How-To Library

Forest areas offer opportunities for recreation, attracting wildlife, providing firewood and harvesting timber. With careful planning, you can successfully establish and maintain a forest or woodlot that will meet many or all of your goals.

If you are interested in vegetable gardening, our how-to guide will help you understand the climate of your region, a crucial first step in starting your own garden.

Fire ants are a costly and sometimes painful pest, to farmers, especially so, as fire ants make pastures difficult or even impossible to use and fields a danger for anyone working there. Research is ongoing but there are products available now that you might want to consider that may keep the fire ants at bay.

Environmental experts estimate that kitchen and yard wastes comprise 25% of the refuse in landfills. These materials can be easily and effectively recycled into rich humus that will improve any garden's soil texture and add important nutrients for vigorous plant growth.

From a little seed to potentially a half ton or more of fruit, the pumpkin is a symbol of size and vigor that can be grown in your own garden. Pumpkin growing is not difficult or complicated and could be a fun way for saving you dollars at the grocery store this fall.

All the time you’ve put into preparing for the summer growing season has paid off. Vegetables are getting larger, blooms are getting bigger, and temperatures are steadily rising. Be diligent through the summer, and your garden will remain beautiful through the fall and beyond. If you’re having difficulties, follow these 10 Mid Summer Garden Tips

Bees are responsible for pollinating hundreds of agricultural crops and flowering plant species worldwide. In the United States alone, bees pollinate about 150 different crops. The gardening experts at Southern States recommend that your garden planning this year include bee friendly plants.

Fresher fruit, more taste and more vitamins are the upsides of growing your own tomatoes (not to mention the dollars you save at the grocery store). You could be picking your own tomatoes in 80 days or less. The combination of using the right growing mediums, fertilizers, and growing husbandry could help feed your family well into the fall and beyond.

It takes skill and ingenuity to raise blemish-free flavorful tomatoes and protect them from insects, diseases and other pests. Here's how to handle existing problems and prevent new ones.

Best management practices are methods designed to increase crop yield and minimize any negative environmental impact on the land. By employing a few simple practices, a farmer can have a successful harvest and promote good land stewardship as well.

Studies show tractors are involved in a high proportion of farm injuries and fatalities, causing productivity losses, serious injury and loss of life. Fortunately, you can prevent most accidents by staying vigilant and following a few basic tractor safety guidelines.

Longer daytime hours signal the start of the growing season and an increase in physical activity for farm workers. But overdo physical exertion and your back may suffer, leading to lost productivity.