fertilizer applications during fall are recommended. Make the first one in late August/early September, and the second in mid-late October.”

If overseeding is needed to fill in thinned areas but more than 50% of good turf remains, mow the existing grass 2.5” tall to make the soil prep easier. For lawns needing total renovation, start with a glyphosate (Roundup application) followed by waiting at least 7-10 days to kill the lawn. Mow dead vegetation as short as mower goes to then aerate the lawn three times. Full seeding rate for tall fescue is 6-8 lbs./1,000 sq.ft., and 2-3 lbs. for Kentucky bluegrass. When overseeding into an existing lawn, the seeding rate can be cut in half. Drilling the seed is perhaps best, otherwise, use a drop seeder. Seed half the seed north/south and the other half east/west for even distribution. Then lightly rake to ensure seed to soil contact.

07/29/2026

Plenty has now been written about the recent wildfires in Canada that, for the second time in five years, sent smoke tumbling into the United States. South of the border, folks are rightly frustrated with the bad air. In Canada, first responders have bravely fought the conflagrations while lives and livelihoods have been upended or lost entirely.

Smoke from wildfires is extremely harmful to human health. Recent estimates vary but suggest premature deaths due to wildfire in the US range from 11,000 per year (Ma et al., 2024) to perhaps more than 40,000 (Qiu et al., 2025).

None of this is good – we all agree – but what can we do about it?

Wildfire is a natural phenomenon and as long as there are forests and lightning, fires will happen. But scientists and the press have stressed that fires have gotten more frequent and worse in recent years. If they are right, perhaps we can develop new policies or approaches that will lower their impact.
Learn more...

Forest Fire Cause, Effect, and Long-Term Solutions July 25, 2026 at 5:10pmJuly 27, 2026 by Brent Sohngen by Brent Sohngen (Ohio State University, [email protected]) In this article: Historical data on US and Canadian forest area burned and fire-fighting expenditures illustrates how $ spent fighting....

05/12/2026

Lawn clippings around plants: Many homeowners apply herbicides (or pay a company to apply them) to their lawns. Herbicides include products that control dandelions, clover, and other weeds in lawns. They are also contained in “weed and feed” products. Most of these herbicides have restrictions that require at least 3-4 mowings of the lawn (so essentially think 3-4 weeks) before lawn clippings can be placed around garden plants. Dying and/or curling leaves around vegetables and flowers may be attributed to people placing lawn mulch around plants too soon.

Mulch and termites: Does using wood mulch around the home attract termites? No as the chipping process kills termites. The most noted study was conducted by Long, et al. in 2001 which compared different types of mulches. They found termites prefer higher nutrient woody materials like cardboard placed under inorganic mulches like pea gravel compared to wood or needle mulch. However, mulches can create a hospitable environment for subterranean termites already established in the soil near the home or building. Termites prefer a moist environment, so soil desiccation (letting the soil dry) near the house foundation is an important barrier. Some keys with applying mulch include: don’t apply more than 2” thick layer of mulch in landscape beds, ensure a 6” gap between the top of the mulch layer and the house siding, and avoid watering mulch or soil close the house foundation walls. Mulch can be applied up to the house foundation to within 12” of the foundation. One may also consult a professional to set up monitoring or barrier control methods for termites around the home or building. The following guide has additional helpful thoughts on termite prevention and control. from Jenny Buhel

04/15/2026

The Marion County Extension office will be closed on April 17, 2026 for a multi county in-service meeting.

04/09/2026

We Sustain Life!

04/08/2026

Learn from an expert on how to grow giant pumpkins!