Author – The Durango Herald

Use degree days to effectively control fruit tree pests

Two insects tend to be the most prevalent pests in our area’s fruit trees: the codling moth (apples) and the western cherry fruit fly (cherries). Both create “wormy” fruit, and both, once th...

DATE: May 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: Get Growing

Don’t let the Western cherry fruit fly ruin a sweet treat

It is often said in my house that “the only thing better than owning a boat is having a friend who owns a boat.” Well, really, I am the only one who says that. The kids don’t. They love the...

DATE: May 9, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Pollinators are stretching their wings – and they’re hungry

Spring has technically sprung – back on March 20. And here in Southwest Colorado, I’m never fully sure of what that entails. Do we get treated with some warm, windless days (ones that I can...

DATE: Apr 4, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Beth LaShell earns place in Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame

Lunch dessert. There are numerous reasons why it is always enjoyable to go to a conference somewhere – professional development, networking, inspiration – but none really compare to the lunc...

DATE: Mar 7, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

When planting your garden, consider what you can preserve

We have reached that point when the dead of winter is behind us. Actually, I have no idea when the dead of winter is – perhaps January, as the days are short and nights are cold. Except Jan...

DATE: Feb 7, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Time to crack open the seed catalog and start planning

I love nights like this: snow falling outside, fireplace keeping us warm inside. Cuddled up on the couch, dogs at our feet and a highlighter in hand. A highlighter? Yup. How else do I rememb...

DATE: Jan 3, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

If winter is dry, watering your plants is wise

Here we go again. Over the years, I have written well over a dozen articles about our climate: too much snow in the winter and how it damages trees; not enough water in the winter and what ...

DATE: Dec 6, 2021 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Get a comprehensive – and fun – education in gardening

Most nights, as we all sit down at the dinner table, I try out my dad jokes. Ninety-nine percent of the time the kids love them, Beth cannot stop laughing and they ask for more. It is amazin...

DATE: Nov 8, 2021 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

The changing colors that define autumn’s beauty

In moments of laziness, I can be prone to the “scroll.” The feeds are primarily populated with stories and photos containing baseball, plants, friends’ kids or camping trucks/vans I could ne...

DATE: Oct 4, 2021 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Celebrating success, learning from failure in the garden

August is the time of year that can greatly determine your successes from your failures. This past month, for example, the garden was basking in some holdover moisture from July. But the wea...

DATE: Sep 6, 2021 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Pay attention to pollinators for your entire gardening season

Sometimes, all it takes for an article idea is a simple inquiry from a gardener. Usually, that starts with the phrase, “What the heck is (enter inquiry here)?” •What is eating all my spinach...

DATE: Aug 22, 2021 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Elm seed bugs can be a major nuisance pest

Plenty of stories, or article ideas, come from the phrase “I made the mistake of opening Facebook … ” Monday was no different. On one of the local pages was a photo of an inconspicuous insec...

DATE: Aug 16, 2021 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life