Adding Fertilizer to Your Lawn Could Be Dinner Bell for Fungal Diseases

Large Patch (Photo by Kent Faddis)

Pleasant spring weather is a siren song for people who love their lawns.  When the weather is beautiful, you might think, "it's a perfect day to get out the spreader and add fertilizer." It's not a good idea.

 
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Early Arrival of True Armyworms Could Be Bad News for Crop Producers

The true armyworms are marching in and tall fescue, wheat and corn are their objective.

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Spring Pruning: Subtraction with a Plus

Photo by Keith Syvinski

Trees, hedges, and bushes...when spring comes the impulse is to hand out haircuts.


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Summer Garden Superstars: Warm Season Vegetables

Warm season vegetables are usually planted after the danger of spring frost is past. Don't let the name of the group fool you. There is some variation to temperature sensitivity between different plants. For example, tomatoes can tolerate cooler temperatures than peppers or eggplant. As a group, they tend to grow deeper roots and so have varying degrees of drought tolerance.

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Make Taxes Less Taxing

Photo by Matt Aiello

Income tax preparation means navigating the twists and eddies of Internal Revenue Service Language such as earned income tax credit, married - filing jointly, W-2s, child and dependent care tax credit, education tax breaks and a morass of other terms and designations that can leave the average head swimming.

 
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February/March Temperatures More Lamb than Lion

Photo by Jody Stuart

Severe storms, plants emerging early from their winter sleep, and windy days are all the result of this year's mild transition from winter to spring.


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Cool Season Vegetables - The Spirit of Spring

Photo by Michaela Kobyakov

The time for starting cool season vegetables is at hand. The nutritious vegetables are easy to grow, and for the most part, can survive the lower temperatures of the winter-to-spring transition.


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Americans Going Easy on Beef, Pork and Poultry

Meat and poultry consumption has been on the decline in the U.S. for several years.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American will consume 12.2 percent less meat in 2012 than they did in 2007. The economy, feed prices and even shrinking pastureland are all contributing to this downward trend.






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Record Keeping for Income Taxes

Photo by Christopher Woods

Do-it-yourself tax preparation, for complicated returns, means shuffling through documents and receipts in order to file a correct return with the Internal Revenue Service. This process can be as simple or complex as you want.

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Jumpstart This Year's Vegetable Garden

Photo by SP Veres

It’s difficult to think about gardening while in the midst of sweater-weather. However…now is the perfect time to start seeds indoors so they’ll be ready for transplant when warmer weather arrives.

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Paying for College

Photo by Sara Haj-Hassan

A college education is one of the most important investments you can make in your child’s future.  There are many options available to make college affordable including savings plans, tax benefits, scholarships and student loans.  The key to making a college degree affordable is to plan early, and pursue every resource.

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A Healthier Valentine's Treat

If you're a lover of chocolate, you'll agree that anything dipped in the sweet, smooth delight is a good idea. For Valentine's Day this year, why not show your affection by giving fruit dipped in chocolate.  Pears, apples, pineapple and strawberries dipped in chocolate give you a nice dose of Vitamin-C with just enough chocolate to make it exciting.

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Saving and Investing Go Hand-in-Hand

Every family has their own unique financial goals. It could be saving for retirement, putting money aside for a college education, or buying a house. Whatever your goals, you should seriously consider investing. Why? It's the best way to accumulate wealth and meet your goals.

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Mild Winter in Stark Contrast to Last Year's Bitter Cold and Snow

What a difference a year makes.  Last year the Midwest was digging out from lots of snow. This year we've seen mild temperatures in the 40s and 50s. What could cause such a drastic contrast?

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Finding Painless Ways to Build Savings

Money is so easy to spend; it slips through fingers like water. Even with the best intentions to put a little money aside each month, we usually find there's nothing left when the month ends.




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The Taxman Cometh

Photo by Matt Aiello

We're a month into the new year. That means W2s should be arriving soon, giving taxpayers a chance to get their income tax information filed early.  Taking a close look at the tax rules for 2011, are there any big surprises on the horizon?

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Money: It's a family affair - Making money talk safe

Photo by Chris Scott

If money makes the world go around, then not having enough of it can bring your smoothly spinning world to a screeching halt.

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