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KZNA-FM 90.5 serving northwest Kansas is operating at just 10% power using a back up transmitter while work continues to install a new transmitter. It expected that this work will completed by midweek with KZNA back to its full 100,000 watts of power with a state of the art transmitter to serve the area for many years to come.
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Planting the Plains

Planting the Plains: Choosing Watermelons

By Anthony Reardon

Published September 14, 2023 at 12:11 PM CDT

It’s watermelon season again! Most of us prefer sweet, juicy fruit with few seeds, but what’s the best way to find those particular melons?

It’s not just about color, but also about the number of growing days, and the conditions under which they’re grown.

We’ll cut through the old wives’ tales this week, and give you some tips you can follow in your garden, or at the store, so you and your family get the most from this amazing summer and fall delight!

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Planting the Plains Planting the Plains

Anthony Reardon

Anthony Reardon is the Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent for Johnson County, Kansas.

See stories by Anthony Reardon

HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Fall Fruit Tree Maintenance

Anthony Reardon

We're just seeing our first frosts, and now can be a great time to do a bit of pruning on your fruit trees. While it won't make as much difference this year, you can make a difference in preventing disease, as well as ensuring water for the tree over the winter, and also by helping it to survive over the winter. We'll talk more about what you can do in this week's episode!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Harvesting Before the Frost

Anthony Reardon

Frost is heading our way with the recent cooler temps, so don't forget that some of the plants in your garden can be harvested early, and ripened off the vine. The best example of this is tomatoes, and we'll talk more this week about how to keep your bounty by not letting the cold spoil it first!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Frozen Flavor

Anthony Reardon

Most of us think of the end of growing season as a time to clear the garden, clean the tools, and prep things for spring. But the brave among us will let things go for a while longer...just long enough to get some overnight frost, just before they harvest the last vegetables from their growing space. This lets nature work its magic, and leads to richer and more flavorful crops...not with all garden plants, but with a few veggies that we'll discuss in this week's show!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Fall Tree Planting

Anthony Reardon

It may not be the first month that comes to mind, but October can be a great time to plant a tree, as it'll have a jump on building its root system once it's spring. This week, we'll talk about a few special considerations to keep in mind, in order for your tree to get off to its best start.
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Before a Freeze

Anthony Reardon

With the frosts due soon, it may be time to look at harvesting some of your crops soon, even if they don't seem full-grown. Failing to do so might mean losing out on some of your garden's bounty, so don't let the idea of perfection keep you from enjoying some baby vegetables, rather than none at all! This week, we'll talk about how to selectively time your harvesting, to let your plants grow as much as possible before they're at risk.