Area gardeners and others with an interest in gardening are invited to attend the summer gardening programs being offered at the Friendship Gardens of Hardin County. This summer the Hardin County OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are sponsoring three educational demonstration programs in the Friendship Gardens located at 960 W. Kohler Street in Kenton, which is behind Harco Industries. Follow the ‘Friendship Gardens of Hardin County’ signs to a parking area off of West Kohler Street. The events are planned to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and will last about an hour.

Supervisors on the Hardin Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board are public officials responsible to the people of the district and state. They employ and guide staff of the district on workload priorities, manage district funds and are a source of feedback from the public on its needs for soil and water assistance.

Do you have a fertilizer certificate that is set to expire May 31 and need a final chance to renew it before it expires? If so, there is a fertilizer recertification class scheduled in Kenton for May 30 at 7 p.m. This one-hour evening class will meet the requirements for the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The class will be held at the Hardin County OSU Extension Office, 1021 W. Lima St., Kenton. Please arrive early to allow time for check-in or registration and bring your Ohio ‘Fertilizer Applicator Certificate’ card.

Farmers balance many activities during the planting season. Besides planting, they need to think about weed control for emerging soybeans. Because many weeds are resistant to herbicides sprayed after planting, they must have good control by planting time.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —Despite rain that has stalled the planting of corn and soybeans across the state, yields might not be reduced, according to two grain specialists at The Ohio State University. That’s because weather later in the growing season can have a bigger impact on yields than the date the seeds go in the ground, said Peter Thomison and Laura Lindsey, both agronomists at Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environ-mental Sciences (CFAES).

For the time period of April 15-30, Extension rainfall reporters recorded an average of 4.08 inches of rain in Hardin County. Last year, the average rainfall for the same time period was 1.56 inches. Rainfall for the April 15-30 time period is 1.92 inches more than the ten-year average rainfall during the same dates.

Seven Ridgemont students will present their FFA projects to the national convention later this year after winning state honors at the Ohio FFA Convention last week in Columbus. Madisen Jolliff won first place in Agricultural Communications. State winner in the FFA Science Fair in the Environmental Team Division were Jaden Hensel and Josiah Strahm.

A strategic plan for the Hardin County Agricultural Society will be developed, it was announced at the group’s meeting on Wednesday night. Brad Murphy, chairman for the Executive Committee and Matt Jennings discussed a preliminary strategic plan for the organization.

As prospects for a timely start to spring planting diminish, growers need to reassess their planting strategies and consider adjustments. Since delayed planting reduces the yield potential of corn, the foremost attention should be given to management practices that will expedite crop establishment. The following are some suggestions and guidelines to consider in dealing with a late planting season.

Producers in Hardin County have another tool in the nutrient management toolbox to help protect Lake Erie water quality thanks to the Ohio Legislature. The Ohio Working Lands Small Grains program provides an incentive for producers to establish small grains in a crop rotation that can be used for manure application following harvest.