Mississippi State University Extension Service

Happy National Pollinator Week! Mississippi is home to numerous butterflies, ranging in a variety of colors!

Butterflies are pollinators, meaning they move pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing plants so they can reproduce. They’re both beautiful AND beneficial!

Three common butterflies found in Mississippi:
🦋Monarch butterfly
🦋Pipevine swallowtail
🦋Black swallowtail

BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE
A butterfly’s life begins as an egg laid on a host plant. Usually, the eggs are laid on the bottoms of the leaves and can vary widely in shape, form, size, and color. Within 2 weeks, the tiny eggs hatch and tiny caterpillars emerge. The larva consumes the host plant’s leaves and will shed its skin as it grows. In about a month, the larva is ready to form a chrysalis (pupa). After a few weeks, the magical transformation takes place and an adult butterfly emerges. Most adult butterflies live for only a short time. Some species mate and live for just a few days; others are known to live over a year.

FOOD
Generally, there are two types of plants that you must have in your garden for butterflies. One type is a nectar plant; adult butterflies feed on these nectar plants. The second plant is a larval host plant; the immature stage (larva) feeds on this plant. When you plan a butterfly garden, you should plan for both types of plants. You can view our list of recommended nectar and larval plants on our website.

SHELTER
Butterflies need shelter from wind and rain, and a roosting place for the night. Shrub foliage is often used for protection and sleeping quarters. Create a butterfly shelter area by constructing a simple log pile in a corner of the back yard. Simply stack cut logs anywhere from 3 to 5 feet high. Be careful—this provides butterfly shelter but will also provide shelter for other wildlife.

Did you know? Most horseflies need a blood meal to successfully reproduce😱Most species feed on mammals such as horses, cattle, dogs, and even people!

Because their breeding sites are large and widespread, chemical controls are not very effective in reducing adult populations. Horseflies lay their eggs near water and swampy areas. As a result, mature flies can be found in high numbers in wooded, wetland, and damp areas. Once the eggs hatch, larvae drop or crawl into water or mud where they grow into adults.

Depending on the species, larvae take from one month to more than a year to develop. Mature larvae become adults in one to four weeks.

Insect repellants on their own provide some relief but are not 100 percent effective. For the most effective protection from their bites, wear light-colored, long-sleeve shirts and long pants in combination with repellants that contain DEET, picaridin, citronella, geraniol, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Unfortunately, there is no scientifically backed method that can adequately reduce the number of horseflies in an area.

Horseflies are the worst in June and begin to diminish later in the summer.

Our Jones County Extension agents had the pleasure of hosting a group of agronomists, vets and cattle producers from Argentina in partnership with Dr. Nicolas DiLorenzo, Assistant Professor at the University of Florida!

We would like to thank Dr. Barbara dos Reis (MSU White Sands Research Station), Parker Livestock (Lumberton, MS), and YNOT RANCH (Carriere, MS) for receiving this amazing group. We had a lot of questions, conversations and updates about cattle, hay and livestock production.

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable to grow in Mississippi, so we get a lot of calls when gardeners have questions!

This helpful Extension publication discusses some of the most common disorders and methods of prevention. It contains info on:

🍅Misshapen Fruit
🍅Blossom-End Rot
🍅Fruit Cracking
🍅Catfacing
🍅Leaf Rolling
🍅Yellowing of Leaves
🍅Uneven Ripening
🍅Sunscald
🍅Blossom Drop
🍅Small Fruit

READ IT HERE: https://ow.ly/RRs850Siisa

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Another beautiful week for Master Floral Designer training led by MSU Extension Floral Specialist Dr. Jim DelPrince!

If you have any level of interest in floral design, we have classes and workshops for you through our MSU Extension Coastal Floral program 💐💐💐

Stay safe out there! Heat-related illness can be life threatening. So, it’s important to know what to look for in yourself or someone else and treat it right away.

The symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are similar. Both are serious conditions, but in the case of a heat stroke, you need to get immediate medical attention.

Take these steps to prevent heat-related illness:
💦Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Sports drinks can replace salt and minerals lost in sweat. Avoid alcohol, high-sugar drinks, and very cold drinks.

👕Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Tight clothing doesn’t allow sweat to evaporate properly and can cause you to overheat.

🥵Avoid outdoor activities in the hottest part of the day. Do yard work or exercise when it is coolest – in the morning and evening.

🍎Eat cool, light food. Hot, heavy meals raise your body temperature.

Want to attend a hands-on canning class this summer? Several MSU Extension county offices have classes coming up! (You don't have to live in the county to attend.)

Lee County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-06-27/pressure-canning-workshop

Marshall County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-06-17/marshall-county-canning-workshop

Attala County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-07-08/water-bath-canning-jams-jellies

DeSoto County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-06-21/home-canning-workshop-june-edition-desoto

Forrest County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-06-17/adult-canning-class

Jackson County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-07-10/basic-canning-jams-and-jellies

Union County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-06-27/real-skills-for-real-life-adult-canning-workshop

Oktibbeha County: https://extension.msstate.edu/calendar/day/2024-07-16/water-bath-canning-jams-and-jellies

If you don't see an opportunity here that works for you, contact your county's Extension office and they can let you know of any future classes you might be interested in.



📸 Yalobusha County Extension Office

Another soybean test plot planted! This time in Tunica County. If you would like to know more about row crop progress in our state, join our MSU Extension Crop Updates Facebook group!

📷 Tunica County Extension Office

Fruit cracking is a common problem in tomatoes when growing conditions are not perfect! Cracks can be described as radial—those that radiate from the stem end and move downward—and concentric—those that form rings around the stem end of the fruit.

Both types of cracks are signs of inconsistent water content in the plant. Uneven watering will promote fruit cracking, so be sure that plants are getting enough water.

Cracking can also be promoted by very fast growth, excessive moisture (rain or heavy watering) after a dry period, high temperature, a large difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, and inadequate nutrition.

Not all cracking can be avoided, but the severity can be lessened by mulching, maintaining an even water supply, and using an adequate fertilizer program. Some varieties are also resistant to cracking.

Awesome MSU Extension agents like Malikah Jones are always willing to help mentor and guide the next generation! This picture was snapped at the recent Mississippi 4-H Southeast Project Achievement Day in Hattiesburg 📸🍀

Looking for a fun activity for the kids this summer? Take them to our Dairy Day Workshop at the Beason Family Farm Dairy in Philadelphia, MS! All ages are welcome.

💲Cost: FREE
🗓️Date: June 27
⏰Time: 8 a.m. - until
📍Location:
Beason Family Farm Dairy
10141 Road 1343
Philadelphia, MS 39350

Call the Neshoba County Extension Office to register at 601-656-4011!!

They’re cute, curious little creatures. These aren’t insects, but they are actually some of the first arthropods young children encounter!

Also known as common pillbugs and a host of other colloquial names, roly-polies belong to a special group of arthropods, known as isopods, a subgroup of crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, lobsters). Arthropods have the world neatly divided among themselves. The crustaceans have the oceans, and the insects and arachnids have the land. Of course, there are a few exceptions. Like other crustaceans, most isopods are aquatic, with most species living in saltwater, but pillbugs and sowbugs are land-dwellers. Sowbugs look a lot like pillbugs, but sowbugs are unable to roll into a ball.

Many gardeners are surprised to learn pillbugs are not native to the US. After all, they have been here all our lives. Thought to have originated from Europe, pillbugs occur throughout much of the world. They came to be so widely distributed because they can easily hitch rides in shipments of potted plants and other plant material.

Their Latin name is perfect for them; “vulgare” means common, and “Armadillidium” refers to their armored bodies and their ability to roll into a protective ball, traits they share with the nine-banded armadillo. Pillbugs also have something in common with kangaroos. Female pillbugs nurture their young in a special abdominal pouch known as the marsupium. They even produce a special nutritive fluid for young pillbugs to feed on until they leave the marsupium. It’s roly-poly milk!

➡️Are pillbugs pests? Not usually. Pillbugs primarily feed on decaying plant material and are considered beneficial because they help recycle nutrients. Occasionally pillbugs feed on tender young plants and fruit that is in close contact with the soil.



📸 Chase Robinson

The Crosby Arboretum is having one of their biggest plant sales in years — with around 3,500 plants for sale!! JUNE 14 & 15!! (See comments section for plant list and prices.)

🌸Shop from a great selection of pollinator plants, including milkweed and other useful and attractive species for your yard and garden.

👩‍🌾Consult with plant professionals including Pearl River County Master Gardeners who will help you choose plants suited to your property's unique environmental conditions.

💲Free admission. Use the Crosby Arboretum Service Entrance and follow signs to the sale area on the loop drive.

📍 370 Ridge Road
Picayune, MS 39466

Where's our pickle fans at??! Pickled products truly add spice to meals and snacks. The skillful blending of spices, sugar, and vinegar can give cucumbers a delicious sweet-sour flavor.

Pickles and relishes have some nutritious value, contain little or no fat, and, except for the sweet type, are low in calories.

In this Extension publication, we have recipes (you can trust!!) for:

🥒Brined Dill Pickles
🥒Crosscut Pickle Slices
🥒Fresh-Packed Dill Pickles
🥒& much more!

READ HERE (pickled products begin on page 5): https://ow.ly/yXwn50SfEZH

🍀Very proud of these two 4-H'ers! John Clayton Kitchens of Lauderdale County will be serving as Mississippi 4-H State Council President for 2024-2025. Morgan White of Oktibbeha County will be serving as president-elect. As president-elect, she will be learning the duties of president so she can be prepared for her term beginning in 2025.

4-H offers so many opportunities for children and teens to reach their full potential! Contact your county's MSU Extension office for more info on how to join.

Many of you have expressed that you have problems getting your hydrangea plants to bloom. Failure of hydrangeas to bloom during the summer and fall can be attributed to any or all of the following causes:

🔹Cold injury to buds in winter or early spring
🔹Drought in late fall or winter
🔹Pruning in late summer or winter (applies to non-remontant type bigleaf, oakleaf, mountain)
🔹Too much shade
🔹Too much nitrogen fertilizer

Read our Hydrangeas for Mississippi Gardens Extension publication for more info: https://ow.ly/KhkS50SeInF

You can also connect with your county's MSU Extension office for localized help. Find yours here: https://ow.ly/cEMq50SeInE

Have you always wondered what the difference is between green, red and yellow bell peppers?

👉The variety and amount of time a bell pepper spends on the plant determines its color and ripeness!

👉Green bell peppers appear first and are the least ripe. As they mature, they usually turn another color. This may be yellow, orange, red, or purple. There are even some bell pepper varieties that mature to nearly white or almost black in color.

👉Color isn’t their only difference. Nutrient content and taste also vary among bell pepper varieties!

NUTRIENTS
If you want to up your Vitamin C intake, you can try adding bell peppers to your diet. All bell peppers contain Vitamin C. It is an essential nutrient that helps the body repair tissues and heal wounds. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron. Green and red bell peppers, respectively, have two and three times more Vitamin C than an orange.

Bell peppers also contain Vitamins B6, K, A, and E along with minerals and antioxidants. As bell peppers ripen, their cancer-fighting antioxidant properties change. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in green bell peppers and are important for our eye health. Violaxanthin is found in yellow bell peppers, and capsanthin makes fully mature bell peppers red. Red bell peppers, which are the most nutrient-dense, also contain lycopene.

TASTE
As bell peppers ripen, they get sweeter. Green bell peppers are slightly bitter and the least sweet, while red bell peppers are the sweetest.

The Attala County Extension Office will be hosting a workshop about how to attract and care for martins around your home! MSU Extension Specialist Dr. Adam Rohnke will be the speaker. This is a free learning opportunity!

➡️Date: July 16
⏰Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
📍Location:
Attala County Extension Office
715 Fairground Road
Kosciusko, MS 39090

TREE OF THE MONTH: SASSAFRAS

Sassafras is a small to medium-sized tree growing along slopes, tree lines, and bottomlands as an understory tree. Sassafras marches to the beat of its own drum. It is dioecious, which means its male and female flowers occur on separate trees. Only 5% of trees reproduce in this manner.

Here are some characteristics of sassafras:

Leaves: Each sassafras leaf is unique meaning they grow in different shapes. They range from 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide with a yellowish-green coloring.

Bark: Younger sassafras trees have grayish-brown bark that slightly furrows. As they mature their bark becomes darker and furrows deepen.

Fruit: Dangling from a thin red stalk, sassafras fruit is a blue drupe about one-half an inch long and eaten by birds, squirrels, and other small mammals.

Habitat: Sassafras grows throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and the eastern U.S.

Its wood is watertight, making it an excellent resource for constructing small boats and oars. Historically, dugout canoes have been made of sassafras trees and used along the Mississippi River. But the most interesting fact about sassafras is its oil. Made from the tree’s bark, twigs, and roots, sassafras oil has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration for its high concentration of safrole, a carcinogen.

BLOG POST: https://extension.msstate.edu/blog/tree-the-month-sassafras

We're excited to announce that season 2 of our "On the Farm" series will air July 1 at 9 p.m. on MPB - Mississippi Public Broadcasting! This one-hour episode will tell the stories of farmers and ag workers navigating industry and personal challenges.

These are local Mississippi and Alabama farmers! Hear their stories:

🌱Sam McLemore, Oktibbeha County farmer
🐟Ben and Ed Pentecost, Sunflower County catfish producers
🐃Kim Klunk, Pike County large animal veterinarian
🐄David Gilmer, Alabama dairy farmer

Learn more here: https://ow.ly/aLGU50SbZh1

Good to know!!

FARMtastic's Fall 2024 schedule is up on our website and open for registration!!

They will be set up in the following counties:

Prentiss County
Lauderdale County
Amite County

All of these events are open to surrounding counties and are geared towards 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders.

🚜🐷🌱🐄What's FARMtastic? It's a unique educational program designed for elementary students where they can engage in hands-on learning about the agricultural industry in Mississippi.

REGISTER HERE: https://ow.ly/VpMv50Sb7mj

Catfacing is a condition in which the tomato becomes malformed or irregularly shaped, often with brown scars at the blossom end that sometimes run up the sides of the fruit. The blossom end of the fruit will often be puckered with deep crevices. This is different from blossom-end rot, which shows up as dark brown areas on the bottoms of fruit but without the puckering or crevices.

In its most severe form, the bottoms of fruit seem to be turned inside out so that the seed cavity is visible on the outside. It usually only affects the earliest fruit set due to the cooler temperature at that time; later-harvested fruit are generally not affected. Catfacing does not affect the edibility of the fruit. The scars can be cut off and the rest of the tomato eaten.

Catfacing is almost always caused by cool temperatures during pollination and early growth. Some varieties are more susceptible than others. The only management methods are to plant later in the season, use resistant varieties, and use plastic or spun-bound row covers to increase temperature on cool days and nights.

Don’t fill the hollow areas of trees with concrete. Concrete doesn’t move and can cause further injury as the tree grows. Instead, leave it alone or contact an ISA certified arborist if you have questions about managing hollow trees. (📸 MSU Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab)

Here's your June landscape checklist for Mississippi! Some tasks to consider are...

🌸Plant daylilies and summer annuals.
🐛Scout for pests and diseases.
🌿Plant warm season grasses.
✳️Fertilize ornamental shrubs and trees.
🌺Remove faded flowers.

Learn more about these tasks here: https://extension.msstate.edu/blog/june-garden-checklist

Thank you for choosing to !!🤩