Eastern Colorado
Larimer County
Jess Callen, Larimer Ag/NR Specialist
Tumbleweeds and Potential Fire Hazards this Fall.
With the wet spring and summer we had this year, pastures are being overtaken by kochia and Russian thistle. We expect a lot of these, if unmanaged, will turn into tumbleweeds. This will not only be a nuisance to clean up in the spring along fence lines, but also these dead annuals will increase fire potential and severity during the fall, one of our windiest seasons here in the Front Range. The best steps that landowners and producers can take this fall would be to mow their kochia and Russian thistle patches to reduce the amount of tumbleweeds and protect their land from potential fires.
Pueblo County
Kristi Bartolo, Pueblo County Agronomy Specialist
Around Pueblo County, the growing season is coming to a close. Sorghum has been cut for hay or silage, the first hard frost killed the remaining pepper crop, it’s the season for pumpkin patches and field corn is drying down, almost ready for harvest.
Weld County
Kat Caswell, Agronomy Specialist
Corn harvest is rolling on and fields have been drying down quickly. The remaining areas of forage sorghum and alfalfa/grass under pivots have been mowed. In general, the 4th cutting has been later this year. Cut hay still laying in field has benefited from the warm weather, but hay shouldn’t be left lying in the field too long, increasing the chance of quality loss. Considering forage testing hay/haylage this year, as growing conditions varied, and harvest timings may have been different. Wheat is beginning to emerge.