County Extension office to host events

The Alfalfa County Extension office has activities coming up over the next few months.

Flower Show

Alfalfa County Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) and the Alfalfa County OSU Extension Office will sponsor the annual Alfalfa County Flower Show on May 5 at the Alfalfa County Fairgrounds to celebrate OHCE Week.

With over 10 classes in the artistic department to enter, and 7 different divisions with numerous classes to enter in the horticulture department, there is something for everyone to enter and enjoy. Start grooming your flowers and plants now so they will be ready for flower show time.

All classes are open to the general public. Entrants must be a resident of or in a school district of Alfalfa County. Horticulture specimens must be grown by the exhibitor, but artistic department entries may use purchased flowers.  Houseplants must be in the possession of the exhibitor for at least six weeks. For a complete list of rules and classes, please contact the Alfalfa County OSU Extension Office.

Judging for the flower show will take place from 10 am to 12 p.m. and is open to the public. Lunch prepared by our talented OHCE members will be served in the exhibit building at the fairgrounds from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. by donation.

In the afternoon, there will be two educational workshops, “Mini Smarts”, offered: from 1-1:45 p.m., Lynetta Cressler of Cherokee Floral will lead “All About Succulents”. This workshop costs $10 and participants will learn how to care for succulents as well as plant their own succulent to take home.

From 2-3 p.m., Tommy Puffinbarger, Alfalfa County Ag Extension Educator, will teach a “Tree Pruning Activity”. This will be a hand-on workshop offered at no cost to participants.

Come out to the flower show to enter and enjoy the beautiful horticulture offerings on Alfalfa County residents. Stay for lunch and afternoon workshops for a full day of fun and learning.

For more information, contact the Alfalfa County OSU Extension Office at (580) 596-3131.

Wheat Plot Tour

Alfalfa County Wheat Variety Plot Tour will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, May 10, at the Kenneth Failes farm 3 miles north of Cherokee.

Leading the discussion will be Small Grain Extension Specialist Dr. Amanda de Oliveira Silva.

The tour is open to the public and will offer information on wheat varieties, fertility, fungicides and herbicides.

For more information contact the OSU Extension office.

Musk Thistle

Area landowners will have the opportunity to help themselves with the eradication of musk thistle at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 12.

Participants will meet at the Jet Mini-Mart. From there, the group will travel to collection sites to round up weevils, also known as the musk thistle head.

Musk thistles are a noxious, injurious weed to crops. State law requires landowners to control them in such a way as to not allow them to go to seed.

Chemical, mechanical and biological controls are methods of control.

Successes of all control measures include the proper selection and timing of a chemical application, mowing or digging or releasing a weevil.

Those participating in the collection will need to bring leather gloves. Containers for weevils and collection nets will be available for participants to use.

To sign up for the collection or for more information, call the Alfalfa County Extension Service in the courthouse at 580-596-3131.